You might not recognize Michael Emerson's name, but there is a good chance you're a little bit scared of him. By Bryan Reesman

While the seemingly mild-mannered Michael Emerson has spent his life working in the theater, first in the South and then on Broadway, he has recently become widely recognized through his sinister film and television roles. The man with the unnerving stare won an Emmy for his portrayal of the alleged serial killer William Hinks on The Practice in 2001; then he landed a pivotal role as one of Jigsaw's pawns in the original Saw and nabbed a humorous villain part in The Legend of Zorro. But his portrayal of Ben Linus (a.k.a. Henry Gale), the creepy leader of the Others on the hit ABC series Lost, has made Emerson a household face, if not a household name. We caught up with TV's most unlikely bad guy.

When people stop you on the street, what are their reactions? People are funny. They have mixed-up feelings about me and the character. They like to make a great show of fear or terror, but it's sort of mixed up with a case of the giggles. They just don't know what their reaction is. They discover that they have been delighted to be frightened by me all this time, and now suddenly they have to decide whether it's the character or the actor that they're confronted with.