Michael Charles Chiklis (born August 30, 1963) is an American actor, voice actor and occasional
directorA film director, or filmmaker is a person who directs the making or production of a film. Some also consider a film producer to be a filmmaker....
. He is known for starring in the TV series
The CommishThe Commish was a television series that aired on ABC in the United States from 1991 to 1996. It also screened on KTN in Kenya, Nelonen in Finland, NRK in Norway and the Nine Network in Australia, TV3 in Spain. It is still broadcast on SBS Net in Denmark, TV4 Guld in Sweden and La7 in Italy...
(1991–1996) and
The ShieldThe Shield is an American television drama series which aired on FX Networks in the United States and other networks internationally. Known for its controversial portrayal of corrupt police officers, it was originally advertised as "Rampart" in reference to the true life Rampart Division police...
(2002–2008) as well as for his role as The Thing in the
Fantastic FourFantastic Four is a film series consisting of two superhero films based on the fictional Marvel Comics team Fantastic Four. The series includes Fantastic Four and Fantastic Four: Rise of the Silver Surfer , both released by 20th Century Fox.The films are based around four main characters, known...
film series.
Chiklis was born in
Lowell, MassachusettsLowell is a city in Middlesex County, Massachusetts, USA. As of the 2000 census, the city had a total population of 105,167. It is the fifth largest city in the state...
, the son of Charlie Chiklis, a second-generation
Greek AmericanGreek Americans are American of Greek descent. According to the 2007 U.S. Census Bureau estimation, there were 1,380,088 people of Greek ancestry in the United States, while the State Department mentions that around 3,000,000 Americans claim Greek descent. In addition, the 2000 census revealed...
who runs a hair/beauty salon, and Katherine, a hospital administrative aide from whom Chiklis has been described as inheriting his acting ability.
Michael Charles Chiklis (born August 30, 1963) is an American actor, voice actor and occasional
directorA film director, or filmmaker is a person who directs the making or production of a film. Some also consider a film producer to be a filmmaker....
. He is known for starring in the TV series
The CommishThe Commish was a television series that aired on ABC in the United States from 1991 to 1996. It also screened on KTN in Kenya, Nelonen in Finland, NRK in Norway and the Nine Network in Australia, TV3 in Spain. It is still broadcast on SBS Net in Denmark, TV4 Guld in Sweden and La7 in Italy...
(1991–1996) and
The ShieldThe Shield is an American television drama series which aired on FX Networks in the United States and other networks internationally. Known for its controversial portrayal of corrupt police officers, it was originally advertised as "Rampart" in reference to the true life Rampart Division police...
(2002–2008) as well as for his role as The Thing in the
Fantastic FourFantastic Four is a film series consisting of two superhero films based on the fictional Marvel Comics team Fantastic Four. The series includes Fantastic Four and Fantastic Four: Rise of the Silver Surfer , both released by 20th Century Fox.The films are based around four main characters, known...
film series.
Early life
Chiklis was born in
Lowell, MassachusettsLowell is a city in Middlesex County, Massachusetts, USA. As of the 2000 census, the city had a total population of 105,167. It is the fifth largest city in the state...
, the son of Charlie Chiklis, a second-generation
Greek AmericanGreek Americans are American of Greek descent. According to the 2007 U.S. Census Bureau estimation, there were 1,380,088 people of Greek ancestry in the United States, while the State Department mentions that around 3,000,000 Americans claim Greek descent. In addition, the 2000 census revealed...
who runs a hair/beauty salon, and Katherine, a hospital administrative aide from whom Chiklis has been described as inheriting his acting ability. Chiklis' paternal ancestors came from
Lesbos IslandLesbos is a Greek island located in the northeastern Aegean Sea. It has an area of 1632 km² with 320 kilometres of coastline, making it the third largest Greek island and the largest of the numerous Greek islands scattered in the Aegean. Administratively, it forms part of the Lesbos Prefecture...
. Chiklis grew up in
Andover, MassachusettsAndover is a town in Essex County, Massachusetts, United States. It was incorporated in 1646 and as of the 2000 census population was 31,247. It is part of the Boston-Cambridge-Quincy, Massachusetts-New Hampshire metropolitan statistical area....
and began entertaining his family with celebrity imitations when he was five years old. As a child, Chiklis appeared in regional theater productions and became a member of the
Actors' Equity AssociationThe Actors' Equity Association , commonly referred to as Actors' Equity or simply Equity, is an American labor union embracing the world of live theatrical performance, as opposed to film and television performance. However, performers appearing on live stage productions without a book or...
at age thirteen. He later attended
Boston University College of Fine ArtsThe Boston University College of Fine Arts is unit of Boston University. The College consists of the School of Music, the School of Theatre, and the School of Visual Arts. Each of the individual schools offer degrees in the performing and visual arts at the undergraduate and graduate level...
, where he received a
Bachelor of Fine ArtsIn the United States, the Bachelor of Fine Arts, usually abbreviated BFA, is the standard undergraduate degree for students seeking a professional education in the visual or performing arts. It is also named in some countries the Bachelor of Creative Arts or BCA...
.
At age 20, Chiklis shaved his head to look like male-pattern baldness for the part of a 65-year-old man in
You Can't Take It With YouYou Can't Take It with You is a Pulitzer Prize-winning comedic play in three acts by George S. Kaufman and Moss Hart. The original production of the play opened at the Booth Theater on December 14, 1936 and played for 837 performances.- Characters :...
. Instead of using powder on his head (as he did on his face), he used greasepaint, and he failed to remove it properly at the end of each day. This killed the
hair follicleA hair follicle is a part of the skin that grows hair by packing old cells together. Attached to the follicle is a sebaceous gland, a tiny sebum-producing gland found everywhere except on the palms, lips and soles of the feet...
s on his head, essentially shaping his career in many ways. Chiklis has said in an
NPR interview that this was a very traumatic experience as a young actor, and is the reason he wore a hairpiece in
WiredWired is a 1989 film biography of John Belushi directed by Larry Peerce, adapted from the book Wired: The Short Life and Fast Times of John Belushi . It starred Michael Chiklis as Belushi in his film debut...
.
Career
After graduation, Chiklis moved to
New York CityNew York is the most populous city in the United States, and the center of the New York metropolitan area, which is among the most populous urban areas in the world. A leading global city, New York exerts a powerful influence over worldwide commerce, finance, culture, fashion and entertainment...
with high ambitions, but he struggled for several years before being cast the role of
John BelushiJohn Adam Belushi was an American comedian, actor, and musician notable for his work on Saturday Night Live, National Lampoon's Animal House, and The Blues Brothers...
in the controversial biopic
WiredWired is a 1989 film biography of John Belushi directed by Larry Peerce, adapted from the book Wired: The Short Life and Fast Times of John Belushi . It starred Michael Chiklis as Belushi in his film debut...
in 1989. The film was panned in general and flopped at the box office. He also guest starred in several popular television series such as
Miami ViceMiami Vice is an American television series produced by Michael Mann for NBC. The show became noted for its heavy integration of music and visual effects to tell a story. The series starred Don Johnson and Phillip Michael Thomas as two Metro-Dade Police Department detectives working undercover in...
,
L.A. LawL.A. Law is an American television legal drama that ran from 1986 to 1994. L.A. Law reflected the social and cultural ideologies of the 1980s and early 1990s and many of the cases on the show dealt with hot topic issues such as abortion, racism, gay rights, homophobia, sexual harassment, AIDS, and...
,
Murphy BrownMurphy Brown is an American situation comedy which aired on CBS from November 14, 1988 to May 18, 1998, for a total of 247 episodes. The program starred Candice Bergen as the eponymous Murphy Brown, an investigative journalist and news anchor for FYI, a fictional CBS television newsmagazine.The...
, and
SeinfeldSeinfeld is an American television sitcom that originally aired on NBC from July 5, 1989, to May 14, 1998, lasting nine seasons, and is now in syndication. The eponymous series was created by Larry David and Jerry Seinfeld, with the latter starring as a fictionalized version of himself...
alongside bit parts in films like
NixonNixon is a 1995 American biographical film directed by Oliver Stone for Cinergi Pictures that tells the story of the political and personal life of former US President Richard Nixon, played by Anthony Hopkins. The film portrays Nixon as a complex and, in many respects, an admirable person, though...
.
The CommishThe Commish was a television series that aired on ABC in the United States from 1991 to 1996. It also screened on KTN in Kenya, Nelonen in Finland, NRK in Norway and the Nine Network in Australia, TV3 in Spain. It is still broadcast on SBS Net in Denmark, TV4 Guld in Sweden and La7 in Italy...
was Chiklis's first acclaimed and successful role. In the family-friendly police comedy/drama, Chiklis played Anthony "Tony" J. Scali, a
police commissionerCommissioner is a senior rank used in many police forces. In some organizations it may be rendered Police Commissioner or Commissioner of Police....
in a small city in
upstate New YorkUpstate New York is the region of New York State north of the core of the New York metropolitan area.-Definition:There is no clear or official boundary between Upstate New York and Downstate New York, but the term "Upstate" is sometimes used to refer to the whole of the state besides New York City...
. A stern but lovable father figure, Chiklis's character had an easygoing style, smart wit, and an unorthodox approach to parenthood and police work. After
The Commish, Chiklis starred in the short-lived and critically-panned
NBCThe National Broadcasting Company is an American television network and former radio network headquartered in the GE Building in New York City's Rockefeller Center with additional major offices in Burbank,California...
sitcom
DaddioDaddio is a short-lived American sitcom that aired on NBC from March 23 to October 23, 2000. Created by Matt Berry and Ric Swartzwelder, the series starred Michael Chiklis and Anita Barone.-Synopsis:...
.
After playing
Curly HowardJerome Lester Horwitz better known by his stage name Curly Howard was an American comedian and vaudevillian, best known as a member of the American slapstick comedy team the Three Stooges, along with his older brothers Moe Howard and Shemp Howard, and actor Larry Fine...
in a television movie about the
Three StoogesThe Three Stooges were an American vaudeville and comedy act of the early to mid–20th century best known for their numerous short subject films. Their hallmark was physical farce.- Overview :...
, 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 ShieldThe Shield is an American television drama series which aired on FX Networks in the United States and other networks internationally. Known for its controversial portrayal of corrupt police officers, it was originally advertised as "Rampart" in reference to the true life Rampart Division police...
looking nothing like the pudgy, friendly character of
The Commish. Winning over creator
Shawn RyanShawn Ryan is a writer, and the creator of the FX television series The Shield and CBS series The Unit.-Personal Life:...
, Chiklis nabbed the leading role of the show's tough, edgy, detective
Vic MackeyDetective Victor Samuel "Vic" Mackey, portrayed by Michael Chiklis, is a fictional Immigration and Customs Enforcement agent, former Los Angeles Police Department detective and the former leader of the Strike Team, a four-man anti-gang unit in the FX crime drama series The Shield...
. Although
The Shield was controversial because of its violent content, Chiklis's performance was highly praised, with his first major recognition coming when he won the 2002
Emmy AwardThe Emmy Award, often referred to simply as the Emmy, is a television production award, similar in nature to the Peabody Awards but more focused on entertainment, and is considered the television equivalent to the Academy Awards , Grammy Awards and Tony Awards .They are presented in various...
for Outstanding Lead Actor In A Drama Series for his role as Detective Vic Mackey. He received a
Golden Globe AwardThe Golden Globe Awards are presented annually by the Hollywood Foreign Press Association to recognize outstanding achievements in the entertainment industry, both domestic and foreign, and to focus wide public attention upon the best in motion pictures and television...
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.
Since 2000, Chiklis has taken up a number of voice roles, voicing Chihiro's father, Akio, in the
EnglishEnglish is a West Germanic language that developed in England during the Anglo-Saxon era. As a result of the military, economic, scientific, political, and cultural influence of the British Empire during the 18th, 19th, and early 20th centuries, and of the United States since the mid 20th century,...
dub of
Hayao Miyazakiis a prominent Japanese filmmaker of many popular animated feature films. He is also a co-founder of Studio Ghibli, an animation studio and production company....
's
Spirited Awayis a 2001 Japanese animated film written and directed by Hayao Miyazaki and produced by Studio Ghibli. The film views a sullen ten-year-old girl in the middle of her family's move to a new town and her adventures in a world of spirits and monsters.The film received many awards, including the...
and Roman/King Webster in the
direct-to-videoA film that is released direct-to-video is one which has been released to the public on home video formats before or without being released in movie theaters or broadcast on television...
feature
The Adventures of Tom Thumb & Thumbelina. He has also performed in several episodes of
Family GuyFamily Guy is an American animated television sitcom, created by Seth MacFarlane, for the Fox Broadcasting Company. The series centers on the Griffins, a dysfunctional family which consists of Peter, Lois, Meg, Chris, Stewie, and their pet dog Brian...
and had a voice role in
Heavy Gear: The Animated Series.
In 2005, he starred in
Fantastic Four as
The ThingThe Thing is a fictional character, a founding member of the superhero team known as the Fantastic Four in the Marvel Comics universe. He was created by Jack Kirby and Stan Lee in The Fantastic Four #1...
and for its sequel,
Fantastic Four: Rise of the Silver SurferFantastic Four: Rise of the Silver Surfer is a American superhero film, and sequel to the 2005 film Fantastic Four. Both films are based on the Fantastic Four comic book. The film was directed by Tim Story, who also directed the first film in the series, Fantastic Four...
. A fan of the comic series, Chiklis was often praised for his performance in a film that otherwise earned mixed reviews .
Chiklis had a role in the 2008 film
Eagle EyeEagle Eye is a 2008 action/thriller film directed by D. J. Caruso and starring Shia LaBeouf and Michelle Monaghan. The two portray a young man and a single mother who are brought together and coerced by an anonymous caller into carrying out a plan by a possible terrorist organization...
as the
United States Secretary of DefenseThe United States Secretary of Defense is the head of the U.S. Department of Defense , concerned with the armed services and military matters. This position roughly corresponds to Minister of defense in other countries...
.
In the wake of
Bernard MadoffBernard Lawrence "Bernie" Madoff is an American convict, who was a financier, and Chairman of the NASDAQ stock exchange...
scandal, Chiklis is developing 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. "Cards" will likely center on the leader of the scheme, with Chiklis planning to
executive produceAn executive producer is a producer who is not involved in any technical aspects of the filmmaking or music process, but who is still responsible for the overall production. Typically an executive producer handles business and legal issues. See also associate producer, co-producer, line producer...
but not star.
Personal life
Chiklis married Michelle Morán on 21 June, 1992 and they have two daughters, Autumn, born on October 9, 1993, and Odessa, born in 1999. Autumn played Vic Mackey's daughter Cassidy on
The Shield.
He attended the same high school as his good friend
Jay LenoJames Douglas Muir "Jay" Leno is an American stand-up comedian and television host. From 1992 to 2009, Leno was the host of NBC's The Tonight Show with Jay Leno. During his tenure, the show held the top ratings position in its time slot on nearly every weekday...
.
A lifelong comic book fan, he rarely (if ever) turns down an autograph request from children. In fact, according to the DVD commentary for the
Fantastic Four film, his voice has been going hoarse from doing so many requests as
ThingThe Thing is a fictional character, a founding member of the superhero team known as the Fantastic Four in the Marvel Comics universe. He was created by Jack Kirby and Stan Lee in The Fantastic Four #1...
; in Chiklis's own words
"How do you say 'no' to an 8 year old?"
Chiklis is a fan of both the
Boston Red SoxThe Boston Red Sox are a member of the Major League Baseball’s American League Eastern Division. Since , the Red Sox's home ballpark has been Fenway Park. The "Red Sox" name originates from the iconic uniform feature....
and the
Boston BruinsThe Boston Bruins are a professional ice hockey team based in Boston, Massachusetts. They are members of the Northeast Division of the Eastern Conference of the National Hockey League . The team has been in existence since 1924, entering the league as the first United States-based expansion franchise...
, and narrated the video introduction of the
New England PatriotsThe New England Patriots, commonly called the "Pats", are a professional American football team based in the Greater Boston area, playing their home games in the town of Foxborough, Massachusetts at Gillette Stadium. The team is part of the East Division of the American Football Conference in the...
in
Super Bowl XXXIXSuper Bowl XXXIX was an American football game played on 6 February 2005, at Alltel Stadium in Jacksonville, Florida, to decide the National Football League champion following the 2004 regular season...
.
He is also an accomplished musician, specializing in drums and vocals but also playing guitar and bass. A member of several performing bands in the Boston area such as The Surgeon General, Best Kept Secret and Double Talk. 2009 Rumors are of a recording project in the works.
Philanthropy
Chiklis has participated in celebrity
Texas Hold 'EmTexas hold 'em is the most popular poker game in the casinos and poker card rooms across North America and Europe, and online...
tournamentA tournament is a competition involving a relatively large number of competitors, all participating in a sport or game. More specifically, the term may be used in either of two overlapping senses:...
s to benefit comedian
Brad GarrettBradley "Brad" Garrett is an American actor, voice actor and stand-up comedian. He is best known for playing Robert Barone on Everybody Loves Raymond and Eddie Stark on Til Death'.-Early life:...
's charity foundation, Maximum Hope.
Filmography
- The Legend of Secret Pass (2008) (voice)
- Robot Chicken
Robot Chicken is an American stop motion animated television series created and executive produced by Seth Green and Matthew Senreich along with co-Head Writers Douglas Goldstein and Tom Root...
(2008) (voice)
- Eagle Eye
Eagle Eye is a 2008 action/thriller film directed by D. J. Caruso and starring Shia LaBeouf and Michelle Monaghan. The two portray a young man and a single mother who are brought together and coerced by an anonymous caller into carrying out a plan by a possible terrorist organization...
(2008)
- Fantastic Four: Rise of the Silver Surfer
Fantastic Four: Rise of the Silver Surfer is a American superhero film, and sequel to the 2005 film Fantastic Four. Both films are based on the Fantastic Four comic book. The film was directed by Tim Story, who also directed the first film in the series, Fantastic Four...
(2007)
- Rise: Blood Hunter (2007)
- Stuart Little: The Animated Series
Stuart Little: The Animated Series was an animated television series, loosely based on the E.B. White children's book Stuart Little and more based on Stuart Little's live-action film adaptations...
(2006)
- Fantastic Four
Fantastic Four is a 2005 superhero film based on the Marvel Comics comic Fantastic Four. It was directed by Tim Story, and released by 20th Century Fox. This is the second live-action Fantastic Four movie to be filmed...
(2005)
- The Shield
The Shield is an American television drama series which aired on FX Networks in the United States and other networks internationally. Known for its controversial portrayal of corrupt police officers, it was originally advertised as "Rampart" in reference to the true life Rampart Division police...
(2002-2008)
- The Adventures of Tom Thumb and Thumbelina
The Adventures of Tom Thumb and Thumbelina is a 2002 direct-to-video animated film, which was directed by Glenn Chaika.-Plot:After being raised by a normal sized family, tiny Tom Thumb sets out to find others of his diminutive stature...
(2002) (voice)
- Spirited Away
is a 2001 Japanese animated film written and directed by Hayao Miyazaki and produced by Studio Ghibli. The film views a sullen ten-year-old girl in the middle of her family's move to a new town and her adventures in a world of spirits and monsters.The film received many awards, including the...
(2001) (voice)
- Heavy Gear: The Animated Series (2001)
- Family Guy
Family Guy is an American animated television sitcom, created by Seth MacFarlane, for the Fox Broadcasting Company. The series centers on the Griffins, a dysfunctional family which consists of Peter, Lois, Meg, Chris, Stewie, and their pet dog Brian...
(2000-2001) (voice)
- Daddio
Daddio is a short-lived American sitcom that aired on NBC from March 23 to October 23, 2000. Created by Matt Berry and Ric Swartzwelder, the series starred Michael Chiklis and Anita Barone.-Synopsis:...
(2000)
- The Three Stooges (2000)
- Do Not Disturb
Do Not Disturb is Dutch thriller film directed, written, produced and composed by Dick Maas. Maas produced it with Laurens Geels...
(1999)
- Last Request (1999)
- St. Michael's Crossing (1999)
- Carlo's Wake (1999)
- Soldier
Soldier is a 1998 science fiction-action film directed by Paul W.S. Anderson. The film stars Kurt Russell as Sgt. Todd, a soldier trained from birth. The film also features Gary Busey, Jason Scott Lee, Jason Isaacs, Connie Nielsen, Sean Pertwee and Michael Chiklis in supporting roles.It was written...
(1998)
- Taxman (1998)
- Touched by an Angel
Touched by an Angel is an American Fantasy drama television series that chronicles the missions of a group of angels sent by God. Created by John Masius and produced by Martha Williamson , it ran on CBS for nine seasons, from September 21, 1994 to April 27, 2003, and aired in many countries all...
(1998)
- Body and Soul (1998)
- The Commish
The Commish was a television series that aired on ABC in the United States from 1991 to 1996. It also screened on KTN in Kenya, Nelonen in Finland, NRK in Norway and the Nine Network in Australia, TV3 in Spain. It is still broadcast on SBS Net in Denmark, TV4 Guld in Sweden and La7 in Italy...
(1991-1996)
- Nixon
Nixon is a 1995 American biographical film directed by Oliver Stone for Cinergi Pictures that tells the story of the political and personal life of former US President Richard Nixon, played by Anthony Hopkins. The film portrays Nixon as a complex and, in many respects, an admirable person, though...
(1995)
- Seinfeld
Seinfeld is an American television sitcom that originally aired on NBC from July 5, 1989, to May 14, 1998, lasting nine seasons, and is now in syndication. The eponymous series was created by Larry David and Jerry Seinfeld, with the latter starring as a fictionalized version of himself...
(1991)
- The 100 Lives of Black Jack Savage
The 100 Lives of Black Jack Savage is a Disney-produced television series broadcast in the United States by NBC. The series followed the story of Black Jack Savage , the ghost of a legendary 17th century Caribbean pirate who teams up with Barry Tarberry , a crooked Wall Street con-artist who has...
(1991)
- L.A. Law
L.A. Law is an American television legal drama that ran from 1986 to 1994. L.A. Law reflected the social and cultural ideologies of the 1980s and early 1990s and many of the cases on the show dealt with hot topic issues such as abortion, racism, gay rights, homophobia, sexual harassment, AIDS, and...
(1990-1991)
- Murphy Brown
Murphy Brown is an American situation comedy which aired on CBS from November 14, 1988 to May 18, 1998, for a total of 247 episodes. The program starred Candice Bergen as the eponymous Murphy Brown, an investigative journalist and news anchor for FYI, a fictional CBS television newsmagazine.The...
(1990)
- The Rain Killer (1990)
- Wiseguy
Wiseguy is an American crime drama series that aired on CBS from September 16, 1987 to December 8, 1990 for a total of four seasons. Starring Ken Wahl, the series was produced by Stephen J...
(1989)
- Wired
Wired is a 1989 film biography of John Belushi directed by Larry Peerce, adapted from the book Wired: The Short Life and Fast Times of John Belushi . It starred Michael Chiklis as Belushi in his film debut...
(1989)
- B.L. Stryker (1989)
- Miami Vice
Miami Vice is an American television series produced by Michael Mann for NBC. The show became noted for its heavy integration of music and visual effects to tell a story. The series starred Don Johnson and Phillip Michael Thomas as two Metro-Dade Police Department detectives working undercover in...
(1989)
External links
- Exclusive interview from Maxim.com
Maxim is an international men's magazine based in the United Kingdom and known for its revealing pictorials featuring popular actresses, singers, and female models, none of whom are nude in the American version....