Michael Shannon

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. 

Best of Chicago 2009

Heath Ledger in full Joker costume

While the crew of “Batman: The Dark Knight” was in town filming over the summer, some locals were lucky enough to spot Christian Bale or other cast members. Typically a Hollywood heartthrob, Heath Ledger, in his full Joker get-up, roamed our streets as a reminder that he’s not just paid to look good. In fact, he looked pretty creepy, but it was refreshing to get a glimpse of the process done right in our backyard. Cue the “Brokeback Circus” jokes.

Best of Chicago 2007