Michael Esper

Michael Esper
Born (1976-12-01) December 1, 1976
Manhattan, New York City, United States
Occupation Actor
Years active 1995–present

Michael James Esper[1] (born December 1, 1976)[2] is an American actor, noted for his stage career.

Early life

Esper was born in Manhattan and raised in Montclair, New Jersey.[3] He is the son of acting teachers William and Suzanne Esper, of the William Esper Studio. He attended Saint Ann's School in Brooklyn Heights. He attended Rutgers University after attending Oberlin College for one year.[4]

Stage career

Esper has appeared on Broadway in Sting's The Last Ship, A Man for All Seasons,[5] Green Day's American Idiot,[6] and The Lyons.[7] He also starred in the Off-Broadway premieres of Leslye Headland's Assistance,[8] Nicky Silver's The Lyons,[9] and Tony Kushner's The Intelligent Homosexual's Guide to Capitalism and Socialism with a Key to the Scriptures.[10]

After a break from stage work, he returned to New York theater in February 2014 with David Grimm's new play Tales from Red Vienna off-Broadway, opposite Nina Arianda.[11] He followed that by starring in Sting's new musical The Last Ship.[12] The Last Ship began previews on Broadway in September 2014 and ran through January 24, 2015. Esper most recently appeared in David Bowie and Enda Walsh's new musical Lazarus at New York Theatre Workshop.[13] He was nominated for a 2016 Outer Critics Circle Award for his performance in Lazarus.[14]

Additional stage credits include Crazy Mary, for which he won the Clarence Derwent Award,[15] Big Bill, subUrbia, Manic Flight Reaction, As You Like It, and The Four Of Us.[16]

Film and television

Esper starred as Dr. Kenneth Jordan on 2013 NBC series Do No Harm. He has had recurring roles on Nurse Jackie , Person of Interest, Shades of Blue, and The Family, as well as guest roles on several other shows. His notable film appearances include: The Drop, Frances Ha, All Good Things, A Beautiful Mind, and Runner Runner.[17] His voice is included on American Idiot: The Original Broadway Cast Recording.[18]

Reception

The New York Daily News described him as a "rising star", and said, "He acts with an emotional openness and authenticity that's as striking as it is uncommon. Esper's talent is evident whether he's punking out on Broadway in the Green Day musical "American Idiot" or assuming the cadence and carriage of 16th-century England in "A Man for All Seasons."[19]

Career

Stage

Year Title Role Company/Venue
2004 Big Bill Pete/Ball Boy/Others Lincoln Center Theater
2005 As You Like It Silvius Delacorte Theater
2005 Manic Flight Reaction Luke Playwrights Horizons
2006 subUrbia Pony Second Stage Theatre
2006 The Agony and the Agony Nathan Vineyard Theatre
2007 Long Day's Journey Into Night Edmund Druid Theatre (Dublin)
2007 Crazy Mary Skip Playwrights Horizons
2008 Me Myself and I OTTO McCarter Theatre
2008 The Four of Us David Manhattan Theatre Club
2008 A Man for All Seasons William Roper Roundabout Theatre Company (Broadway)
2009–11 American Idiot Will Berkeley Repertory Theatre

St. James Theatre (Broadway)

2011 The Intelligent Homosexual's Guide to Capitalism and Socialism with a Key to the Scriptures Eli Public Theater and Guthrie Theater
2011–12 The Lyons Curtis Lyons Vineyard Theatre

Cort Theatre (Broadway)

2012 Assistance Nick Playwrights Horizons
2014 Tales from Red Vienna Bela Hoyos Manhattan Theatre Club
2014–15 The Last Ship Gideon Fletcher Bank of America Theatre (Chicago)

Neil Simon Theatre (Broadway)

2015-2016 Lazarus Valentine New York Theatre Workshop
2016 The Glass Menagerie Tom Wingfield Edinburgh International Festival
2016-2017 Lazarus Valentine King's Cross Theatre (London)
2017 The Glass Menagerie Tom Wingfield Duke of York's Theatre (West End)

Film

Year Title Role Notes
1995 Dying is Easy Albert Matson
2001 A Beautiful Mind Young John Nash
2002 American Gun Burglar
2005 Loggerheads Gill
2005 Bittersweet Place Joey
2007 Light and the Sufferer Paul
2009 Bunker Hill Pete Walsh TV pilot
2010 All Good Things Daniel Marks
2012 Watching TV with the Red Chinese Billy
2012 Frances Ha Dan
2012 Crazy Love Joey Short film
2013 Runner Runner Billy Petricoff
2014 The Drop Rardy

Television

Year Title Role Notes
2009 Law & Order David Sutton Episode: "Take-Out"
2013 The Good Wife Gregory Steck Episode: "The Wheels of Justice"
2013 Do No Harm Dr. Kenneth Jordan 13 episodes
2013–14 Person of Interest Jason Greenfield 2 episodes
2014 Believe Jack Callahan Episode: "Sinking"
2014–15 Nurse Jackie Gabe 7 episodes
2014 Halt and Catch Fire Ron Cane Episode: "Close to the Metal"
2015 Elementary Donald Pruitt Episode: "The Cost of Doing Business"
2016 Shades of Blue Donnie Pomp 11 episodes
2016 The Family Doug/Pocked-Marked Man 12 episodes
2016 BrainDead Noah Feffer 2 episodes

References

  1. ↑ Blank, Matthew. "PLAYBILL.COM'S CUE & A: Intelligent Homosexual's Guide Star Michael Esper". Playbill. Retrieved January 4, 2015.
  2. ↑ "Michael Esper – Broadway Theatre Credits, Photos, Who's Who – Playbill Vault". Retrieved January 4, 2015.
  3. ↑ Dziemianowicz, Joe. "Spotlight: Hometown actor Michael Esper now on Broadway in the comedy 'The Lyons'|". The New York Daily News.
  4. ↑ Spaner, Whitney. "Curtain Cutie: Michael Esper". PAPERMAG.
  5. ↑ Brantley, Ben. "Martyr Me a Little (the Perils of Thomas)" The New York Times. October 8, 2008
  6. ↑ Isherwood, Charles. "Stomping Onto Broadway With a Punk Temper Tantrum" The New York Times. April 21, 2010
  7. ↑ "Michael Esper". The Broadway League.
  8. ↑ Isherwood, Charles. "Heads Will Roll When Calls Don't in This Office Culture Gone Wild". The New York Times. The New York Times.
  9. ↑ Brantley, Ben. "The Curse of Kinship, but a Fear of Isolation". The New York Times. The New York Times.
  10. ↑ Brantley, Ben. "Debating Dialectics and Dad's Suicide Plan" The New York Times. May 5, 2011
  11. ↑ "Complete Cast Announced for MTC World Premiere of David Grimm's Tales From Red Vienna". TheaterMania. Retrieved January 23, 2014.
  12. ↑ Gans, Andrew. "Michael Esper, Jimmy Nail, Aaron Lazar, Sally Ann Triplett and More Will Star in Sting's The Last Ship on Broadway". Playbill.
  13. ↑ Brantley, Ben. "Review: David Bowie Songs and a Familiar Alien in 'Lazarus'". The New York Times. The New York Times.
  14. ↑ "American Psycho and She Loves Me Lead 2016 Outer Critics Circle Award Nominations". TheaterMania.com. TheaterMania.com. Retrieved 19 April 2016.
  15. ↑ Broadway.com staff. Zoe Kazan and Michael Esper Win 2008 Clarence Derwent Awards Broadway.com May 16, 2008
  16. ↑ "Michael Esper". Lortel Archives.
  17. ↑ "Michael Esper". IMDb.
  18. ↑ Jones, Kenneth. "Idiot's Delight! American Idiot Cast Album Wins Grammy Award" Playbill.com February 13, 2011
  19. ↑ Dziemianowicz, Joe. "Spotlight: Hometown actor Michael Esper now on Broadway in the comedy 'The Lyons' New York Daily News. April 20, 2012
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