Biography
Michael Shannon is an American actor. Born Michael Corbett Shannon on 7 August 1974 in Lexington, Kentucky, he began his professional stage career in Chicago with companies including Steppenwolf and A Red Orchid Theatre, which he co-founded.
He made his film debut in Groundhog Day (1993) and gained wider attention for roles in 8 Mile (2002) and Pearl Harbor (2001). He received Academy Award nominations for Best Supporting Actor for Revolutionary Road (2008) and Nocturnal Animals (2016), and a Tony Award nomination for the Broadway revival of Long Day's Journey into Night (2016). Shannon is a frequent collaborator with director Jeff Nichols, appearing in all of his feature films including Shotgun Stories (2007), Take Shelter (2011), Mud (2012), Midnight Special (2016) and Loving (2016).
He played General Zod in Man of Steel (2013) and Batman v Superman: Dawn of Justice (2016), reprising the role in The Flash (2023). Other notable film roles include The Shape of Water (2017), Knives Out (2019) and The Bikeriders (2024), in which he played Zipco.
