Five-time Emmy nominated and two-time winning actor Michael Emerson has amassed a pretty impressive resume through his more than two-decade career. He most often plays quirky, eccentric, reclusive characters, and is often sought after to play serial killers, which he has done numerous times.
With an ability to transform himself into a variety of roles, from an obsessed man with telekinetic powers to a socially awkward bug specialist, a brilliant billionaire, and a creepy murderer, Emerson steals every scene when he's on-screen.
Of his many roles over the decades, however, which include roles both on television and in movies, a few stand out as being the best.
The X-Files (2002) – 75%
Emerson gets to say that he had a part, albeit a small one, in this sci-fi series that will go down in history as one of the best ever on television. It starred Gillian Anderson and David Duchovny as an unlikely pair of FBI agents investigating strange happenings: the former was all about science while the latter believed in the paranormal.
Emerson appeared in one episode of The X-Files as Oliver Martin, formerly Anthony Fogelman, a man with telekinetic powers who became the subject of an investigation following several murders.
Law & Order: Special Victims Unit (2004) – 78%
Emerson joins the long list of actors who have had guest-starring roles on Law & Order. He was on Law & Order: Special Victims Unit back in 2004, where he played a history professor named Allan Shaye, who was arrested for the murder of a young Nigerian boy that he had purchased as a slave. It is yet another time that Emerson was played an evil murderer.
The Education of Max Bickford (2001) – 79%
This short-lived series had a star-studded cast that included Richard Dreyfuss, Marcia Gay Harden, Katee Sackhoff, and Ann Dowd, among others. It was about a college professor, played by Dreyfuss, at an all women's school and his interactions with family, friends, former lovers, and colleagues.
Emerson only appeared in a single episode and his character wasn't even credited with a name. But of his various acting projects, this series, even though it was canceled after just a single season, ranks high on the list.
Arrow (2017-2018) – 86%
One of Emerson's best-known roles is in this superhero series as Cayden James, the founder of a hacktivist organization called Helix. He spent time in custody in a black site, which eventually drove him mad. And James eventually became obsessed with wiping out the world's access to the Internet.
Arrow itself, one of many series that take place within the fictional Arrowverse, is centered around the DC Comics character Green Arrow.
Parenthood (2011) – 88%
In one of his lighter roles, Emerson played a man known as Amazing Andy. He was a bug expert who ran Amazing Andy's Wonderful World of Bugs, a business where he made appearances at kids' parties and other events. Many consider Emerson to be one of the best guest stars through the series' six-season run, especially by critics who praised the actor for responsibly portraying an individual with Asperger's Syndrome.
Parenthood was loosely based on the 1989 movie of the same name. A relatable story about family, it followed three generations as they went through the trials and tribulations of life.
Evil (2019-present) – 91%
In his most recent and current small-screen role, Emerson plays Dr. Leland Townsend in the supernatural drama, Evil. While he is an expert in the occult, he is also pretty evil himself, reveling in making others commit heinous acts.
Dr. Townsend finds himself particularly fixated on the lead character David, a Catholic priest who seems incapable of sinning. It's the ultimate challenge for Dr. Townsend. The series has aired one season thus far and has been renewed for a second.
Lost (2005-2010) – 92% (audience score)
Oddly, Lost does not have a critic score on Rotten Tomatoes. But the series is far too big not to include, so it's ranked on this list based on the audience score which would very likely mirror that of critics. Indeed, while the series sparked a lot of conversation, whether viewers understood or were completely confused by it, it was universally praised.
Emerson had a key role as a primary antagonist through much of the series. Benjamin Linus was a long-time resident on The Island who worked for the DHARMA Initiative and was the leader of the Hostiles. He hoped that Jack, a doctor, might be able to cure him of his cancer. His character, who garnered both hatred and, at times, sympathy from fans, was also known as Henry Gale.
The Laramie Project (2002) – 92%
Based on the play of the same name, the drama movie was about the murder of Matthew Shepard in Laramie, Wyoming back in 1998. The young university student had been a victim of an anti-gay hate crime, where he had been brutally assaulted, tortured, and murdered by two assailants.
There were some big-name actors attached to the project, including Nestor Carbonell (who also appeared in Lost with Emerson), Christina Ricci, Dylan Baker, Terry Kinney, Laura Linney, and Peter Fonda. Emerson played the character of Reverend.
Person of Interest (2011-2016) – 92%
Unlike his many other roles, Emerson got to play a good guy on this show, and a brilliant one at that. Harold Finch was a billionaire with a genius-level IQ who created a Machine that could predict future behaviors by tracking citizens and identifying victims and perpetrators before a crime was committed.
To prevent The Machine from getting into the wrong hands and being given too much power, he faked his own death and went into hiding. But he eventually emerged with a team who could help him stop crime using the Machine's intelligence.
The role of Harold Finch on Person of Interest remains one of Emerson's best, which he played through the series' entire five-season run.
Mozart in the Jungle (2018) – 94%
This Amazon Prime Video original series was inspired by oboist Blair Tindell's memoir Mozart in the Jungle: Sex, Drugs, and Classical Music. The lead character is based on New York Philharmonic conductor Gustavo Dudamel. The series lasted for four seasons.
Emerson had a small role in the fourth and final season as an eccentric classical music lover named Morton Norton who spent his days alone in a mansion dressed as a 16th Century homicidal composer.