Education
In 1993, he enrolled in the Alabama Shakespeare Festival’s University of Alabama-sponsoredMaster of Fine Arts/Professional Actor Training program.
In 1993, he enrolled in the Alabama Shakespeare Festival’s University of Alabama-sponsoredMaster of Fine Arts/Professional Actor Training program.
Unable to find acting work, he took retail jobs and worked as a freelance illustrator. From 1986 to1993, he acted in local productions and worked as a teacher and a director.Emerson considered giving up acting in favor of a more stable career as ateacher, but instead decided to find an MFA program that would help introduce him to professionals in theater and a higher grade of directors.
Filmography:
2011: Person of Interest (TV series) - Finch
2011: G.I. Joe: Renegades (TV series) - Dr. Archibald Monev/Dr. Venom
2011: Parenthood (TV series) - Andy Fitzgerald
2010: God in America (TV series) - John Winthrop
2006-2010: Lost (TV series) - Ben Linus/Henry Gale
2010: Late Show with David Letterman (TV series) - Creepy Target Sock Shopper
2010: Goldstar, Ohio (short) - Steve Harper
2010: Lost: Final Chapter (TV movie) - Narrator/Ben Linus
2009: Lost: A Journey in Time (TV movie) - Narrator/Ben Linus
2008: Ready? OK! - Charlie New
2008: Lost: Via Domus (Video Game) - Benjamin Linus (voice)
2008: Lost: Past, Present & Future (TV movie) - Narrator/Ben Linus
2007: Lost: Missing Pieces (TV mini-series) - Ben Linus
2006: Jumping Off Bridges - Frank Nelson
2005: The Legend of Zorro - Harrigan
2005: The Inside (TV series) - Marty Manning
2005: 29th and Gay - Gorilla
2004: Straight-Jacket - Victor
2004: Law & Order: Special Victims Unit (TV series) - Allan Shaye
2004: Saw - Zep Hindle
2003: Whoopi (TV series) - F. Thomas Erickson
2003: Skin (TV series) - Scarpelli
2003: Without a Trace (TV series) - Stuart Wesmar
2002: The X-Files (TV series) - Oliver Martin
2002: Unfaithful - Josh
2002: Law & Order: Criminal Intent (TV series) - Gerry Rankin
2002: The Laramie Project (TV movie) - Reverend
2001: Sounds from a Town I Love (TV short)
2001: The Education of Max Bickford (TV series)
2000-2001: The Practice (TV series) - William Hinks
2000: The District (TV series) - Man in Bar
1999: Stark Raving Mad (TV series) - Mr. Putnam
1999: For Love of the Game - Gallery Doorman
1999: I'll Take You There - Tom
1998: Playing by Heart - Bosco
1998: Grace & Glorie (TV movie) - Arnold Dudley
1998: The Impostors - Burtom's Assistant
1997: The Journey - Michael
1990: Orpheus Descending (TV movie) – Clown
Quotations:
Personal Quotes:
I've had the blessing of doing classic plays on Broadway, which was one of my great dreams forever.
It worries me a little bit the reach and power of TV. More people saw me in "The Practice" (1997) than will ever see me in all the stage plays I ever do. Which is sort of humbling. Or troubling. Or both.
You work four days, and then one line is left when you see it. Demoralizing.
A better question might be what is it about those characters that appeals to audiences, or an even better question is why do audiences perceive them as creepy? Let's say I got to the studio one day and I play it in neutral - I don't make any judgment about the character or the material or anything. And then when it comes out and it's all chopped together and there's music and stuff, people go 'my God that's scary!' But I don't know what the scary element is. I don't know if it's something in me. I don't know if it's in the playing of it or the perceiving of it. It's an interesting issue, though. - asked why he's drawn to playing "creepy" characters.