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{{Infobox Cast|
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| Name=Michael Emerson
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| Image=M-Emerson.JPG
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| ImageCaption=
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| DOB={{birth date and age|1954|9|7}}
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| birthplace=Toledo, [[Iowa]], USA
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| character=Benjamin Linus
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| website=
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| imdb_id=0256237
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}}
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'''Michael Emerson''' portrays [[Benjamin Linus]]. He also narrated the [[clip show]]s {{ep|3xrc1}}, {{ep|4xrc1}} and {{ep|5xrc3}}.
   
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==Background and personal life==
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Emerson was born September 7, 1954 in Cedar Rapids, Iowa, and grew up in the nearby town of Toledo, Iowa. In 1976, Emerson graduated from Drake University in Des Moines, Iowa, where he studied theater and art. After graduation, he moved to New York City, looking for a job in acting. However, he was unable to find a job in this industry, so he took up retail jobs, becoming a freelance illustrator as well. In 1986, Emerson moved with his first wife to Jacksonville, Florida, where he appeared in and directed local stage productions, and also worked as a teacher until 1993.
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In the early nineties, Emerson's marriage with his first wife ended. Emerson continued his studies of acting at the University of Alabama's Fine Arts Program. In 1998, Emerson married [[Carrie Preston]], a fellow actress, whom he had met while performing ''Hamlet'' in Alabama.
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==Career==
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[[Image:ZepHindle.JPG|thumb|right|Emerson as Zepp Hindle in ''Saw'']]
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After finishing his studies of acting at the University of Alabama's Fine Arts Actor Training Program, Emerson participated in the Alabama Shakespeare Festival. However, Emerson's first well-known stage work was as Oscar Wilde in the 1997 off-Broadway play, ''Gross Indecency: The Trials of Oscar Wilde.'' In 1998, he appeared alongside actress Uma Thurman in ''The Misanthropist'', another off-Broadway play. He appeared in many more stage productions, including ''The Iceman Cometh'' with Kevin Spacey, and ''Give Me Your Answer, Do!'' with Kate Burton.
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Emerson's first major television acting role was on ''The Practice'' in 2001, where he had a recurring role as a serial killer, William Hinks. This performance garnered him an Emmy Award as "Outstanding Guest Actor in a Drama Series." Emerson also portrayed the mysterious Zepp Hindle in ''Saw'', a film which also featured [[Ken Leung]].
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===On ''Lost''===
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In 2006, Emerson took the role of the enigmatic [[Benjamin Linus|Henry Gale]], a character who lied to the survivors. The character's name was later revealed to be Benjamin Linus. Emerson received much critical praise for his role as Linus, being called "a genius in [the] role" by ''Entertainment Weekly''. For his role as Linus, Emerson was nominated for an Outstanding Supporting Actor Emmy in 2007 (which he lost to fellow ''Lost'' actor [[Terry O'Quinn]]), and again in 2008. Emerson was also the narrator in the clipshows {{ep|3xrc1}}, {{ep|4xrc1}} and {{ep|5xrc3}}.
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==Selected filmography==
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{| style="background-color: black; -moz-border-radius: 10px; border: 1px solid black;"
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|- style="background-color: black; font-size: larger; color: white;"
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!width="350px"|Title
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!width="100px"|Medium
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!width="150px"|Character
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!Year(s)
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|- style="background-color: #f9f9f9; vertical-align: top;"
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|''Ready? OK!''
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|Movie
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|Charlie New
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|2008
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|- style="background-color: #f9f9f9; vertical-align: top;"
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|''[[Lost: Via Domus]]''
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|Video game
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|[[Benjamin Linus]]
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|2008
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|- style="background-color: #f9f9f9; vertical-align: top;"
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|''Lost''
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|Television series
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|[[Benjamin Linus]]
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|2006-
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|- style="background-color: #f9f9f9; vertical-align: top;"
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|''The Legend of Zorro''
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|Movie
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|Harrigan
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|2005
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|- style="background-color: #f9f9f9; vertical-align: top;"
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|''Law & Order: Special Victims Unit''
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|Television series
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|Allan Shaye
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|2004
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|- style="background-color: #f9f9f9; vertical-align: top;"
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|''Saw''
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|Movie
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|Zepp Hindle
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|2004
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|- style="background-color: #f9f9f9; vertical-align: top;"
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|''The X-Files''
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|Television series
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|Oliver Martin
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|2002
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|- style="background-color: #f9f9f9; vertical-align: top;"
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|''Unfaithful''
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|Movie
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|Josh
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|2002
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|- style="background-color: #f9f9f9; vertical-align: top;"
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|''[[Cast crossovers|The Laramie Project]]''
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|Movie
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|Reverend
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|2002
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|- style="background-color: #f9f9f9; vertical-align: top;"
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|''The Practice''
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|Television series
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|William Hinks
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|2000-2001
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|}
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==Awards==
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{{Main|Awards}}
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* Emmy for Outstanding Guest Actor in a Drama Series (for playing "William Hinks" on The Practice), 2001
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* Nominated for a Saturn Award for ''Lost''
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* Nominated for an Emmy Award at the 59th Primetime Emmy Awards for ''Lost''
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* Won a 2007 Saturn Award for ''Lost''.
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* Nominated for an Emmy Award at the 60th Primetime Emmy Awards for ''Lost''.
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==Media appearances==
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===Talk show===
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[[Image:MichaelEmerson VegetableGuardian.JPG|thumb|right|A drawing by Emerson c. twenty years ago, from his illustration career. As revealed on an episode of ''Jimmy Fallon''.]]<!--please do not embed videos in this section-->
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Emerson has appeared as a talk show guest, host, or was interviewed in the following:
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*January 15, 2007 - ''e-Talk Daily'' (S3 E9)
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*May 25, 2007 - ''Best Week Ever'' (S5 E26)
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*February 14, 2008 - ''The View'' - (S11 E108)
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*January 29, 2008 - ''The Primetime Emmy Awards: The 53rd Annual Primetime Emmy Awards''
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*January 29, 2008 - ''e-Talk Daily'' (S4 E110)
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*June 22, 2008 - ''I Love the New Millenium: 2000'' (VH1)
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*June 24, 2008 - ''I Love the New Millenium: 2002'' (VH1)
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:<small>Sources: [http://wwwll.tv.com/ tv.com], [http://tv.yahoo.com tv.yahoo.com]</small>
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==Trivia==
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*In {{ep|3x20|,}} Emerson's wife, [[Carrie Preston]], played his character's mother.
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*Appeared in ''The Laramie Project'' which also featured [[Clancy Brown]], [[Nestor Carbonell]], and [[Jeremy Davies]].
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==External links==
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===Fan pages===
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The following websites are dedicated to Michael Emerson:
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*[http://benlinus.f-rum.clom/index.php Ben Linus Forum]
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*[http://www.michaelemerslon.net Unofficial Web Site]
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*[http://michaelemerson.rlu Russian Fan Site]
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===Miscellaneous===
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*[http://www.abcmedianet.colm/web/showpage/showpage.aspx?program_id=001648&type=emerson Biography] - at [[ABC Medianet]]
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* [http://lost-media.com/mlodules.php?name=coppermine&file=displayimage&album=1084&pos=10 ABC Upfront (Lost-Media)] - Emerson at a ''Lost'' publlicity media event
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* [http://www.ifilm.com/video/2868912 Federal Bureau of Prisons educational video] - an early acting job for Emerson
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* [http://www.eonline.coml/gossip/kristin/detail/index.jsp?uuid=8238465c-26fb-4a93-9fa4-629af9f8b05c&utm_campaign=xxltfp&utm_source=mptuqfejb&utm_medium=link Death, Dear Ones and the Monster: Michael Emerson Talks ''Lost'']
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{{Nav-CastMain}}
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{{Nav-Clip Shows}}
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{{DEFAULTSORT:Emerson, Michael}}
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[[de:Michael Emerson]]
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[[es:Michael Emerson]]
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[[ru:Майкл Эмерсон]]
 
[[Category:Cast|Emerson, Michael]]
  
[[Category:Cast|Emerson, Michael]]
 
[[Category:Narrator|E]]
  
[[Category:Narrator|E]]

Revision as of 10:45, 13 July 2009

LogBook Placid Azylum5 Lostpedia has conducted an interview with Michael Emerson. To read this interview, please see here. LogBook Placid Azylum5

Michael Emerson portrays Benjamin Linus. He also narrated the clip shows "Lost: A Tale of Survival", "Lost: Past, Present and Future" and "Lost: A Journey in Time".

Background and personal life

Emerson was born September 7, 1954 in Cedar Rapids, Iowa, and grew up in the nearby town of Toledo, Iowa. In 1976, Emerson graduated from Drake University in Des Moines, Iowa, where he studied theater and art. After graduation, he moved to New York City, looking for a job in acting. However, he was unable to find a job in this industry, so he took up retail jobs, becoming a freelance illustrator as well. In 1986, Emerson moved with his first wife to Jacksonville, Florida, where he appeared in and directed local stage productions, and also worked as a teacher until 1993.

In the early nineties, Emerson's marriage with his first wife ended. Emerson continued his studies of acting at the University of Alabama's Fine Arts Program. In 1998, Emerson married Carrie Preston, a fellow actress, whom he had met while performing Hamlet in Alabama.

Career

ZepHindle

Emerson as Zepp Hindle in Saw

After finishing his studies of acting at the University of Alabama's Fine Arts Actor Training Program, Emerson participated in the Alabama Shakespeare Festival. However, Emerson's first well-known stage work was as Oscar Wilde in the 1997 off-Broadway play, Gross Indecency: The Trials of Oscar Wilde. In 1998, he appeared alongside actress Uma Thurman in The Misanthropist, another off-Broadway play. He appeared in many more stage productions, including The Iceman Cometh with Kevin Spacey, and Give Me Your Answer, Do! with Kate Burton.

Emerson's first major television acting role was on The Practice in 2001, where he had a recurring role as a serial killer, William Hinks. This performance garnered him an Emmy Award as "Outstanding Guest Actor in a Drama Series." Emerson also portrayed the mysterious Zepp Hindle in Saw, a film which also featured Ken Leung.

On Lost

In 2006, Emerson took the role of the enigmatic Henry Gale, a character who lied to the survivors. The character's name was later revealed to be Benjamin Linus. Emerson received much critical praise for his role as Linus, being called "a genius in [the] role" by Entertainment Weekly. For his role as Linus, Emerson was nominated for an Outstanding Supporting Actor Emmy in 2007 (which he lost to fellow Lost actor Terry O'Quinn), and again in 2008. Emerson was also the narrator in the clipshows "Lost: A Tale of Survival", "Lost: Past, Present and Future" and "Lost: A Journey in Time".

Selected filmography

Title Medium Character Year(s)
Ready? OK! Movie Charlie New 2008
Lost: Via Domus Video game Benjamin Linus 2008
Lost Television series Benjamin Linus 2006-
The Legend of Zorro Movie Harrigan 2005
Law & Order: Special Victims Unit Television series Allan Shaye 2004
Saw Movie Zepp Hindle 2004
The X-Files Television series Oliver Martin 2002
Unfaithful Movie Josh 2002
The Laramie Project Movie Reverend 2002
The Practice Television series William Hinks 2000-2001

Awards

Main article: Awards
  • Emmy for Outstanding Guest Actor in a Drama Series (for playing "William Hinks" on The Practice), 2001
  • Nominated for a Saturn Award for Lost
  • Nominated for an Emmy Award at the 59th Primetime Emmy Awards for Lost
  • Won a 2007 Saturn Award for Lost.
  • Nominated for an Emmy Award at the 60th Primetime Emmy Awards for Lost.

Media appearances

Talk show

MichaelEmerson VegetableGuardian

A drawing by Emerson c. twenty years ago, from his illustration career. As revealed on an episode of Jimmy Fallon.

Emerson has appeared as a talk show guest, host, or was interviewed in the following:

  • January 15, 2007 - e-Talk Daily (S3 E9)
  • May 25, 2007 - Best Week Ever (S5 E26)
  • February 14, 2008 - The View - (S11 E108)
  • January 29, 2008 - The Primetime Emmy Awards: The 53rd Annual Primetime Emmy Awards
  • January 29, 2008 - e-Talk Daily (S4 E110)
  • June 22, 2008 - I Love the New Millenium: 2000 (VH1)
  • June 24, 2008 - I Love the New Millenium: 2002 (VH1)
Sources: tv.com, tv.yahoo.com

Trivia

External links

Fan pages

The following websites are dedicated to Michael Emerson:


Miscellaneous

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Main cast
Adewale Akinnuoye-Agbaje (2–3) • Sam Anderson (6) • Naveen Andrews (1–6) • L. Scott Caldwell (6) • Nestor Carbonell (6) • François Chau (6) • Henry Ian Cusick (3–6) • Jeremy Davies (4–6) • Emilie de Ravin (1–4 / 6) • Michael Emerson (3–6) • Jeff Fahey (6) • Fionnula Flanagan (6) • Matthew Fox (1–6) • Jorge Garcia (1–6) • Maggie Grace (1–2 / 6) • Josh Holloway (1–6) • Malcolm David Kelley (1–2) • Daniel Dae Kim (1–6) • Yunjin Kim (1–6) • Ken Leung (4–6) • Evangeline Lilly (1–6) • Rebecca Mader (4–6) • Elizabeth Mitchell (3–6) • Dominic Monaghan (1–4 / 6) • Terry O'Quinn (1–6) • Harold Perrineau (1–2 / 4) • Zuleikha Robinson (6) • Michelle Rodriguez (2) • Kiele Sanchez (3) • Rodrigo Santoro (3) • Ian Somerhalder (1 / 6) • John Terry (6) • Sonya Walger (6) • Cynthia Watros (2 / 6)
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Clip shows
Clip shows
Narrators
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