Best known to TV audiences for his recurring role as the evil Lex Luthor in the early 90s Lois & Clark: The New Adventures of Superman TV series, handsome, slim-faced, curly-haired actor John Shea (born 1949) is a native of Massachusetts and received his BA from Bates College, which he managed to achieve on a debating and football scholarship. He next attended Yale and earned an MFA in directing from the School of Drama. Following New York stage work, initial on-camera notice came on TV with his portrayal of Joseph in the mini-movie The Nativity and a few years later in the small but memorable role of the impassioned, ill-fated American idealist who becomes a casualty to Chilean war-torn politics in Costa-Gavras' Academy Award-winning thriller Missing. Jack Lemmon and Sissy Spacek, who respectively played his despairing father and wife, were nominated for Oscars for their roles. Critical kudos and awards have also come in John's direction over the years. In Windy City opposite Kate Capshaw, he earned the Best Actor Award at the Montreal Film Festival. On stage he received a Drama Desk award for "American Days," an Obie award for "The Dining Room," and a 1976 Theatre World Award for his portrayal of the Jewish student Avigdor in "Yentl." The role was later portrayed by Mandy Patinkin in Barbra Streisand's 1983 film adaptation. On television John was awarded the coveted Emmy for his depiction of the distressed husband and father wannabe who touches off a legal landmark case in the miniseries Baby M. In a career pocked with interesting ranges and choices he has played everything from a young Nazi in the miniseries Hitler's S.S.: Portrait in Evil to Robert F. Kennedy in the epic-styled Kennedy. He has kept his face alive in guest parts over the years on such well-received series as "Sex and the City," "Tales From the Crypt," "The Hitchhiker" and "Law and Order." A budding Irish-American filmmaker, John co-wrote, directed and appeared in the low budget film Southie, a drama set in the Irish-American section of Boston. The film won the Jury Award for Best Independent Film at the 1998 Seattle International Film Festival. Most recently he found popularity on the Mutant X sci-fi series playing the role of Adam Kane. More recently he has appeared on episodes of "Law & Order" and "Medium." A father of two and founding member of the Nantucket Film Festival, John is based in New York City with his second wife Melissa.


Children: Miranda (b. 2000), Jake (b. 1986)