Michael Shaeffer

Michael Shaeffer
Born
Brockley, London, England
Alma materRose Bruford College
OccupationActor
Years active2000–present
TelevisionBlack 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.[citation needed] He trained at the Rose Bruford College of Speech and Drama.[1]

Career

Shaeffer played Annas in the 2000 Great Performances film adaptation of Jesus Christ Superstar.[2]

In 2013, he appeared in the Black Mirror episode "The Waldo Moment" as the character Roy.[2]

Shaeffer portrayed General Corssin in the 2016 Star Wars film Rogue One.[1][2]

In 2018 Shaeffer played MI5 agent Richard Longcross in the BBC political-thriller television series Bodyguard.[3] In the same year, he played Sergeant Yelland in the BBC mystery thriller The ABC Murders.[4]

In 2019, Shaeffer played a small role in the critically acclaimed HBO historical drama Chernobyl, where he portrayed a KGB officer.[2] In 2020, he played Stephen Kemp in the BBC fact-based drama The Salisbury Poisonings.[5]

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.[1][6]

Filmography

Year Title Role Notes
2000 Great Performances Annas In Jesus Christ Superstar
2002 The Sandwich Nick Short Film
2005 Kingdom of Heaven Young Sergeant
2009 M.I. High Butch Episode: Dark Star
2011 Silent Witness Jason Bodle Episode: A Guilty Mind: Part 1 & 2
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
2013 Black Mirror Roy Episode: The Waldo Moment
Trance Security Guard #1
Luther Gordon Murray Episode: #3.3
2015 Foyle's War 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)
2016 Grantchester Eric Whitaker Episode: #2.3
Rogue One General Corssin
2017 Taboo Doctor Powell Episode: #1.1
SS-GB David Episode: #1.5
Vera Ian Holland Episode: Broken Promise
Rellik Steven Mills[7][8]
2018 Bodyguard Longcross
The ABC Murders Sergeant Yelland
2019 Chernobyl Blond Man
2020 The Salisbury Poisonings Stephen Kemp
The Liberator Pop Bullock TV miniseries
2022 SAS: Rogue Heroes Neil Ritchie
2023 Bodies Hayden Harker TV limited series
2024 Kraven the Hunter Andre

Theatre

Year Title Role Writer Director Venue
2014 The Beautiful Game[9] Thomas[10] Andrew Lloyd Webber and Ben Elton Robert Carsen Cambridge Theatre, London
Mr Burns Sam, Mr.Burns[11] Anne Washburn Robert Icke Almeida Theatre, London
Little Revolution Tony[12][13][14] Alecky Blythe Joe Hill-Gibbins
2015 How to Hold Your Breath Jarron[15][16][17] Zinnie Harris Vicky Featherstone Royal Court Theatre, London
2017 Girl From The North Country Reverend Marlowe[18] Conor McPherson Lucy Hind The Old Vic, London
All About My Mother Lola[19][20] Pedro Almodovar Samuel Adamson
2019 A Very Expensive Poison Andrei Lugovoi/Dr Gent/Gorbachev[21][22] Lucy Prebble John Crowley
2023 Grenfell: In the Words of Survivors Edward Daffarn[2] Gillian Slovo Phyllida Lloyd and Anthony Simpson-Pike[6] Dorfman Theatre

References

  1. ^ a b c "Michael Shaeffer". National Theatre. Retrieved 12 January 2025.
  2. ^ a b c d e "Michael Shaeffer". Conway Van Gelder Grant. Retrieved 12 January 2025.
  3. ^ Stanworth, Paul (24 September 2018). "Bodyguard: The unanswered questions from the final episode, 24 September 2018". BBC News. Retrieved 16 June 2020.
  4. ^ "Michael Schaeffer". The Home of Agatha Christie. Retrieved 16 June 2020.
  5. ^ "Meet the cast of The Salisbury Poisonings, 6 June 2020". Radio Times. Retrieved 16 June 2020.
  6. ^ a b "Grenfell: in the words of survivors". National Theatre. Retrieved 12 January 2025.
  7. ^ "A major 6 x 60 thriller series, Rellik tells the story of a serial killer in reverse, 5 September 2017". BBC. Retrieved 16 June 2020.
  8. ^ "Rellik recap: episode one – step right up for the gothic murder moonwalk, 11 September 2017". The Guardian. 11 September 2017. Retrieved 16 June 2020.
  9. ^ "The Beautiful Game". The Beautiful Game. Retrieved 21 June 2020.
  10. ^ "Elton and Lloyd Webber's game of two halves, 28 September 2000". The Guardian. 27 September 2000. Retrieved 21 June 2020.
  11. ^ "Mr Burns: 'It's not a play about The Simpsons', 13 June 2014". BBC News. 13 June 2014. Retrieved 19 June 2020.
  12. ^ "Little Revolution review – reading of the riots captures rifts but not the rage, 4 September 2014". The Guardian. 4 September 2014. Retrieved 21 June 2020.
  13. ^ "Critics mixed over Almeida's Little Revolution, 5 September 2014". WhatsOnStage. Retrieved 21 June 2020.
  14. ^ "Little Revolution review – Hackney riots from the sidelines, 7 September 2014". The Guardian. 6 September 2014. Retrieved 21 June 2020.
  15. ^ "How to Hold Your Breath at the Royal Court, 10 February 2015". BBC. Retrieved 19 June 2020.
  16. ^ "How to Hold Your Breath review – magnetic Maxine Peake is bedevilled in morality play, 11 February 2015". The Guardian. 11 February 2015. Retrieved 19 June 2020.
  17. ^ Hart, Christopher. "How to Hold Your Breath, Royal Court, 15 February 2015". The Sunday Times. Retrieved 19 June 2020.
  18. ^ "REVIEW: Girl From The North Country, Old Vic Theatre, 28 July 2017". British Theatre. Retrieved 20 June 2020.
  19. ^ "ALL ABOUT MY MOTHER, 27 August 2014". The Old Vic. Retrieved 19 June 2020.
  20. ^ "Old Vic's mother superior, 5 September 2017". Evening Standard. 10 April 2012. Retrieved 19 June 2020.
  21. ^ "A VERY EXPENSIVE POISON, 20 August 2019". The Old Vic. Retrieved 21 June 2020.
  22. ^ "A Very Expensive Poison review – Lucy Prebble's Litvinenko drama fascinates, 6 September 2019". The Guardian. 6 September 2019. Retrieved 21 June 2020.