Handsome, slim-faced, curly-haired actor John Shea is primarily known to TV audiences for his recurring role as the evil Lex Luthor in the early '90s TV series _"Lois & Clark: The New Adventures of Superman" . A screenwriter and audio book performer in addition to all his other talents, John lives with his second wife, the painter Melissa MacLeod, and his family are based in New York and on Nantucket Island where he was a founding member of the Nantucket Film Festival and is Artistic Director of the Nantucket Theatre Workshop. He has one son, Jake, from his first marriage, and two children, Miranda and Caiden, by wife Melissa.
Children: Jake , Miranda (born 2000) and Caiden.
He was nominated for a 1977 Joseph Jefferson Award for Actor in a Principal Role in a Play for "Long Days Journey Into Night" at the Goodman Theatre in Chicago, Illinois.
Preparing for his role as a sociopath in the French thriller Lune de miel [Honeymoon] opposite Nathalie Baye , John willingly entered himself into psychoanalysis in character in NYCs John Jay College of Criminal Justice. He also learned the French script and shot his scenes both in French and English.
Used Donald J. Trump and Richard III as character studies in preparing himself for the role of nemesis Lex Luthor in "Lois & Clark: The New Adventures of Superman" . During season two, he had to spend an average of three hours a day in the makeup chair to appear bald.
During the first rehearsal of the TV movie Family Reunion , the legendary Bette Davis asked John, who was playing her grandson, whether he smoked or not. A very nervous John lied and said he did. The star then responded, "Good, I cant stand men who dont smoke." The young actor proceeded to light up two cigarettes at once, a la Paul Henreid in the Davis film Now, Voyager , and gave one to Ms. Davis.
Made his Carnegie Hall debut playing the Soldier in Igor Stravinsky s "The Soldiers Tale" in 2002.
In preparation for an explicit nude scene in the British film Hussy , in which John was making his film debut, the newcomer and his co-star Helen Mirren shared a bottle of red wine.
Appeared opposite Bianca Jagger in the play "Daniella Frank," then later appeared with her ex-husband, Mick Jagger , in the movie Freejack .
Only three men ever screen tested for the role of Indiana Jones for Steven Spielberg , John, Tom Selleck and, of course, Indiana himself, Harrison Ford.
While attending Bates College, he made his summer stock debut in Sean OCasey s "Juno and the Paycock" at the Nantucket Theatre Workshop. He is presently the Artistic Director of that same theatre.
Director Costa-Gavras spotted John playing a rock and roll producer in the stage play "American Days" at the Manhattan Theatre Club and immediately cast the actor in his critically-acclaimed film Missing without an audition.
Wore a blond wig, false teeth and spent three months studying Bobby Kennedys pronounced accent in preparation for his role in the miniseries "Kennedy" opposite Martin Sheen as brother Jack.
For many years he played for the Hollywood All Stars, which was comprised of a group of actors who played charity baseball games around the country. He played three times at Yankee Stadium on teams that included Donald J. Trump , Michael Bolton , Al Pacino , Fisher Stevens , Al Franken , Paul Sorvino , Gregory Harrison and Meat Loaf.
While starring in Londons West End production of Larry Kramer s "The Normal Heart," John suddenly passed out on stage after being stricken by food poisoning. Literally carried off the stage, he was revived and managed to return to finish the performance.
Co-emceed the largest peace demonstration in American history, the June 12, 1982 anti-nuclear rally in Central Park, New York City. This later became the subject of the Robert Richter and Stanley Warnow documentary concert film In Our Hands .
Became the first Hollywood actor to star in a Tamil-language film after being cast in the Indian thriller Achchamundu! Achchamundu! .
In order to prepare for his role as a concert violinist opposite Kelly McGillis in the Isreali film Ha-Holmim , John spent six months rehearsing a musical piece in New York, London and Tel Aviv for a performance scene lasting one minute.
John Shea auditioned for the role of "Indiana Jones" in Raiders of the Lost Ark , alongside Karen Allen.
He has Irish and German ancestry.
At Bates College in Maine Shea ran track, played football captained the debating team, composed music, painted, and was co-editor of the literary magazine. He also acted, wrote plays, and directed them.
(January 2013) Los Angeles, California
The more deeply one enters into the experience of the sacred the more one is aware of one’s own personal evil and the destructive forces in society. The fact that one is alive to what is possible for humankind sharpens one’s sense that we are fallen people. The awareness of sin is the inevitable consequence of having met grace. . . This grace-judgment dynamic reveals that the center of Christian life is repentance. This does not mean that the distinguishing mark of the Christian is breast-beating. Feeling sorry, acknowledging guilt, and prolonging regret may be components of the human condition, but they are not what Jesus means by repentance. Repentance is the response to grace that overcomes the past and opens out to a new future. Repentance distinguishes Christian life as one of struggle and conversion and pervades it, not with remorse, but with hope. The message of Jesus is not “Repent,” but “Repent for the Kingdom of God is near. .
