Michael Emerson

“I’ve played villains on stage – you know, the Iagos and so on – but I think of myself as a funny person. I mostly did comedies before I did TV work. “ … Michael Emerson

That just might sum up why Michael Emerson is considered by his peers to be such a gifted actor. His Broadway experience enables him to project a full range of emotions to his characters in all of his scenes. For many, he’s remembered for his time on “The Practice”, but since 2006, we’ve known him as Benjamin Linus, the manipulative, conniving leader of the Others on “Lost”. Michael Emerson has revealed in Benjamin Linus a complex character, both evil, loyal, funny and remorseful. He has made Linus a “likable villain”. We tune in, in hopes of watching Ben get what he deserves, but when it’s about to happen, we somehow take his side and feel for the bastard. That’s a very hard response to elicit from an audience. Yet Emerson does it with such ease. Let’s face it, “Lost” would have been … well, lost without Michael Emerson and we’re so fortunate to find him The Red Carpet.