It’s humbling when big-shot Hollywood actors like William Peterson return to their Chicago theater roots, but for stage actor turned Oscar nominee Michael Shannon, he never really left home. Raised in Lexington, Kentucky and Chicago, Shannon rose to prominence as a founding member of the tiny A Red Orchid Theatre. After acting in a run of lesser Hollywood movies, he made waves in films “Shotgun Stories” and “Revolutionary Road.” Shannon’s portrayal of the hopelessly empty John Givings landed him a well-deserved Best Supporting Actor nomination for “Road” this winter (he lost to the late Heath Ledger). After wrapping up another tremendous performance in Red Orchid’s latest production, “Mistakes Were Made,” Shannon demonstrated why he’s still our golden boy.
