Michael Shaeffer
{{Short description|British actor}}
{{Use dmy dates|date=June 2020}}
{{Infobox person
| name = Michael Shaeffer
| image =
| birth_name =
| birth_date = {{Birth date and age|1975|1|21|df=yes}}
| birth_place = Brockley, London, England
| occupation = Actor
| years_active = 2000–present
| education =
| alma mater = Rose Bruford College
| television = Black Mirror
Bodyguard
The ABC Murders
The Salisbury Poisonings
}}
Michael Shaeffer is an English television and stage actor. He is especially known for his role as "Longcross" in the BBC political-thriller television series Bodyguard (2018).
He has also appeared in the television series Black Mirror (2013), The ABC Murders (2018) and The Salisbury Poisonings (2020), as well as the 2000 film adaptation of Jesus Christ Superstar.
He has also played smaller roles in television shows, including Game of Thrones and Chernobyl, and films such as Kingdom of Heaven and Rogue One.
Early life and education
Michael Shaeffer was born in Brockley, London, England.{{cn|date=November 2024}} He trained at the Rose Bruford College of Speech and Drama.{{Cite web |title=Michael Shaeffer |url=https://www.nationaltheatre.org.uk/artists/michael-shaeffer/ |access-date=2025-01-12 |website=National Theatre |language=en-GB}}
Career
Shaeffer played Annas in the 2000 Great Performances film adaptation of Jesus Christ Superstar.{{Cite web |last= |first= |title=Michael Shaeffer |url=https://www.conwayvangeldergrant.com/actors/michael-shaeffer/ |access-date=2025-01-12 |website=Conway Van Gelder Grant |language=en-GB}}
In 2013, he appeared in the Black Mirror episode "The Waldo Moment" as the character Roy.
Shaeffer portrayed General Corssin in the 2016 Star Wars film Rogue One.
In 2018 Shaeffer played MI5 agent Richard Longcross in the BBC political-thriller television series Bodyguard.{{cite news |last=Stanworth |first=Paul |date=24 September 2018 |title=Bodyguard: The unanswered questions from the final episode, 24 September 2018 |url=https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/newsbeat-45624155 |accessdate=16 June 2020 |work=BBC News}} In the same year, he played Sergeant Yelland in the BBC mystery thriller The ABC Murders.{{cite news |title=Michael Schaeffer|url=https://www.agathachristie.com/film-and-tv/the-abc-murders/meet-the-cast-of-the-abc-murders/michael-shaeffer-plays-yelland |accessdate=16 June 2020 |publisher=The Home of Agatha Christie}}
In 2019, Shaeffer played a small role in the critically acclaimed HBO historical drama Chernobyl, where he portrayed a KGB officer. In 2020, he played Stephen Kemp in the BBC fact-based drama The Salisbury Poisonings.{{cite web |title=Meet the cast of The Salisbury Poisonings, 6 June 2020 |url=https://www.radiotimes.com/news/tv/2020-06-06/the-salisbury-poisonings-cast-bbc/ |website=Radio Times |accessdate=16 June 2020}}
In Summer 2023, Shaeffer was cast as Edward Daffarn in Grenfell, author and playwright Gillian Slovo's verbatim theatre project with the community and survivors about the Grenfell fire disaster, staged at the National Theatre's Dorfman Theatre.{{Cite web |title=Grenfell: in the words of survivors |url=https://www.nationaltheatre.org.uk/productions/grenfell-in-the-words-of-survivors/ |access-date=2025-01-12 |website=National Theatre |language=en-GB}}
Filmography
| class="wikitable" |
| Year
! Title ! Role ! class="unsortable" | Notes |
|---|
| 2000
| Annas |
| 2002
| The Sandwich | Nick | Short Film |
| 2005
| Young Sergeant | |
| 2009
| Butch | Episode: Dark Star |
| 2011
| Jason Bodle | Episode: A Guilty Mind: Part 1 & 2 |
| rowspan="5" | 2012
| Broken | Desk Sergeant | |
| Game of Thrones
| Stark Soldier | Episode: Valar Morghulis |
| Anna Karenina
| Doorkeeper | |
| Mrs Biggs
| Police Inspector | Episode: #1.1 |
| Parade's End
| RSM | Episode: #1.2 |
| rowspan="3" | 2013
| Roy | Episode: The Waldo Moment |
| Trance
| Security Guard #1 | |
| Luther
| Gordon Murray | Episode: #3.3 |
| rowspan="6" | 2015
| Jack Davey | Episode: Trespass |
| The Vote
| Gerry Henderson | TV movie |
| London Road
| Simon Newton | |
| New Tricks
| DCI Martin Ackroyd | Episode: Last Man Standing |
| The Girl in the Dress
| Vicar | |
| Fire
| Ranger (Mark) | |
| rowspan="2" | 2016
| Eric Whitaker | Episode: #2.3 |
| Rogue One
| General Corssin | |
| rowspan="4" | 2017
| Taboo | Doctor Powell | Episode: #1.1 |
| SS-GB
| David | Episode: #1.5 |
| Vera
| Ian Holland | Episode: Broken Promise |
| Rellik
| Steven Mills{{cite web |title=A major 6 x 60 thriller series, Rellik tells the story of a serial killer in reverse, 5 September 2017 |url=https://www.bbc.co.uk/mediacentre/mediapacks/rellik |website=BBC |accessdate=16 June 2020}}{{cite web |title=Rellik recap: episode one – step right up for the gothic murder moonwalk, 11 September 2017 |url=https://www.theguardian.com/tv-and-radio/2017/sep/11/rellik-recap-episode-one-step-right-up-for-the-gothic-moonwalk |website=The Guardian |date=11 September 2017 |accessdate=16 June 2020}} | rowspan="5" | |
| rowspan="2" | 2018
| Longcross |
| The ABC Murders
| Sergeant Yelland |
| 2019
| Blond Man |
| rowspan="2" | 2020
| Stephen Kemp |
| The Liberator
| Pop Bullock | TV miniseries |
| 2022
| Neil Ritchie | |
| 2023
| Bodies | Hayden Harker | TV limited series |
| 2024
|Andre | |
Theatre
References
{{Reflist}}
External links
- {{IMDb name|nm0787237}}
{{Authority control}}
{{DEFAULTSORT:Shaeffer, Michael}}
Category:21st-century English male actors
Category:Alumni of Rose Bruford College
Category:English male stage actors
Category:English male film actors
Category:English male television actors
Category:Year of birth missing (living people)