MICHAEL CHIKLIS
Name: Michael Charles Chiklis
Born: 30 August 1963 Lowell, Massachusetts, U.S.
Michael Charles Chiklis (born August 30, 1963) is an Emmy- and Golden Globe-winning
American actor. He is known for starring in two popular police dramas: The
Commish (1991–1995) and The Shield (2002–) and as Ben Grimm/The Thing in the
live-action Fantastic Four films.
Chiklis was born in Lowell, Massachusetts, to Charlie Chiklis, a second-generation
Greek American who runs a hair salon, and Kate, a hospital administrative aide
from whom Chiklis has been described as inheriting his acting ability.
Chiklis' paternal ancestors came from Lesbos Island. Chiklis grew up in
Andover, Massachusetts and began entertaining his family with celebrity
imitations when he was just five years old. As a child, Chiklis appeared in
regional theater productions and earned his Actor's Equity card at age thirteen.
He later attended Boston University College of Fine Arts, where he received his
Bachelor of Fine Arts.
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 You. 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 follicles on his
head, essentially shaping his career in many ways. Chiklis has said in an
interview that this was a very traumatic experience as a young actor, and is the
reason he wore a hairpiece in Wired.
After graduation, Chiklis moved to New York City with high ambitions, but he
struggled for several years before being cast the role of John Belushi in the
controversial biopic Wired in 1989. The film was panned in general and flopped
at the box office, but Chiklis received good reviews for his performance. He
also guest starred in several popular television series such as Miami Vice, L.A.
Law, Murphy Brown, and Seinfeld alongside bit parts in films like Nixon.
The Commish was Chiklis's first acclaimed and successful role. In the family-friendly
police comedy/drama, Chiklis played Anthony "Tony" J. Scali, a police
commissioner in a small city in upstate New York. 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 NBC sitcom Daddio. After playing Curly
Howard in a television movie about the Three Stooges, 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.
Winning over the creator Shawn Ryan, Chiklis nabbed the leading role of the show's
tough, edgy, detective Vic Mackey. Although The Shield has been controversial
because of its violent content, Chiklis's acting has been highly praised, and he
has won several awards for his role. Playing the role of the bulked up and
brutal cop has also helped Chiklis break out from typecasting, shedding the
overweight and friendly image that had defined his career in the past. It was
noted by Charlie Brooker that in many shots he bore a strong resemblance to Ross
Kemp. Since 2000, he is also 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 & 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 as The Thing and for its sequel, Fantastic
Four: Rise of the Silver Surfer. A fan of the comic series, Chiklis was often
praised for his performance in a film that otherwise earned mixed reviews.
Chiklis's first major recognition came in 2003, as he won the 2002 Emmy Award
for Outstanding Lead Actor In A Drama Series for his role as Detective Vic
Mackey on The Shield. He received a Golden Globe 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.
Name: Michael Charles Chiklis
Born: 30 August 1963 Lowell, Massachusetts, U.S.
Michael Charles Chiklis (born August 30, 1963) is an Emmy- and Golden Globe-winning
American actor. He is known for starring in two popular police dramas: The
Commish (1991–1995) and The Shield (2002–) and as Ben Grimm/The Thing in the
live-action Fantastic Four films.
Chiklis was born in Lowell, Massachusetts, to Charlie Chiklis, a second-generation
Greek American who runs a hair salon, and Kate, a hospital administrative aide
from whom Chiklis has been described as inheriting his acting ability.
Chiklis' paternal ancestors came from Lesbos Island. Chiklis grew up in
Andover, Massachusetts and began entertaining his family with celebrity
imitations when he was just five years old. As a child, Chiklis appeared in
regional theater productions and earned his Actor's Equity card at age thirteen.
He later attended Boston University College of Fine Arts, where he received his
Bachelor of Fine Arts.
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 You. 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 follicles on his
head, essentially shaping his career in many ways. Chiklis has said in an
interview that this was a very traumatic experience as a young actor, and is the
reason he wore a hairpiece in Wired.
After graduation, Chiklis moved to New York City with high ambitions, but he
struggled for several years before being cast the role of John Belushi in the
controversial biopic Wired in 1989. The film was panned in general and flopped
at the box office, but Chiklis received good reviews for his performance. He
also guest starred in several popular television series such as Miami Vice, L.A.
Law, Murphy Brown, and Seinfeld alongside bit parts in films like Nixon.
The Commish was Chiklis's first acclaimed and successful role. In the family-friendly
police comedy/drama, Chiklis played Anthony "Tony" J. Scali, a police
commissioner in a small city in upstate New York. 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 NBC sitcom Daddio. After playing Curly
Howard in a television movie about the Three Stooges, 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.
Winning over the creator Shawn Ryan, Chiklis nabbed the leading role of the show's
tough, edgy, detective Vic Mackey. Although The Shield has been controversial
because of its violent content, Chiklis's acting has been highly praised, and he
has won several awards for his role. Playing the role of the bulked up and
brutal cop has also helped Chiklis break out from typecasting, shedding the
overweight and friendly image that had defined his career in the past. It was
noted by Charlie Brooker that in many shots he bore a strong resemblance to Ross
Kemp. Since 2000, he is also 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 & 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 as The Thing and for its sequel, Fantastic
Four: Rise of the Silver Surfer. A fan of the comic series, Chiklis was often
praised for his performance in a film that otherwise earned mixed reviews.
Chiklis's first major recognition came in 2003, as he won the 2002 Emmy Award
for Outstanding Lead Actor In A Drama Series for his role as Detective Vic
Mackey on The Shield. He received a Golden Globe 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.