Five Things You Didn’t Know About John Wesley Shipp

Actor John Wesley Shipp is well-known for a variety of television and film roles. He was born on January 22, 1955, in Norfolk, Virginia. His first role in television was playing Dr. Kelly Nelson, a regular character on a daytime soap opera called ‘Guiding Light’. However, it is ‘The Flash’ for which he is best-known. In this CBS series, he played Barry Allen and The Flash between 1990 and 1991. He was cast in a mysterious role in the CW series ‘The Flash’ in 2014 and this character was later revealed as Henry Allen, the father of Barry Allen/ The Flash. In the 2015 series, he played Jay Garrick, the Golden Age Flash.

Here are five more things you probably don’t know about John Wesley Shipp.

1. His Father Was a Minister

When Shipp was attending Wake Forest Rolesville High School, Wake Forest, North Carolina, his father was the Minister at Ridgecrest Baptist Church. Originally, his father was a farmer but became a pastor after he attended the seminary In Wake Forest. When Shipp graduated from high school in 1999, his father gave the keynote speech. He talked about how his own father had tried to integrate communities during the 1960s.

2. His House Was Once Shot At

While at high school, John Wesley Shipp had some friends to visit one evening. A series of gunshots were fired directly through the brick walls of Shipp’s family home. Although the person who fired the shots was not apprehended, it was assumed at the time that it was the actions of a member of the Klu Klux Klan (KKK). The reason for this is that some of John Wesley Shipp’s friends who were visiting him that night were African American.

3. He Has Appeared on Broadway

Although most people associate this actor with roles on television and in film, he has also appeared on the stage. He made his Broadway debut in ‘Safe Sex’ playing the part of the love interest of Harvey Fierstein. He also had a role in ‘Dancing at Lughnasa’ which was an award-winning production.

4. He Has Won Two Emmy’s

Shipp is an award-winning television actor as he has won two Emmy’s. The first was in 1986 and this Daytime Emmy Award was for Outstanding Supporting Actor in a Drama Series. This was for when he played the character Doug Cummings in ‘As the World Turns’. He received the second award the following year in the category of Outstanding Guest Performer in a Drama Series. This was for the part of Martin Ellis in ‘Santa Barbara’. When he was nominated for the 1987 award, Shipp was up against Ellen Heckart, Celeste Holm, and Terrance Mann. He was the only actor to have won an award for two consecutive years for roles in two different daytime dramas.

5. He Won an Award for a Radio Drama

In 2015, he also won an award for a radio drama. He was awarded the Audioverse Award as Best Actor. He had played a blind sheriff in a radio drama called ‘Powder Burns’ to win this award.

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