Michael James Esper (born December 1, 1976) is an American actor, best known for his stage work.
Early life and education Esper was born in Manhattan and raised in Montclair, New Jersey. 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.
Stage career Esper has appeared on Broadway in Sting's The Last Ship, A Man for All Seasons, Green Day's American Idiot and The Lyons. He also starred in the Off-Broadway premieres of Leslye Headland's Assistance, Nicky Silver's The Lyons, and Tony Kushner's The Intelligent Homosexual's Guide to Capitalism and Socialism with a Key to the Scriptures. His voice is included on American Idiot: The Original Broadway Cast Recording as well as the cast album for Lazarus.
After a break from stage work, he returned to New York theater in February 2014 with David Grimm's play Tales from Red Vienna off-Broadway, opposite Nina Arianda. He followed that by starring in Sting's musical The Last Ship, which began previews on Broadway in September 2014 and ran through January 24, 2015. Esper also appeared in David Bowie and Enda Walsh's musical Lazarus at New York Theatre Workshop. He was nominated for a 2016 Outer Critics Circle Award for his performance in Lazarus. 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. In 2019, he appeared in Tony Kushner's A Bright Room Called Day; in 2023 he played in Branden Jacobs-Jenkins' Appropriate, and in 2026 was in David Lindsay-Abaire's The Balusters.
Additional stage credits include Crazy Mary, for which he won the Clarence Derwent Award, Big Bill, subUrbia, Manic Flight Reaction, As You Like It, and The Four Of Us.
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."
Acting credits
Stage Year Title Role Company/Venue2004Big BillPete/Ball Boy/OthersLincoln Center Theater2005As You Like ItSilviusDelacorte TheaterManic Flight ReactionLukePlaywrights Horizons2006subUrbiaPonySecond Stage TheatreThe Agony and the AgonyNathanVineyard Theatre2007Long Day's Journey into NightEdmundDruid Theatre (Dublin)Crazy MarySkipPlaywrights Horizons2008Me, Myself and IOTTOMcCarter TheatreThe Four of UsDavidManhattan Theatre ClubA Man for All SeasonsWilliam RoperRoundabout Theatre Company (Broadway)2009–2011American IdiotWillBerkeley Repertory TheatreSt. James Theatre (Broadway)2011The Intelligent Homosexual's Guide to Capitalism and Socialism with a Key to the ScripturesEliPublic Theater and Guthrie Theater2011–2012The LyonsCurtis LyonsVineyard TheatreCort Theatre (Broadway)2012AssistanceNickPlaywrights Horizons2014Tales from Red ViennaBela HoyosManhattan Theatre Club2014–2015The Last ShipGideon FletcherBank of America Theatre (Chicago)Neil Simon Theatre (Broadway)2015–2016LazarusValentineNew York Theatre Workshop2016The Glass MenagerieTom WingfieldEdinburgh International Festival2016–2017LazarusValentineKing's Cross Theatre (London)2017The Glass MenagerieTom WingfieldDuke of York's Theatre (West End)2018SearedMikeWilliamstown Theatre FestivalCatch As Catch CanTim/TheresaNew Ohio Theatre2019A Bright Room Called DayVealtninc HuszThe Public Theater2022Slanted! Enchanted! A Pavement MusicalEssemSheen Center2023–2024AppropriateFranz LafayetteHayes Theater (Broadway)Belasco Theatre (Broadway)2026The BalustersAlan KirbySamuel J. Friedman Theatre (Broadway)
Film Year Title Role Notes1995Dying is EasyAlbert Matson2001A Beautiful MindYoung John Nash2002American GunBurglar2005LoggerheadsGillBittersweet PlaceJoey2007Light and the SuffererPaul2010All Good ThingsDaniel Marks2012Watching TV with the Red ChineseBillyFrances HaDanCrazy LoveJoeyShort film2013Runner RunnerBilly Petricoff2014The DropRardy2018For George on His 30th BirthdayGeorge DoughertyShort filmBen Is BackClayton2022ResurrectionPeter2023Beau Is AfraidOfficer JohnsonThe CreatorCaptain Cotton2024PavementsEssemPost-production
Television Year Title Role Notes2009Law & OrderDavid SuttonEpisode: "Take-Out"Bunker HillPete WalshTV pilot2013The Good WifeGregory SteckEpisode: "The Wheels of Justice"Do No HarmDr. Kenneth Jordan13 episodes2013–2014Person of InterestJason Greenfield2 episodes2014BelieveJack CallahanEpisode: "Sinking"Halt and Catch FireRon CaneEpisode: "Close to the Metal"2014–2015Nurse JackieGabe7 episodes2015ElementaryDonald PruittEpisode: "The Cost of Doing Business"2016Shades of BlueDonnie Pomp11 episodesThe FamilyDoug/Pocked-Marked Man12 episodesBrainDeadNoah Feffer2 episodes2018TrustJohn Paul Getty Jr.7 episodes2019Prodigal SonJon LittmanEpisode: "Annihilator"ReprisalColin QuinnEpisode: "The Tale of Harold Horpus"Ray DonovanAdam Rain6 episodes2020The OutsiderKenneth Hayes4 episodes2021EvilScientistEpisode: "B Is for Brain"2023Florida ManDeacon5 episodesJuliaNoel WintonEpisode: "Bûche De Noël"2024FalloutBud Askins / Brain-on-a-Roomba2 episodesLaw & OrderKenneth LaneEpisode: "Catch and Kill"
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