Fans of this charismatic if decidedly creepy character actor may have a hard time imagining him singing and dancing on Broadway. But in fact this stage-trained player first made his name in the New York theater scene, racking up impressive off-Broadway credits before landing his breakthrough role as the sleazy emcee in the '90s revival of the musical
Cabaret. Although he took over the role from Tony-winner Alan Cumming, Hall made the character his own with his unsettling intensity, a quality that would soon be showcased on the small screen on
Six Feet Under. For five seasons, Hall captivated audiences and earned an Emmy nod as a meticulous, gay funeral director on the lauded HBO drama. During his tenure, he occasionally returned to the stage — notably opposite his then-wife, Amy Spanger, in the Broadway revival of
Chicago — and made his big-screen debut in the muddled actioner
Paycheck. But TV remained his medium, and in 2006 Hall returned to cable as the title character in
Dexter, a forensic blood-spatter specialist who also happens to be a serial killer.
Michael C. Hall Fast Facts:
- Appeared in college productions before moving on to New York's Shakespeare Festival.
- The producers of Six Feet Under initially chose Peter Krause for the role of David Fisher but ultimately cast Hall in the role; Krause ended up playing David's brother, Nate.
- Met his ex-wife, Amy Spanger, during auditions for the musical Rent. In 2002, they costarred in the Broadway revival of Chicago.
- Michael C. Hall Relationships:
- Amy Spanger - Ex-wife
- Jennifer Carpenter - Wife
- Michael C. Hall Awards:
- 2002 Emmy: Outstanding Lead Actor in a Drama Series - Nominee
- 2007 Golden Globe: Best Performance by an Actor in a Television Series - Drama - Nominee
- 2008 Golden Globe: Best Performance by an Actor in a Television Series - Drama - Nominee
- 2008 Emmy: Outstanding Lead Actor in a Drama Series - Nominee
- 2009 Golden Globe: Best Performance by an Actor in a Television Series - Drama - Nominee
- 2009 Emmy: Outstanding Lead Actor in a Drama Series - Nominee
- College:
- Earlham College, Richmond, IN (1993); New York University, Tisch School of the Arts, New York, NY (MFA, 1996)
