Michael Patrick Thornton

Thornton is from Jefferson Park, a neighborhood on Chicago's northwest side.^[2] He is a graduate of The School at Steppenwolf,^[3] The Second City Conservatory, and The Second City Directing Program.^{[citation needed]} At 24, Thornton had two spinal strokes which paralysed him.^[1] Since then he has used a wheelchair.^[1]

Thornton is artistic director and co-founder of The Gift Theatre.^[2][3][4] He acted in productions including Richard III at Steppenwolf,^[4] where he became the first actor to act onstage while wearing a robotic exoskeleton.^[5] He has also portrayed Iago in Othello at The Gift Theatre and in Actors Theatre of Louisville’s 50th anniversary production of Our Town.^[4] Thornton received a Jeff Nomination for his performance in The Gift's premiere of ensemble member Andrew Hinderaker's Suicide, Incorporated.^[4] In 2005, he won the Jeff Award for Best Actor in a Solo Performance for his role in The Good Thief at The Gift Theatre.^[3]

Thornton also directs at The Gift, including the world premiere of David Rabe's Good For Otto, War of the Worlds, the Chicago Premiere of Will Eno's Oh, The Humanity (and other exclamations).^[4] As a writer, his plays have been workshopped in New York through Young Playwrights, Inc. and in Chicago through Second City.^[4]

In 2025 and 2026, Thornton appeared as Lucky in Waiting for Godot, a Jamie Lloyd production starring Keanu Reeves and Alex Winter on Broadway.

Thornton has appeared in episodes of Elementary (CBS), The Exorcist (FOX), Private Practice, The Chicago Code, Ron Howard's The Dilemma, and the independent feature film The View From Tall.^[4]