Michael Shannon Net Worth

Michael Shannon's Quotes

• [on his early acting days] I would work at Chicago store-front theaters that were little rooms with folding chairs. I did it for free and never really had the ambition to become a movie actor. I just loved acting and never had a desire to move to L.A. But I was fortunate to tell some great stories and I wound up taking shows on the road to London and New York.
• [on filming My Son, My Son, What Have Ye Done (2009)] I certainly did a lot of traveling with this film. I went to Peru with Werner, and that alone made the experience worth it. Because first of all, I went to Peru, which I would have never done. I don't travel for fun, because I travel so much with my work; when I'm not working, I mostly want to stay home. So I went to Peru and China, to Kashgar. I saw the old city in Kashgar, which 10 years from now probably won't even be there anymore. Those are the fond memories. You know, standing up at Machu Picchu and Werner (Herzog) pointing to the various places, like "I shot the opening of Aguirre, Wrath of God (1972) over there. When were shooting Fitzcarraldo (1982), we stayed in those shacks down there by the river." It's like his own personal playground.
• [on if he's inherently drawn to unhinged characters, or is this what people just tend to cast him in] It's probably a combination of things. When people are casting things, movies and what not, they go on impressions they have of people, you know. The impressions they have of you are based on what they've seen you in. But I also think I find a lot of differences in the characters I've played, regardless of whether they may be violent or angry or act out or, you know, have lapses of control. I still find them all pretty interesting in their own regard, and not incredibly similar. I think if you took scenes from each of the films and put them on a loop, or played them back to back, you would maybe see more of the subtle differences between them. I think part of the reason I got into this was because I'm generally in touch with the uneasy side of myself and things in general, probably. I think the world's an uneasy place, filled with anxiety and problems, so maybe the voices of the characters I play are representative of that.
• [on what makes him smile] My daughter. She makes me smile, and my family. I think a lot of times what makes you smile is unexpected, it catches you off guard, surprises you; something may make you smile one day and it may not necessarily make you smile the next. It's a mystery what makes any of us happy and [happiness is] usually fleeting.
• [on if he feels he has an "intense" or conflicted-looking face as seemingly others do] Well, there seems to be something inherently intense about my face - I guess my bone structure. Even if I'm just sitting in a totally neutral state, not thinking about anything in particular, that [intensity] is projected on my face. I have wondered over the years why that is. A friend of mine once said it looks like I have psychic baggage, which I guess is true to a certain extent - although I have a hard time imagining anybody who doesn't. I guess it just comes through maybe more clearly on my face than other people's faces. I don't know.

Interesting Facts about Michael Shannon

1. He was awarded the 1992 Joseph Jefferson Award Citation for Actor in a Principal Role in a Play for "Fun/Nobody" at the Next Lab Theatre in Chicago, Illinois.
2. He was nominated for a 2002 Joseph Jefferson Award for Actor in a Principal Role in a Play for "Bug" at the A Red Orchid Theatre in Chicago, Illinois.
3. He was nominated for a 2007 Joseph Jefferson Award for Actor in a Supporting Role in a Play for "The Pillowman" at the Steppenwolf Theatre Company in Chicago, Illinois.
4. His favorite films are Alphaville (1965), The King of Comedy (1982), Dekalog (1989), Crumb (1994) and I Stand Alone (1998).
5. He was nominated for a 2010 Joseph Jefferson Award for Actor in a Principal Role in a Play for "Mistakes Were Made" at the Red Orchid Theatre in Chicago, Illinois.
6. Partner of actress Kate Arrington and father of their daughters, Sylvia and Marion.
7. Is the first non-British actor to play Superman's enemy General Zod.
8. Attended and graduated from New Trier High School in Winnetka, Illinois.
9. Parents are Donald Sutherlin Shannon and Geraldine Hine; has one brother: Dave.
10. Grandson of well-known entomologist Raymond Corbett Shannon (1894-1945).
11. His father was an accounting professor at DePaul University and his mother is a lawyer.
12. Currently resides in Red Hook, Brooklyn, New York. [January 2011]
13. According to a 2014 Hollywood Reporter article, Smokin' Aces (2006) director Joe Carnahan fired Michael Shannon for being rude to a costume designer and replaced him with Chris Pine.
14. He was awarded the 2013 Equity Joseph Jefferson Award for Principal Actor in a Play for "Simpatico" at the A Red Orchid Theater in Chicago, Illinois.
15. One of his favorite shows is Dr. Katz, Professional Therapist (1995).
16. Avid longtime fan of pulp novelist Jim Thompson.
17. Despite starring in multiple acclaimed films in 2016, many of them under-performed at the box office. Nocturnal Animals (2016) grossed $10.6 million domestic and $30.7 million worldwide on a $22.5 million budget. Loving (2016), produced on a $9 million budget, grossed little over $9.1 million. Midnight Special (2016) with its $18 million budget grossed $3.7 million domestic and a mere $6.2 million worldwide. Elvis & Nixon (2016) grossed little over $1 million on a $4 million budget. Frank & Lola (2016) earned just $9,188 domestic. And Batman v Superman: Dawn of Justice (2016), while not critically acclaimed, needed to gross $800 million in order to recoup its $300 million production and $165 million marketing budgets, according to financial analysts. In the end, it earned $873.3 million worldwide but it was still considered a disappointment by Warner Bros given the film's hefty investment.
18. He was awarded the 2018 Joseph Jefferson Equity Award for Midsize Play Director for "Traitor" at A Red Orchid Theatre in Chicago, Illinois.