Michael Emerson

With his signature piercing voice, steely gaze, and wily demeanor, Michael Emerson captivated television audiences worldwide as scene-stealing villain "Benjamin Linus" on the critically acclaimed fantasy-drama Lost. His five-season stint on the groundbreaking series – which resulted in a Golden Globe nomination, four Emmy nominations, and an Emmy win for Best Supporting Actor in a Drama Series – led Variety to pronounce Emerson "one of the greatest villains in television history." As one of the show's most complex and nuanced characters, "Ben Linus" became a fan favorite, helping to pull in 13.5 million viewers for its May 2010 series finale.

But long before finding himself on a mysterious island off the coast of Fiji, Emerson was trying to survive on an island of a different sort: New York City. Fresh out of college, the theater major struggled to find success in the Big Apple, and soon sought out a profession where he could continue to flex his creative muscle. For several years he worked as a successful magazine illustrator; his work was published in The Boston Globe and The New York Times.

Still yearning to pursue his deferred dream, fate soon intervened for Emerson. Now in his thirties, he found himself auditioning for a Jacksonville, Florida production of "Othello," and over the next five years he honed his craft on stages across the South while supplementing his income with work as a carpenter, landscaper, teacher, and director. Emerson eventually enrolled in the Alabama Shakespeare Company's MFA program and the rest, as they say, is history – not only did he meet his future wife, True Blood's Carrie Preston, but his Broadway debut followed in 1999, when he shared the stage with such acting heavyweights as Kevin Spacey and Paul Giamatti in "The Iceman Cometh." He went on to appear in feature films including Saw and The Legend of Zorro, and guest starred on such television shows as The X-Files and The Practice, for which he garnered an Emmy.

Emerson's path to success in acting has been an unlikely one, full of detours, distractions, and twists – not unlike the show that made him a household name. With humor, humility, and a lighthearted tone, he shows audiences that it is never too late to live out your dream. An advocate for issues facing the theater community, Emerson supports several charities, including Broadway Cares/Equity Fights AIDS and Gay Men's Health Crisis.