John Shea

Birthday: Apr 14, 1949
Birthplace: North Conway, New Hampshire, USA

Bio: Best known to TV audiences for his recurring role as the evil Lex Luthor in theearly 90s "Lois & Clark: The New Adventures of Superman" (1993) TV series,handsome, slim-faced, curly-haired actor John Shea (born 1949) is a native ofMassachusetts and received his BA from Bates College, which he managed to achieveon a debating and football scholarship. He next attended… More Bio: Best known to TV audiences for his recurring role as the evil Lex Luthor in theearly 90s "Lois & Clark: The New Adventures of Superman" (1993) TV series,handsome, slim-faced, curly-haired actor John Shea (born 1949) is a native ofMassachusetts and received his BA from Bates College, which he managed to achieveon a debating and football scholarship. He next attended Yale and earned an MFA indirecting from the School of Drama. Following New York stage work, initialon-camera notice came on TV with his portrayal of Joseph in the mini-movie TheNativity (1978) (TV) and a few years later in the small but memorable role of theimpassioned, ill-fated American idealist who becomes a casualty to Chilean war-tornpolitics in Costa-Gavras' Academy Award-winning thriller Missing (1982). JackLemmon and Sissy Spacek, who respectively played his despairing father and wife,were nominated for Oscars for their roles. Critical kudos and awards have also comein John's direction over the years. In Windy City (1984) opposite Kate Capshaw, heearned the Best Actor Award at the Montreal Film Festival. On stage he received aDrama Desk award for "American Days," an Obie award for "The Dining Room," and a1976 Theatre World Award for his portrayal of the Jewish student Avigdor in"Yentl." The role was later portrayed by Mandy Patinkin in Barbra Streisand's 1983film adaptation. On television John was awarded the coveted Emmy for his depictionof the distressed husband and father wannabe who touches off a legal landmark casein the miniseries Baby M (1988) (TV). In a career pocked with interesting rangesand choices he has played everything from a young Nazi in the miniseries Hitler'sS.S.: Portrait in Evil (1985) (TV) to Robert F. Kennedy in the epic-styled"Kennedy" (1983) (mini). He has kept his face alive in guest parts over the yearson such well-received series as "Sex and the City," "Tales From the Crypt," "TheHitchhiker" and "Law and Order." A budding Irish-American filmmaker, John co-wrote,directed and appeared in the low budget film Southie (1998), a drama set in theIrish-American section of Boston. The film won the Jury Award for Best IndependentFilm at the 1998 Seattle International Film Festival. Most recently he foundpopularity on the "Mutant X" (2001) sci-fi series playing the role of Adam Kane.More recently he has appeared on episodes of "Law & Order" and "Medium." A fatherof two and founding member of the Nantucket Film Festival, John is based in NewYork City with his second wife Melissa.