Meet Michael Kelly, who plays Byron in Taylor Sheridan’s Lioness
Best known for his four-time Emmy-nominated role in House of Cards, the actor now plays a CIA executive alongside Zoe Saldaña and Nicole Kidman
In a recent interview with ScreenRant, Kelly praised Sheridan, calling him a “stand-alone talent”. Kelly added that he is eager to act in any of Sheridan’s projects: “There’s nobody who’s doing or has ever done what he’s doing. It’s incredible what he does. And he’s just one of the smartest dudes you’ll ever meet.”
So, who is Michael Kelly, who has played various intelligence and law enforcement agents in his acting career? Here’s what we know.
What are Michael Kelly’s credits?
Michael Kelly was born on May 22, 1969. According to lifestyle publication Bedford and New Canaan Magazine, he was raised in Lawrenceville, Georgia, where he attended public school and self-identified as the “class clown”. He is the oldest of four siblings.
Kelly began working at age 14 for a family friend who was a builder – an experience he credits with shaping his work ethic. He later attended Coastal Carolina University, where he initially considered becoming a lawyer, and his adviser suggested that an acting class might help him on that path. He ended up loving performing, and his professor told him that he had “something special”.
In 1992, Kelly became the first student to graduate from Coastal Carolina with a performing arts degree. “To be a good actor you have to be willing to make a total a** of yourself, and be willing to fail,” Kelly told Bedford and New Canaan Magazine. “I was good at both of those things.”