Emerson was born in Cedar Rapids, Iowa and grew up in the nearby town of Toledo, Iowa. He studied theater and art at Drake University in Des Moines, Iowa, and graduated in 1976. He then moved to New York City. He had trouble finding work as an actor so he took retail jobs and worked as a freelance illustrator. In 1986, he moved with his first wife to Jacksonville, Florida. In Jacksonville, between 1986 to 1993, he was in local productions, and worked as a teacher and director.