Paul Sparks

**Paul Sparks** (born October 16, 1971) is an American actor with a distinguished career in both television and film. He's most renowned for his roles as gangster Mickey Doyle in the HBO's Boardwalk Empire, and as the inscrutable writer Thomas Yates in Netflix's House of Cards. Further adding to his impressive roster of performances, Sparks unveiled his versatility by portraying various characters ranging from upscale mall owner in Apple TV+'s Physical, to compelling attorney David Tellis in Starz's The Girlfriend Experience. Sparks has additionally engaged audiences with his recurring role in the limited series 'The Night Of'. His filmography includes enigmatic performances in films such as Deception (2008), Afterschool (2008), The Missing Person (2008), Mud (2012), Parkland (2013), Stealing Cars (2015), Thoroughbreds (2017), and The Greatest Showman (2017). Born and raised in Oklahoma, Sparks pivoted from an early interest in chemistry to pursue a career in the arts. After high school, the prospect of studying chemistry at Oklahoma State University detoured when he made the bold move to New York University's Tisch School of the Arts. In 1995, he graduated, holding a Bachelor of Fine Arts degree in drama. Sparks's career breakthrough came in 2010 when he landed the role of Mickey Doyle on the HBO drama series 'Boardwalk Empire', a series graced with the creative prowess of Terence Winter, Martin Scorsese, and Mark Wahlberg. He continued to captivate audiences in this role until the series conclusion in 2014. Off the screen, Sparks lives with his wife, actress Annie Parisse, and their two children. He has diabetes mellitus type 1, leading him to work closely with the Juvenile Diabetes Research Foundation. In addition, his friendship with esteemed co-star Michael Shannon extends both professionally and personally as they've partnered on numerous endeavours.