| Intro | American actor |
| Is |
Actor Stage actor Film actor Television actor |
| From | United States of America |
| Type | Film, TV, Stage & Radio |
| Gender | male |
| Birth | 16 October 1971, Lawton |
| Age: | 48 years |
Paul Sparks (born October 16, 1971) is an American actor. He is known for his role as Mickey Doyle in the HBO period drama series Boardwalk Empire and for his Primetime Emmy Award-nominated role as Thomas Yates in the Netflix political drama series House of Cards. He has also appeared in the films Deception (2008), Afterschool (2008), The Missing Person (2008), Mud (2012), Parkland (2013), and Stealing Cars (2015).
Early life and career
Sparks was born and raised in Lawton, Oklahoma, to Mike Sparks, a high school football coach, and an elementary school teacher mother. He attended Marlow High School, where his father coached, graduating in 1990. Sparks earned a scholarship to Oklahoma State University to study chemistry, but later transferred to New York University’s Tisch School of the Arts. He graduated with a Bachelor of Fine Arts degree in drama in 1995.
In 2010, Sparks began portraying the regular role of Mickey Doyle on HBO’s drama series Boardwalk Empire, which was created by Terence Winter and executive produced by Martin Scorsese and Mark Wahlberg. The series ended in 2014, after completing five seasons.
Personal life
Sparks is married to actress Annie Parisse, after meeting in 2005. Their first child, a son named Emmett, was born in October 2009. The couple are also parents to a daughter, whose name and birth date have not been disclosed. Sparks suffers from diabetes mellitus type 1 and works with the Juvenile Diabetes Research Foundation. He is good friends with fellow actor Michael Shannon; the two have worked together on a number of projects including The Missing Person, Mud, Boardwalk Empire, and Midnight Special.
Filmography
Film
| Year | Title | Role | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2005 | Headspace | Jason | |
| 2006 | The Treatment | Andre | |
| 2007 | Blackbird | Baylis | |
| 2008 | Synecdoche, New York | Derek | |
| 2008 | Rachel Getting Married | 12 Step Member | |
| 2008 | Deception | Detective Burke | |
| 2008 | Afterschool | Detective Eclisse | |
| 2008 | The Missing Person | Gus Papitos | |
| 2008 | The Understudy | Bobby | |
| 2010 | Please Give | Blind Date | |
| 2010 | Edge of Darkness | Police Detective | |
| 2011 | Return | Ed | |
| 2012 | Forgetting the Girl | Tanner | |
| 2012 | Mud | Carver | |
| 2012 | Sparrows Dance | Wes | |
| 2013 | Trust Me | Ray | |
| 2013 | Parkland | Harry McCormick | |
| 2015 | Stealing Cars | Conrad Sean Lewis | |
| 2016 | Midnight Special | Agent Miller | |
| 2016 | All the Birds Have Flown South | Stephen | |
| 2016 | In the Radiant City | Michael Yurley | |
| 2017 | Thoroughbred | Mark |
Television
| Year | Title | Role | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1998 | Trinity | Rod | Episode: “In a Yellow Wood” |
| 2000 | Law & Order | Paul Luterik | Episode: “Panic” |
| 2001 | Law & Order: Special Victims Unit | Marvin Posey | Episode: “Manhunt” |
| 2005 | Law & Order: Criminal Intent | Keith Durbin | Episode: “Shibboleth” |
| 2006 | Brotherhood | Aaron | 3 episodes |
| 2010–2014 | Boardwalk Empire | Mickey Doyle | 36 episodes |
| 2011 | Mildred Pierce | Ted Hobey | Episode: “Part Five” |
| 2012–2013 | Underemployed | Guy Doyle | 3 episodes |
| 2013 | M.Y.C. | Mickey Mothstein | Television short |
| 2013 | Person of Interest | Wilson | Episode: “Relevance” |
| 2014 | Believe | Karl McKenzie | Episode: “Bang and Blame” |
| 2015–present | House of Cards | Thomas Yates | 15 episodes |
| 2016–present | The Girlfriend Experience | David Tellis | 12 episodes |
| 2016 | The Night Of | Don Taylor | 6 episodes |
Stage
| Year | Title | Role | Location/Company |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2000 | Coyote on a Fence | Bobby Reyburn | Urban Stages |
| 2003–2004 | Take Me Out | Jason Chenier | Walter Kerr Theatre |
| Shane Mungitt | |||
| Kippy Sunderstrom | |||
| 2004 | Blackbird | Baylis | Edge Theater Company |
| 2005 | Orange Flower Water | Brad Youngquist | |
| 2006 | Landscape of the Body | Marvin Holahan | Signature Theatre Company |
| 2007 | Essential Self-Defense | Yul Carroll | Edge Theater Company |
| 2009 | Hedda Gabler | Ejlert Lovborg | American Airlines Theatre |
| 2010 | Dusk Rings a Bell | Ray | Atlantic Theater Company |
| 2016 | Buried Child | Tilden | The New Group |
Awards and nominations
| Year | Association | Category | Work | Result |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2000 | Drama Desk Awards | Outstanding Actor in a Play | Coyote on a Fence | Nominated |
| 2004 | Blackbird | Nominated | ||
| 2005 | Outstanding Featured Actor in a Play | Orange Flower Water | Nominated | |
| 2007 | Outstanding Actor in a Play | Essential Self-Defense | Nominated | |
| 2010 | Screen Actors Guild Awards | Outstanding Performance by an Ensemble in a Drama Series | Boardwalk Empire | Won |
| 2011 | Won | |||
| Drama Desk Awards | Outstanding Actor in a Play | Dusk Rings a Bell | Nominated | |
| 2012 | Screen Actors Guild Awards | Outstanding Performance by an Ensemble in a Drama Series | Boardwalk Empire | Nominated |
| 2013 | Nominated | |||
| Film Independent Spirit Awards | Robert Altman Award | Mud | Won | |
| 2014 | Screen Actors Guild Awards | Outstanding Performance by an Ensemble in a Drama Series | Boardwalk Empire | Nominated |
| 2016 | Lucille Lortel Awards | Outstanding Featured Actor in a Play | Buried Child | Nominated |
| Primetime Emmy Awards | Outstanding Guest Actor in a Drama Series | House of Cards | Nominated |