Michael Shannon isn’t just one of the best actors working today; he’s also one of the busiest. Shannon seems to be everywhere, and you might be surprised to remember all the classic films he’s appeared in. Did you spot him in Groundhog Day? What about Vanilla Sky? Jesus’ Son? Pearl Harbor? Kangaroo Jack? 8 Mile? Shannon has remained active in the industry and continues to deliver outstanding performances in a number of projects. In 2022 alone, he appeared in Night’s End, Bullet Train, Abandoned, Amsterdam, A Little White Lie, the animated series Little Demon, and the acclaimed miniseries George & Tammy.
Shannon has been an active performer in the theater scene since the 1990s, and first broke out with his role in the Tracy Letts plays Bug and Killer Joe; most recently he appeared in a performance of Des Moines at a nonprofit theater in New York. While his early film career included collaborations with many all-time great filmmakers, he became a breakout star with his role as the FBI Agent-turned-criminal Nelson Van Alden on the acclaimed HBO drama series Boardwalk Empire. It seems like Shannon will take on projects of any size; he appears in many small indies that barely receive any attention every year, but he was also glimpsed returning to the role of General Zod in DC’s hotly anticipated The Flash.
Narrowing down Shannon’s best work is not easy, but these are his greatest performances thus far.
Peter Evans in 'Bug' (2006)
Shannon reprised the iconic role he debuted on stage in William Friedkin’s adaptation of the Tracy Letts play, Bug. Both the stage show and the film are a showcase for how unhinged Shannon was willing to go; the intimate, dark comedy stars Shannon as the crazed military veteran Peter Evans as he spirals into madness after growing obsessed with bugs, which he believes to be part of a governmental surveillance conspiracy.
John Givings in 'Revolutionary Road' (2008)
Shannon received his first Academy Award nomination for Best Supporting Actor for his scene-stealing performance as the mentally ill son of Kathy Bates in Sam Mendes’ masterpiece Revolutionary Road. The film delves into the tragic irony that while the couple Frank (Leonardo DiCaprio) and April (Kate Winslet) dream of moving to Paris and having a life filled with adventure, the only person that believes them is John, a former asylum patient. A scene where John mocks April’s idealism callously sealed in his Oscar nomination.
Curtis LaForche in 'Take Shelter' (2011)
While Shannon is often recognized for his ability to play disturbed or villainous characters, he’s surprisingly intimate and compassionate in one of his many collaborations with writer/director Jeff Nichols. In Take Shelter, Shannon stars as the hardworking father Curtis, who attempts to protect both his children and wife (Jessica Chastain) from an impending storm that only he foresees.
Rick Carver in '99 Homes' (2015)
Shannon gave another scene-stealing villainous performance as the ruthless real estate agent Rick Carver in Ramin Bahrani’s timely 2015 drama 99 Homes. Carver represents the worst of capitalism; he spouts lines about how “America was built by winners” as he wheels and deals to twist people out of their homes. In a study of morality, Carver convinces a good-natured family man (Andrew Garfield) to learn from under his wing as he launches his nefarious schemes.
Elvis Presley in 'Elvis & Nixon' (2016)
A few years before Austin Butler became a breakout star as the King of Rock’n’Roll, Shannon co-starred as a decidedly eccentric version of Elvis Presley during his iconic meeting with President Richard Nixon (Kevin Spacey). Elvis & Nixon isn’t a straight biopic, but rather a sensationalized version of what could have happened when the biggest star in the world and one of the most corrupt Presidents in U.S. history found a common cause during a meeting. Shannon is absolutely uproarious as a self-delusional, past-his-prime version of “The King” who is convinced he’s a super spy.
Roy Tomlin in 'Midnight Special' (2016)
Jeff Nichols and Shannon are among the best director/actor collaborators working today, and with Midnight Special, they essentially created a Superman story from the point-of-view of Jonathan Kent. Shannon stars as the hapless father Roy Tomlin, whose son Alton (Jaeden Martell) possesses extraordinary powers of telekinesis and nonverbal communication. Similar to Take Shelter, Shannon gives a stripped-down and emotional performance as a desperate father who seeks to protect his son from government pursuers and religious extremists.
Tom in 'Complete Unknown' (2016)
You may have never heard of this 2016 mystery romance film, but Complete Unknown is one of the most underrated films of the past decade. Shannon stars as a happily married man that throws a birthday party with his wife Ramina (Azita Ghanizada), only to be visited by the mysterious woman Alice (Rachel Weisz). Alice and Tom were childhood friends, but she’s since traveled the world using different aliases and identities, leaving a young Tom heartbroken. The pair try to reconcile their past together as secrets they once thought were buried are uncovered over the course of an emotional evening.
Detective Bobby Andes in 'Nocturnal Animals' (2016)
Shannon’s deliciously evil performance as the ruthless Detective Bobby Andes earned him his second Academy Award nomination for Best Supporting Actor in Tom Ford’s Nocturnal Animals. In the "film within a film" storyline that brings the novelist Edward Sheffield’s (Jake Gyllenhaal) stories to life, Shannon plays the dying detective, Bobby Andes, who helps the traumatized father Tony Hastings (also Gyllenhaal) to get revenge on the men who raped his wife and daughter, no matter the costs.
Colonel Richard Strickland in 'The Shape of Water' (2017)
While there are many great performances in Guillermo del Toro’s Best Picture-winning masterpiece, Shannon’s Colonel Richard Strickland represents the intolerance, hatred, toxic masculinity, and militarization that threatens the diverse cast of eclectic heroes. The Shape of Water is a film that celebrates outsiders and outcasts, and Shannon plays the pivotal role of the man who refuses to accept them.
Gary Noesner in 'Waco' (2018)
In this nail-biting recreation of one of the most infamous crime stories in Texas history, Shannon stars as the FBI Agent Gary Noesner who’s assigned to defuse a standoff between local police authorities and a religious extremist group led by the polygamist David Koresh (Taylor Kitsch). Shannon’s calculated demeanor ends up being the most empathetic part of Waco; he’s confused and unsure of who is to blame, but he desperately wants to find a peaceful solution before violence breaks out.
Walt Thrombey, Knives Out (2019)
With Knives Out, Rian Johnson gave a huge cast of great actors the chance to simply have fun with their eccentric characters, and Shannon was no different. Shannon’s cold sense of affection towards his on-screen wife (Riki Lindhome) and son (Jaeden Martell) is amusing, but it’s the moment where he berates Chris Evans about cookies that signifies he’s one of the film’s scene stealers.