Michael Chiklis
Michael Charles Chiklis (/ˈtʃɪklɪs/; born August 30, 1963) is an American actor, film television director, film and television producer and musician. He is best known for his role as Los Angeles Police Department (LAPD) Detective Vic Mackey on the FX police drama The Shield (2002–2008), for which he won the Primetime Emmy Award for Outstanding Lead Actor in a Drama Series in 2002, and was nominated in 2003.
Michael Chiklis | |
|---|---|
Chiklis in 2019 | |
| Born | Michael Charles Chiklis August 30, 1963 Lowell, Massachusetts, U.S. |
| Education | Boston University (BFA) |
| Occupations |
|
| Years active | 1989–present |
| Spouse | Michelle Chiklis (m. 1992) |
| Children | 2, including Autumn |
| Website | michaelchiklis |
Other starring television roles of his include Commissioner Tony Scali on the ABC police drama The Commish (1991–1996), Chris Woods in Daddio (2000), Jim Powell on the ABC science-fiction comedy-drama No Ordinary Family (2010–2011), Vincent Savino in the CBS crime drama Vegas (2012), Dell Toledo in American Horror Story: Freak Show (2014), and Nathaniel Barnes in Gotham (2015–2017). In film, he is best known for his roles as The Thing in two Fantastic Four films (2005–2007), George Callister in Eagle Eye (2008), Terry Eidson in When the Game Stands Tall (2014), and Father Dave in Hubie Halloween (2020).
Early life edit
Chiklis was born in Lowell, Massachusetts. His mother, Katherine (née Vousboukis), is a hospital administrative aide, and his father, Charlie Chiklis, runs a hair and beauty salon.[1][2] Chiklis has been described as having inherited his acting ability from his mother.[3] His father is a second-generation Greek American (his paternal ancestors came from Lesbos), and his mother is of Greek and Irish descent.[4] Chiklis grew up in Andover, Massachusetts[5] and began entertaining his family with celebrity imitations when he was 5 years old. As a child, Chiklis appeared in regional theater productions and became a member of the Actors' Equity Association at age 13. In the ninth grade, he portrayed Hawkeye Pierce in Andover High School's production of M*A*S*H.[5] He graduated from Boston University College of Fine Arts[6] with a Bachelor of Fine Arts.[7]
Career edit
After graduating from college, Chiklis moved to Brooklyn, New York and was cast in the role of John Belushi in the controversial biopic Wired (1989).[8] The film was panned in general and flopped at the box office, though Chiklis's performance as Belushi (one of his idols) was highly praised.[9] He also guest starred in several popular television series such as Miami Vice, B.L. Stryker, Wiseguy, L.A. Law, Murphy Brown, and Seinfeld, as well as in bit parts in such films as Nixon.
Chiklis' first successful role was in The Commish, a police comedy/drama that ran from 1991 to 1996 on ABC. Chiklis played Anthony "Tony" J. Scali, a police commissioner in a small city in upstate New York. After The Commish, Chiklis starred in the short-lived NBC sitcom Daddio.
In 1997, Chiklis replaced Rob Becker in the Broadway one-man show Defending the Caveman, taking on the role from January 1997[10] to the show's closing in June 1997.[11]
After playing Curly Howard in the TV film The Three Stooges (2000), Chiklis decided to reinvent his image. With his wife's help, he spent six months on an extensive workout regimen and shaved his head. He turned up to audition for The Shield looking nothing like the pudgy, friendly character of The Commish.[12] Chiklis won over creator Shawn Ryan and nabbed the leading role of the show's anti-hero, LAPD Detective Vic Mackey. He won the 2002 Emmy Award for Outstanding Lead Actor In A Drama Series for the role. Chiklis received a Golden Globe Award that same year for Best Performance by an Actor in a Television Series-Drama as well. Between 2004 and 2005, he was nominated for a Golden Globe for Best Actor in a Drama Series but did not win. Chiklis later parodied his role as Vic Mackey in the Robot Chicken episode, "Monstourage"; the skit involved Mackey accidentally switching places with Ben Grimm.
Since 2000, Chiklis has taken up a number of voice roles, voicing Chihiro's father, Akio, in the English dub of Hayao Miyazaki's Spirited Away and Roman/King Webster in the direct-to-video feature The Adventures of Tom Thumb and Thumbelina. He has also performed in several episodes of Family Guy and had a voice role in Heavy Gear: The Animated Series.
In 2005, he starred in Fantastic Four (2005) as Thing and reprised the role in its sequel, Fantastic Four: Rise of the Silver Surfer (2007). A fan of the comic book series, he had dreamed of playing the character if ever a Fantastic Four film were produced. Chiklis was often praised for his performance in a film that otherwise earned mixed reviews.
In the film Eagle Eye (2008), Chiklis portrays the United States Secretary of Defense.
In the wake of the Bernie Madoff scandal, Chiklis was developing[needs update] a series at FX about a similar investment scheme. The project, called House of Cards, concerns a group committing an elaborate scam similar to the Madoff fraud. Chiklis had been developing the project since February 2008 after he and his wife became victims of a Ponzi scheme themselves. Chiklis planned to executive produce but not star.[13]
Chiklis later starred in the ABC television series No Ordinary Family, which premiered on September 28, 2010,[14] as part of the 2010–11 television season[15] and ended in April 2011.[16] He also co-starred in the CBS Crime drama Vegas.
In March 2014, it was announced that Chiklis had been cast in American Horror Story: Freak Show, season 4 of the FX anthology series.[17]
In 2014, Chiklis played a small part towards the end of the FX series Sons of Anarchy. He appears first in the episode "Rose Red", as a trucker who first encounters Gemma, who is on her way to her father, at a truck stop. He also plays a truck driver in the series finale.
In 2015, he appeared in Gotham as Captain Nathaniel Barnes.[18] In a nod to Chiklis' time on the Strike Team on The Shield, his character established a similarly named "Strike Force".
In September 2016, Chiklis released his first solo album, INFLUENCE. He wrote and produced the album at his own Extravaganza Music Studio.[19]
Personal life edit
Chiklis married Michelle Moran on June 21, 1992, and they have two daughters: Autumn, born on October 9, 1993, and Odessa, born on March 26, 1999.[20] Autumn played Vic Mackey's daughter Cassidy on The Shield.[21]
A lifelong comic book fan, it was reported in 2010 that Chiklis rarely turns down an autograph request from children.[22]
Chiklis is a fan of both the Boston Red Sox,[23] and the Boston Bruins,[24] was interviewed for the HBO documentary The Curse of the Bambino about the Red Sox's long struggle to win the World Series,[25] and narrated the video introduction of the New England Patriots in Super Bowl XXXIX.[26]
Chiklis is also an accomplished musician, specializing in drums and vocals, but also playing guitar and bass.[3] He is a member of several performing bands in the Boston area such as The Surgeon General, Best Kept Secret, and Double Talk.[3] He has starred in and produced films through his own production company, Extravaganza.[3][27]
In 2011, Chiklis and his band MCB released their first single "Til I Come Home", a tribute song to the soldiers overseas.[28] The song was used in his TV series No Ordinary Family in 2011.[29] MCB's prior music includes another single, "Make Me High", written for the independent film High School (2010), starring Chiklis, Adrien Brody, Colin Hanks, and Matt Bush; the single was released in spring 2011.[30]
Following his stint on American Horror Story: Freak Show, Chiklis told Larry King that he did not enjoy working on the show: "That was one of the darkest years of my career. It was, I think, it's one thing to do a horror film in the context of like two months or something like that, but to live in that for six months it just became, I don't know. Maybe it's because I'm an empathetic person, and I just sometimes start to take things on. But it was so dark, and it was so nasty."[31]
Philanthropy edit
Chiklis has participated in celebrity Texas hold 'em tournaments to benefit comedian Brad Garrett's charity foundation, Maximum Hope. Chiklis has worked closely with many different charities over the years including The Children's Lifesaving Foundation,[32] Alzheimer's Association,[33] Autism Speaks[34] and the Revlon Run Walk.[35]
Filmography edit
Film edit
| Year | Title | Role | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1989 | Wired | John Belushi | |
| 1990 | The Rain Killer | Reese | |
| 1990 | Maverick Square | Nicky "Fat Nicky" | Television film |
| 1995 | Nixon | TV Director | |
| 1998 | Body and Soul | 'Tiny' O'Toole | |
| Taxman | Andre Rubakov | ||
| Soldier | Jimmy Pig | ||
| 1999 | Carlo's Wake | Marco | |
| St. Michael's Crossing | Benjamin Arensen | ||
| Last Request | Victim | Short film | |
| Do Not Disturb | Hartman | ||
| 2000 | The Three Stoges | Curly | Television film |
| 2001 | Spirited Away | Chihiro's Father | Voice, English dub |
| 2002 | The Adventures of Tom Thumb and Thumbelina | King Webster | Voice |
| 2005 | Fantastic Four | Ben Grimm / The Thing | |
| 2007 | Rise: Blood Hunter | Clyde Rawlins | |
| Fantastic Four: Rise of the Silver Surfer | Ben Grimm / The Thing | ||
| 2008 | Eagle Eye | Secretary of Defense George Callister | |
| The Legend of Secret Pass | Calabar | Voice | |
| 2010 | High School | Dr. Leslie Gordon | |
| 2013 | Parker | Melander | |
| Pawn | Derrick | ||
| 2014 | When the Game Stands Tall | Terry Eidson | |
| 2016 | The Do-Over | Carmine | |
| Rupture | Bald Man | ||
| 2017 | Fallen | Narrator | Documentary |
| 2018 | 1985 | Dale Lester | |
| MFKZ | Crocodile | Voice | |
| 2019 | 10 Minutes Gone | Frank | |
| 2020 | Hubie Halloween[36] | Father Dave | |
| 2021 | Don't Look Up | Dan Pawketty | |
| 2024 | Deadpool & Wolverine | Ben Grimm / The Thing | Post-production[37] |
| TBA | The Senior | Mike Flynt | Post-production |
Television edit
| Year | Title | Role | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1989 | Miami Vice | Jeffrey Whitehead | Episode: "The Lost Madonna" |
| B.L. Stryker | Unknown | Episode: "Blues for Buder" | |
| Wiseguy | Carlo Spoletta | 4 episodes | |
| 1990 | Murphy Brown | Tony Rocket | Episode: "Brown and Blue" |
| 1990–1991 | L.A. Law | Jimmy Hoffs | 2 episodes |
| 1991 | Seinfeld | Steve | Episode: "The Stranded" |
| 1991–1996 | The Commish | Police Commissioner Tony Scali | 92 episodes |
| 1998 | Touched by an Angel | Matt Colletti | Episode: "Breaking Bread" |
| 2000 | Godzilla: The Series | Colonel Charles Tarrington | Voice, episode: "Where Is Thy Sting?" |
| Daddio | Chris Woods | 15 episodes | |
| 2000–2001 | Family Guy | Various Characters | Voice, 4 episodes |
| 2001 | Heavy Gear: The Animated Series | Lieutenant Jan Agusta | Voice, main role |
| 2002–2008 | The Shield | Detective Vic Mackey | 88 episodes |
| 2003 | Stuart Little | Scar | Voice, episode: "No Job is Too Little" |
| 2008 | Robot Chicken | Vic Mackey, The Thing, Doc, Detective | Voice, episode: "Monstourage" |
| 2010–2011 | No Ordinary Family | Jim Powell | 20 episodes |
| 2012–2013 | Vegas | Vincent Savino | 21 episodes |
| 2014–2015 | American Horror Story: Freak Show | Dell Toledo | 13 episodes |
| 2014 | Sons of Anarchy | Milo | 2 episodes |
| 2015–2017 | Gotham | Captain Nathaniel Barnes, The Executioner | 41 episodes |
| 2015 | Axe Cop | Voice, episode: "Heads Will Roll" | |
| 2016 | The Simpsons | Boston Americans Quarterback | Voice, episode: "The Town" |
| 2018–2019 | DuckTales | Zeus | Voice, 3 episodes |
| 2020 | Deathstroke: Knights & Dragons | Slade Wilson/Deathstroke | Voice, main role[38] |
| 2021 | Coyote | Ben Clemens | 6 episodes[39] |
| 2022 | Winning Time | Red Auerbach | 5 episodes[40] |
| 2023 | Accused | Scott Harmon | Episode: "Scott's Story" |
Video games edit
| Year | Title | Role | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2005 | Fantastic Four | Ben Grimm / The Thing | Based on the film of the same name |
| 2007 | The Shield | Vic Mackey | Based on the TV series of the same name |
Theater edit
| Year | Title | Role | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1997 | Defending the Caveman[10] | – | One-man show |
Awards and nominations edit
| Year | Association | Category | Nominated work | Result |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2002 | Primetime Emmy Awards | Outstanding Lead Actor in a Drama Series | The Shield | Won |
| Television Critics Association Awards | Individual Achievement in Drama | Won | ||
| 2003 | Golden Globe Awards | Best Actor – Television Series Drama | Won | |
| Primetime Emmy Awards | Outstanding Lead Actor in a Drama Series | Nominated | ||
| Satellite Awards | Best Actor – Television Series Drama | Nominated | ||
| Screen Actors Guild Awards | Outstanding Performance by a Male Actor in a Drama Series | Nominated | ||
| 2004 | Golden Globe Awards | Best Actor – Television Series Drama | Nominated | |
| Satellite Awards | Best Actor – Television Series Drama | Won | ||
| 2005 | Golden Globe Awards | Best Actor – Television Series Drama | Nominated | |
| 2006 | MTV Movie Awards | Best On-Screen Team (shared with Jessica Alba, Ioan Gruffudd and Chris Evans) | Fantastic Four | Nominated |
References edit
- ^ "Michael Chiklis Biography (1963–)". Filmreference.com. Retrieved February 24, 2015.
- ^ Bickelhaupt, Susan (November 15, 1994). "Mother knows best". Boston Globe. Archived from the original on January 31, 2013.
- ^ a b c d Karlin, Susan; McMahon, Vincent (November 1999). . Cigar Aficionado. Archived from the original on October 4, 2013. Retrieved October 30, 2012.
- ^ "Twitter / MichaelChiklis: I know everyone thinks of me". Twitter.com. Retrieved October 30, 2012.
- ^ a b Lucas, Drake (June 28, 2008). "Michael Chiklis gets his day in Andover". The Eagle-Tribune. Archived from the original on January 22, 2013. Retrieved October 30, 2012.
- ^ . bu.edu. August 23, 2012. Archived from the original on August 27, 2012. Retrieved October 30, 2012.
- ^ "School of Theatre Distinguished Awards". bu.edu. Retrieved October 30, 2012.
- ^ Stone, Stone (May 17, 1995). "Michael Chiklis: The show that could". The Spokesman-Review. Retrieved October 30, 2012.
- ^ "'Wired,' film adaptation of Belushi's life, has two good mimics, one bad plot". Minneapolis Star-Tribune. August 28, 1989. Retrieved October 30, 2012.
- ^ a b Haun, Harry (January 29, 1997). "'Commish' Becomes 'The Caveman' on B'Way". Playbill. Retrieved June 1, 2020.
- ^ "'Caveman' is closing". The New York Times. June 13, 1997.
- ^ Weinraub, Bernard (April 3, 2002). "Police Show Has Humans, Not Heroes; In FX's Hit 'The Shield,' Means Justify Ends". The New York Times. from the original on July 20, 2018. Retrieved July 19, 2018.
- ^ Hibberd, James. . The Hollywood Reporter. Archived from the original on December 20, 2008.
- ^ Ram, Archana (September 28, 2010). . ew.com. Archived from the original on December 4, 2011. Retrieved October 30, 2012.
- ^ Rice, Lynette (May 12, 2010). . Entertainment Weekly. Archived from the original on May 13, 2010. Retrieved May 12, 2010.
- ^ Gorman, Bill (May 13, 2011). . tvbythenumbers.zap2it.com. Archived from the original on May 16, 2011. Retrieved October 30, 2012.
- ^ "Michael Chiklis joins the cast of American Horror Story: Freak Show". Entertainment Weekly. Retrieved March 28, 2014.
- ^ Highfill, Samantha (October 12, 2015). "Michael Chiklis is ready to get his hands dirty on Gotham". Entertainment Weekly. Retrieved October 13, 2015.
- ^ "Influence".
- ^ "Michael Chiklis". IMDb.
- ^ "CHIKLIS BANS DAUGHTER FROM WATCHING HER OWN SHOW". contactmusic.com. March 24, 2004. Retrieved October 30, 2012.
- ^ Calhoun, Bob (April 6, 2010). "The secret life of Michael Chiklis, comic book god". Salon. Retrieved February 23, 2022.
- ^ "'Shield' star moves on to bigger Thing". TimesDaily. July 1, 2005. Retrieved October 30, 2012.
- ^ Bobbin, Jay (June 9, 2011). . zap2it.com. Archived from the original on September 9, 2011. Retrieved October 30, 2012.
- ^ Jurkowitz, Mark (September 16, 2003). "HBO takes a powerful swing at explaining Sox' sad history". The Boston Globe. Retrieved October 30, 2012.
- ^ Wilson, Dave. "Michael Chiklis: No ordinary Boston sports fan". espn.go.com. Retrieved October 30, 2012.
- ^ Fernandez, Jay A. (December 1, 2011). "Nikki Reed, Sean Faris Join Michael Chiklis' 'Pawn'". The Hollywood Reporter. Retrieved October 30, 2012.
- ^ "Michael Chiklis to Release Debut Single". The Hollywood Reporter. February 7, 2011. Retrieved October 30, 2012.
- ^ Rice, Lynette (February 22, 2011). "'No Ordinary Family' scoop: Michael Chiklis sings!". Entertainment Weekly. Retrieved October 30, 2012.
- ^ Fee, Gayle; Raposa, Laura; Johnson, Megan (May 29, 2012). "Michael Chiklis' 'high' school buzz".
- ^ "Why Michael Chiklis won't return to 'AHS'". Ora TV.
- ^ Tate, Laura (June 4, 2008). "Children's Lifesaving Foundation celebrates 15 years". The Malibu Times. Retrieved October 30, 2012.
- ^ Gans, Andrew (February 16, 2006). . playbill.com. Archived from the original on February 21, 2014. Retrieved October 30, 2012.
- ^ "National Philoptochos Children's Medical Fund Luncheon". greeknewsonline.com. November 26, 2007. Retrieved October 30, 2012.
- ^ "The Entertainment Industry Foundation Revlon Run/Walk For Women Celebrates 14 Years in Los Angeles on May 12". prnewswire.com. April 10, 2007. Retrieved October 30, 2012.
- ^ N'Duka, Amanda (July 22, 2019). "Adam Sandler Sets Next Netflix Comedy With All-Star Cast Including Kevin James, Julie Bowen, Maya Rudolph & Many More". Deadline Hollywood. Retrieved July 22, 2019.
- ^ Reyes, Mike (8 February 2024). "While Debunking A Rumoured Deadpool 3 Cameo, Michael Chiklis Reveals He Knows Insider Fantastic Four Information". Cinemablend.
- ^ "Newsarama | GamesRadar+". July 18, 2023.
- ^ "Paramount Network greenlights production on Coyote".
- ^ Michael Chiklis To Play Red Auerbach In HBO’s 1980s L.A. Lakers Series
External links edit
- Michael Chiklis at IMDb
- Michael Chiklis at The Interviews: An Oral History of Television