Michael Shannon

August 7, 1974 (age 51) Lexington, Kentucky, USA
IMDb

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.

Their titles like The Shape of Water, Man of Steel, and Knives Out - their biggest roles first.
Last updated: June 14, 2026

80 titles
Community avg: 7.74 /10
  • 1
    1
    2017December 2017 by Guillermo del Toro
    Drama, Fantasy, Romance
    Drama, Fantasy, Romance
    8.16 Excellent+
  • 2
    2
    2013June 2013 by Zack Snyder
    Action, Adventure, Science Fiction
    Action, Adventure, Science Fiction
    7.63 Excellent--
  • 3
    3
    2019November 2019 by Rian Johnson
    Comedy, Crime, Mystery
    Comedy, Crime, Mystery
    8.77 Masterpiece-
  • 4
    4
    2016November 2016 by Tom Ford
    Drama, Thriller
    Drama, Thriller
    8.32 Excellent++
  • 5
    5
    2016March 2016 by Zack Snyder
    Action, Adventure, Fantasy
    Action, Adventure, Fantasy
    6.95 Good
  • 6
    6
    2022August 2022 by David Leitch
    Action, Comedy, Thriller
    Action, Comedy, Thriller
    8.32 Excellent++
  • 7
    7
    2011February 2011 by Liza Johnson
    Drama
    Drama
    7.35 Good++
  • 8
    8
    2023June 2023 by Andy Muschietti
    Action, Science Fiction, Adventure
    Action, Science Fiction, Adventure
    7.55 Excellent--
  • 9
    9
    2018January 2018 by Nicolai Fuglsig
    War, Drama, Action
    War, Drama, Action
    7.31 Good++
  • 10
    10
    2003July 2003 by Michael Bay
    Action, Crime, Comedy
    Action, Crime, Comedy
    7.59 Excellent--
  • 11
    11
    2002November 2002 by Curtis Hanson
    Drama, Music
    Drama, Music
    8.07 Excellent
  • 12
    12
    2008December 2008 by Sam Mendes
    Drama, Romance
    Drama, Romance
    7.91 Excellent
  • 13
    13
    2016February 2016 by Jeff Nichols
    Adventure, Drama, Science Fiction
    Adventure, Drama, Science Fiction
    7.21 Good+
  • 14
    14
    2011September 2011 by Jeff Nichols
    Thriller, Drama, Horror
    Thriller, Drama, Horror
    7.99 Excellent
  • 15
    15
    2001May 2001 by Michael Bay
    War, Romance, History
    War, Romance, History
    7.87 Excellent-
  • 16
    16
    2012August 2012 by David Koepp
    Crime, Action, Thriller
    Crime, Action, Thriller
    7.31 Good++
  • 17
    17
    2001December 2001 by Cameron Crowe
    Mystery, Romance, Science Fiction
    Mystery, Romance, Science Fiction
    7.75 Excellent-
  • 18
    18
    2012September 2012 by Ariel Vromen
    Thriller, Crime, Drama
    Thriller, Crime, Drama
    7.51 Excellent--
  • 19
    19
    Mud
    2013April 2013 by Jeff Nichols
    Drama
    Drama
    7.98 Excellent
  • 20
    20
    2018February 2018 by Alfonso Gomez-Rejon
    Drama, History
    Drama, History
    7.64 Excellent--
  • 21
    21
    2010–2014 by Terence Winter
    Crime, Drama
    Crime, Drama
    8.92 Masterpiece
  • 22
    22
    2007September 2007 by Sidney Lumet
    Crime, Drama, Thriller
    Crime, Drama, Thriller
    8.04 Excellent
  • 23
    23
    2015November 2015 by Jonathan Levine
    Comedy, Adventure, Fantasy
    Comedy, Adventure, Fantasy
    7.07 Good
  • 24
    24
    2018May 2018 by Ramin Bahrani
    Drama, Science Fiction, Thriller
    Drama, Science Fiction, Thriller
    6.51 Good--
  • 25
    25
    2025November 2025 by James Vanderbilt
    History, Drama
    History, Drama
    8.45 Excellent++
  • 26
    26
    2022September 2022 by David O. Russell
    Mystery, Comedy, Drama
    Mystery, Comedy, Drama
    7.04 Good
  • 27
    27
    2015September 2015 by Ramin Bahrani
    Drama, Crime
    Drama, Crime
    7.75 Excellent-
  • 28
    28
    2024June 2024 by Jeff Nichols
    Crime, Drama
    Crime, Drama
    7.63 Excellent--
  • 29
    29
    2016November 2016 by Jeff Nichols
    Drama, Romance
    Drama, Romance
    7.64 Excellent--
  • 30
    30
    2010March 2010 by Floria Sigismondi
    Drama, Music
    Drama, Music
    7.43 Good++
  • 31
    31
    2003January 2003 by David McNally
    Action, Adventure, Comedy
    Action, Adventure, Comedy
    6.36 Decent++
  • 32
    32
    Bug
    2007February 2007 by William Friedkin
    Drama, Horror, Thriller
    Drama, Horror, Thriller
    7.14 Good+
  • 33
    33
    2011September 2011 by Marc Forster
    Action, Thriller, Crime
    Action, Thriller, Crime
    7.67 Excellent--
  • 34
    34
    2010June 2010 by Jimmy Hayward
    Western, Fantasy, Thriller
    Western, Fantasy, Thriller
    6.06 Decent
  • 35
    35
    13
    2010March 2010 by Gela Babluani
    Drama, Thriller
    Drama, Thriller
    6.85 Good-
  • 36
    36
    2009September 2009 by Werner Herzog
    Drama, Crime
    Drama, Crime
    7.16 Good+
  • 37
    37
    2015October 2015 by Peter Sollett
    Romance, Drama
    Romance, Drama
    8.11 Excellent+
  • 38
    38
    2014June 2014 by Jake Paltrow
    Western, Action, Drama
    Western, Action, Drama
    6.84 Good-
  • 39
    39
    2016March 2016 by Liza Johnson
    Drama, Comedy, History
    Drama, Comedy, History
    7.03 Good
  • 40
    40
    2002April 2002 by Carl Franklin
    Drama, Mystery, Thriller
    Drama, Mystery, Thriller
    7.32 Good++
  • 41
    41
    2018 by John Erick Dowdle
    Crime, Drama
    Crime, Drama
    8.28 Excellent+
  • 42
    42
    2000October 2000 by Joel Schumacher
    Drama, War
    Drama, War
    7.56 Excellent--
  • 43
    43
    2010July 2010 by Werner Herzog
    Crime, Drama, Thriller
    Crime, Drama, Thriller
    7.16 Good+
  • 44
    44
    2018
    Drama, War & Politics
    Drama, War & Politics
    8.02 Excellent
  • 45
    45
    2007October 2007 by Jeff Nichols
    Drama, Thriller
    Drama, Thriller
    7.86 Excellent-
  • 46
    46
    2004December 2004 by Nicole Kassell
    Drama, Crime
    Drama, Crime
    7.79 Excellent-
  • 47
    47
    2016December 2016 by Matthew Ross
    Drama, Mystery, Romance
    Drama, Mystery, Romance
    6.84 Good-
  • 48
    48
    2022June 2022 by Spencer Squire
    Horror, Mystery, Thriller
    Horror, Mystery, Thriller
    6.92 Good
  • 49
    49
    2005April 2005 by Alex Turner
    Horror, Thriller, Western
    Horror, Thriller, Western
    6.82 Good-
  • 50
    50
    2015April 2015 by John McNaughton
    Horror, Thriller, Mystery
    Horror, Thriller, Mystery
    7.12 Good+
  • 51
    51
    2006November 2006 by Bob Odenkirk
    Comedy, Crime
    Comedy, Crime
    6.93 Good
  • 52
    52
    2017November 2017 by Seth Henrikson
    Comedy
    Comedy
    6.44 Decent++
  • 53
    53
    2016August 2016 by Joshua Marston
    Drama, Mystery, Thriller
    Drama, Mystery, Thriller
    6.50 Good--
  • 54
    54
    2000August 2000 by John Waters
    Comedy, Crime, Action
    Comedy, Crime, Action
    7.42 Good++
  • 55
    55
    2007May 2007 by Curtis Hanson
    Drama, Romance
    Drama, Romance
    6.84 Good-
  • 56
    56
    2020April 2020 by Scott Teems
    Crime, Mystery, Thriller
    Crime, Mystery, Thriller
    6.68 Good--
  • 57
    57
    2020November 2020 by Seth Savoy
    Crime, Drama, Action
    Crime, Drama, Action
    7.05 Good
  • 58
    58
    2018October 2018 by Elizabeth Chomko
    Drama
    Drama
    7.55 Excellent--
  • 59
    59
    2025 by Mike Makowsky
    Drama, Crime
    Drama, Crime
    8.12 Excellent+
  • 60
    60
    2021September 2021 by Michael Mailer
    Drama
    Drama
    7.65 Excellent--
  • 61
    61
    2016December 2016 by Werner Herzog
    Drama, Thriller
    Drama, Thriller
    6.68 Good--
  • 62
    62
    2023 by Drew Dowdle
    Crime, Drama
    Crime, Drama
    7.84 Excellent-
  • 63
    63
    2023March 2023 by Michael Maren
    Comedy
    Comedy
    7.25 Good+
  • 64
    64
    2009February 2009 by Shana Feste
    Drama
    Drama
    7.32 Good++
  • 65
    65
    2024December 2024 by Joshua Oppenheimer
    Drama, Music
    Drama, Music
    6.89 Good-
  • 66
    66
    2016October 2016 by Bart Freundlich
    Drama
    Drama
    7.19 Good+
  • 67
    67
    2000June 2000 by Alison Maclean
    Comedy, Drama, Romance
    Comedy, Drama, Romance
    7.46 Good++
  • 68
    68
    2019January 2019 by Meredith Danluck
    Drama
    Drama
    6.95 Good
  • 69
    69
    2022–2023 by Abe Sylvia
    Drama
    Drama
    7.81 Excellent-
  • 70
    70
    2004June 2004 by David Caffrey
    Comedy, Drama, Adventure
    Comedy, Drama, Adventure
    7.44 Good++
  • 71
    71
    2001September 2001 by Kyle Cooper
    Drama, Family
    Drama, Family
    7.53 Excellent--
  • 72
    72
    2004January 2004 by Seth Henrikson
    no additional tags
    no additional tags
    Needs more reviews
  • 73
    73
    2007March 2007 by Adam Rapp
    Drama
    Drama
    7.62 Excellent--
  • 74
    74
    1992October 1992 by Robert Markowitz
    Thriller
    Thriller
    7.62 Excellent--
  • 75
    75
    2000April 2000 by Jeremy Stein
    Comedy, Drama
    Comedy, Drama
    7.67 Excellent--
  • 76
    76
    2004November 2004 by Jennifer Houlton
    Crime, Horror
    Crime, Horror
    Needs more reviews
  • 77
    77
    2026December 2026 by Jonathan Levine
    Drama
    Drama
    Not released yet
  • 78
    78
    2026September 2026 by Casper Kelly
    Horror, Comedy
    Horror, Comedy
    Not released yet
  • 79
    79
    2010June 2010 by Christian Weisenborn
    Documentary, German
    Documentary, German
    Needs more reviews
  • 80
    80
    2014October 2014
    Documentary
    Documentary
    Needs more reviews