# Paul Sparks

Paul Sparks (born October 16, 1971) is an American actor. He is known for his roles as gangster Mickey Doyle in the HBO period drama series Boardwalk Empire, writer Thomas Yates in the Netflix political drama series House of Cards, mall owner John Breem in the Apple TV+ comedy-drama series Physical, attorney David Tellis in the Starz anthology drama series The Girlfriend Experience, and a recurring role in the limited series The Night Of. Sparks has also starred in the films Deception (2008), Afterschool (2008), The Missing Person (2008), Mud (2012), Parkland (2013), Stealing Cars (2015), Thoroughbreds (2017), and The Greatest Showman (2017).

## Early life

Sparks was born in Lawton, Oklahoma, and grew up in nearby Marlow. He attended Marlow High School, where his father coached football, graduating in 1990. While attending school in Marlow, Paul was a part of the Marlow Outlaw Speech Team (M.O.S.T.) where he was coached by Paula and Gary McConnell. 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.

## Career

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. Together they have two children, son Emmett (born 2009), and daughter Lydia (born 2014). Sparks has 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 Waco, The Missing Person, Mud, Boardwalk Empire, and Midnight Special and The Bikeriders.

## Filmography
### Film

| Year | Title | Role |
| 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 | Thoroughbreds | Mark |
| 2017 | The Greatest Showman | James Gordon Bennett Sr. |
| 2019 | Human Capital | Jon |
| 2020 | The Lovebirds | Moustache |
| 2021 | Giving Birth to a Butterfly | Daryl |
| 2021 | Hands That Bind | Andy Hollis |
| 2023 | Eric Larue | Steve Calhan |
| 2023 | The Bikeriders | Gary Rogue Leader |
| 2024 | Lost on a Mountain in Maine | Mr. Donald Fendler |

### 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" |
| 2015–2017 | House of Cards | Thomas Yates | 27 episodes |
| 2016 | The Girlfriend Experience | David Tellis | 12 episodes |
| 2016 | The Night Of | Don Taylor | 6 episodes |
| 2017 | Get Shorty | Owen | Episode: "The Pitch" |
| 2017 | The Crown | Billy Graham | Episode: "Vergangenheit" |
| 2018 | Waco | Steve Schneider | 6 episodes |
| 2018–2019 | Sweetbitter | Howard | Main role |
| 2019 | Castle Rock | John "Ace" Merrill | 10 episodes |
| 2021–2023 | Physical | John Breem | Main role |
| 2021 | Joe Pickett | Wacey Hedeman | Main role |

## 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 |
| 2003–2004 | Take Me Out | Shane Mungitt | Walter Kerr Theatre |
| 2003–2004 | Take Me Out | Kippy Sunderstrom | Walter Kerr Theatre |
| 2004 | Blackbird | Baylis | Edge Theater Company |
| 2005 | Orange Flower Water | Brad Youngquist | Edge Theater Company |
| 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 |
| 2018 | Edward Albee's At Home at the Zoo | Jerry | Signature Theatre |
| 2023 | Grey House | Henry | Lyceum Theatre, Broadway |

## Awards and nominations

| Year | Association | Category | Work | Result |
| 2000 | Drama Desk Awards | Outstanding Actor in a Play | Coyote on a Fence | Nominated |
| 2004 | Drama Desk Awards | Outstanding Actor in a Play | Blackbird | Nominated |
| 2005 | Drama Desk Awards | Outstanding Featured Actor in a Play | Orange Flower Water | Nominated |
| 2007 | Drama Desk Awards | 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 | Screen Actors Guild Awards | Outstanding Performance by an Ensemble in a Drama Series | Boardwalk Empire | Won |
| 2011 | 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 | Screen Actors Guild Awards | Outstanding Performance by an Ensemble in a Drama Series | Boardwalk Empire | Nominated |
| 2013 | 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 |
| 2016 | Primetime Emmy Awards | Outstanding Guest Actor in a Drama Series | House of Cards | Nominated |
| 2018 | Lucille Lortel Awards | Outstanding Featured Actor in a Play | Edward Albee's At Home at the Zoo | Nominated |
| 2018 | Drama Desk Awards | Outstanding Actor in a Play | Edward Albee's At Home at the Zoo | Nominated |
| 2018 | Drama League Awards | Distinguished Performance | Edward Albee's At Home at the Zoo | Nominated |
| 2018 | Outer Critics Circle Awards | Outstanding Featured Actor in a Play | Edward Albee's At Home at the Zoo | Nominated |