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Michael Shannon

Michael Corbett Shannon (born August 7, 1974) is an American actor, producer, musician, and theatre director. He has been nominated twice for the Academy Award for Best Supporting Actor for his roles in the Sam Mendes period drama Revolutionary Road (2008) and the Tom Ford psychological thriller Nocturnal Animals (2016). He earned Screen Actors Guild Award and Golden Globe Award nominations for his role in 99 Homes (2014), and a Tony Award nomination for Best Featured Actor in a Play for the Broadway revival of Eugene O'Neill's Long Day's Journey into Night (2016). Shannon made his film debut in 1993 with Groundhog Day and received widespread attention for his performance in 8 Mile (2002). He is known for his on-screen versatility, performing in both comedies and dramas such as Pearl Harbor (2001), Bad Boys II (2003), Bug (2006), Before the Devil Knows You're Dead (2007), Bad Lieutenant: Port of Call New Orleans (2009), The Iceman (2012), Premium Rush (2012), The Night Before (2015), The Shape of Water (2017) and Knives Out (2019). He played Superman's Kryptonian adversary General Zod in Man of Steel (2013) and Batman v Superman: Dawn of Justice (2016), and is set to reprise the role in The Flash (2022). Shannon is a frequent collaborator of Jeff Nichols, appearing in all of his films: Shotgun Stories (2007), Take Shelter (2011), Mud (2012), Midnight Special, and Loving (both 2016). He is also known for his role as Nelson Van Alden in the HBO period drama series Boardwalk Empire (2010–2014), for which he was nominated for three Screen Actors Guild Awards. In 2021, he had a main role in the Hulu drama miniseries Nine Perfect Strangers.

Filmography

2026
Buddy

as Charlie the Train (voice)

Movie
2026
Bulls

as Alistair Whitman

Movie
2025
Nuremberg

as Justice Robert H. Jackson

Movie
2023
The Flash

as General Zod

Movie
2022
Amsterdam

as Henry Norcross

Movie
2022
Bullet Train

as White Death

Movie
2019
Knives Out

as Walt Thrombey

Movie
2018
What They Had

as Nick

Movie
2018
12 Strong

as Hal Spencer

Movie
2017
The Shape of Water

as Richard Strickland

Movie
2016
Batman v Superman: Dawn of Justice

as Zod

Movie
2015
The Night Before

as Mr. Green

Movie
2013
Man of Steel

as General Zod

Movie
2008
Revolutionary Road

as John Givings

Movie
2003
Bad Boys II

as Floyd Poteet

Movie
2002
8 Mile

as Greg Buehl

Movie
2001
Vanilla Sky

as Aaron

Movie
2001
Pearl Harbor

as Gooz Wood

Movie
1993
Groundhog Day

as Fred

Movie
2025
Death by Lightning

as James Garfield

TV Show