Michael Esper

Michael James Esper (born December 1, 1975) is an American actor, best known for his stage work.[1][2]

Michael Esper
Born
Michael James Esper

(1975-12-01) December 1, 1975
Manhattan, New York, United States
OccupationActor
Years active1995–present

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] His voice is included on American Idiot: The Original Broadway Cast Recording as well as the cast album for Lazarus.[11]

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.[12] He followed that by starring in Sting's new musical The Last Ship.[13] The Last Ship began previews on Broadway in September 2014 and ran through January 24, 2015. Esper also appeared in David Bowie and Enda Walsh's new musical Lazarus at New York Theatre Workshop.[14] He was nominated for a 2016 Outer Critics Circle Award for his performance in Lazarus.[15] Esper has also appeared in Tennessee Williams' The Glass Menagerie at the Edinburgh International Festival in 2016 and again at the Duke of York's Theatre in London, which ran until April 29, 2017.

Additional stage credits include Crazy Mary, for which he won the Clarence Derwent Award,[16] Big Bill, subUrbia, Manic Flight Reaction, As You Like It, and The Four Of Us.[17]

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."[3]

Acting credits

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)

2015–16 Lazarus Valentine New York Theatre Workshop
2016 The Glass Menagerie Tom Wingfield Edinburgh International Festival
2016–17 Lazarus Valentine King's Cross Theatre (London)
2017 The Glass Menagerie Tom Wingfield Duke of York's Theatre (West End)
2018 Seared Mike Williamstown Theatre Festival
2018 Catch As Catch Can Tim/Theresa New Ohio Theatre
2019 A Bright Room Called Day Vealtninc Husz The Public Theater[18]
2022 Slanted! Enchanted! A Pavement Musical Essem Sheen Center

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
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
2018 For George on His 30th Birthday George Dougherty Short film
2018 Ben Is Back Clayton
2022 Resurrection Peter
2023 Beau Is Afraid Officer Johnson
2023 The Creator Captain Cotton
TBA Untitled Pavement film Essem

Television
Year Title Role Notes
2009 Law & Order David Sutton Episode: "Take-Out"
2009 Bunker Hill Pete Walsh TV pilot
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
2018 Trust John Paul Getty Jr. 10 episodes
2019 Ray Donovan Adam Rain 6 episodes
2020 The Outsider Kenneth Hayes 4 episodes
2021 Evil Scientist Episode: "B Is for Brain"

References
  1. Blank, Matthew (May 3, 2011). "Playbill.com's Cue & A: Intelligent Homosexual's Guide Star Michael Esper". Playbill. Retrieved July 4, 2022.
  2. "Michael Esper (Performer)". Playbill. Retrieved July 4, 2022.
  3. Dziemianowicz, Joe (April 20, 2012). "Spotlight: Hometown actor Michael Esper now on Broadway in the comedy 'The Lyons'". New York Daily News.
  4. Spaner, Whitney (April 25, 2008). "Curtain Cutie: Michael Esper". Papermag. Archived from the original on November 7, 2013.
  5. Brantley, Ben (October 7, 2008). "Martyr Me a Little (the Perils of Thomas)". The New York Times. Retrieved July 4, 2022.
  6. Isherwood, Charles (April 20, 2010). "Stomping Onto Broadway With a Punk Temper Tantrum". The New York Times. Retrieved July 4, 2022.
  7. "Michael Esper". The Broadway League.
  8. Isherwood, Charles (February 28, 2012). "Heads Will Roll When Calls Don't in This Office Culture Gone Wild". The New York Times.
  9. Brantley, Ben (October 11, 2011). "The Curse of Kinship, but a Fear of Isolation". The New York Times.
  10. Brantley, Ben (May 5, 2011). "Debating Dialectics and Dad's Suicide Plan". The New York Times. Retrieved July 4, 2022.
  11. Jones, Kenneth (February 13, 2011). "Idiot's Delight! American Idiot Cast Album Wins Grammy Award". Playbill. Retrieved July 4, 2022.
  12. Levitt, Hayley (January 22, 2014). "Complete Cast Announced for MTC World Premiere of David Grimm's Tales From Red Vienna". TheaterMania. Retrieved January 23, 2014.
  13. Gans, Andrew (February 12, 2014). "Michael Esper, Jimmy Nail, Aaron Lazar, Sally Ann Triplett and More Will Star in Sting's The Last Ship on Broadway". Playbill. Retrieved July 4, 2022.
  14. Brantley, Ben (December 7, 2015). "Review: David Bowie Songs and a Familiar Alien in 'Lazarus'". The New York Times.
  15. "American Psycho and She Loves Me Lead 2016 Outer Critics Circle Award Nominations". TheaterMania. April 19, 2016. Retrieved April 19, 2016.
  16. "Zoe Kazan and Michael Esper Win 2008 Clarence Derwent Awards". Broadway.com. May 16, 2008.
  17. "Michael Esper". Internet Off-Broadway Database. Retrieved July 4, 2022.
  18. Musbach, Julie (September 20, 2019). "Michael Urie, Nikki M. James, Among Complete Casting of The Public's A BRIGHT ROOM CALLED DAY". Broadway World. Retrieved September 26, 2019.
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