Joe Flanigan facts for kids

Quick facts for kids Joe Flanigan
Flanigan at the 2007 Comic Con International
Born	Joseph Dunnigan III (1967-01-05) January 5, 1967 (age 58) Los Angeles, California, U.S.
Occupation	Actor, writer
Years active	1994–present
Spouse(s)	Katherine Kousi ​ ​ (m. 1996; div. 2014)​
Children	3

Joe Flanigan (born Joseph Dunnigan III on January 5, 1967) is an American actor and writer. He is most famous for playing Lt. Colonel John Sheppard in the TV show Stargate Atlantis.

Early Life and Education

Joe Flanigan was born in Los Angeles, California. His mother, Nancy, changed his last name to Flanigan after he was adopted by his stepfather, John Flanigan. When Joe was six, his family moved to a ranch near Reno, Nevada.

School Days

From age 14, Joe went to a boarding school in Ojai, California. There, he acted in a school play called A Streetcar Named Desire. He later studied history at the University of Colorado. He also acted in a play called Coriolanus there. A friend suggested he take acting classes to help with shyness. He didn't plan to be an actor at that time.

Studying Abroad

As part of a special program, Joe spent a year studying at the Sorbonne in Paris, France. While there, he learned to speak French.

Acting Career

After college, Joe first wanted to be a writer. He worked in Washington, D.C. for President George H. W. Bush. He also worked for magazines in New York City. Later, friends encouraged him to try acting. He took acting classes and moved back to Los Angeles in 1994 to start his acting career.

Breakthrough Role in Stargate Atlantis

Joe Flanigan had small roles in many TV shows. These included Profiler and Sisters. His big break came when he got the role of Lt. Colonel John Sheppard in Stargate Atlantis. This science fiction show was filmed in Vancouver, British Columbia, Canada. Joe lived there during the week and flew to Los Angeles on weekends to see his family.

Joe also helped write for Stargate Atlantis. He created the stories for two episodes: "Epiphany" in season two and "Outcast" in season four.

Other Acting Work

Joe Flanigan is in a book called About Face by photographer John A. Russo. Some money from the book goes to a charity called Smile Train. In 2019, Joe joined the cast of the TV show General Hospital. He played a character named Dr. Neil Byrne.

Joe Flanigan in Art

Joe Flanigan in Metascifi, a public artwork from 2015.

Joe Flanigan is part of a public art project called Metascifi (2015) by artist Martin Firrell. This artwork shares ideas about living well. It uses observations from popular American science fiction TV shows. The project features actors and characters from shows like Stargate, Star Trek, and Firefly.

In Metascifi, Joe Flanigan talks about his Stargate Atlantis character, John Sheppard. He discusses why people are drawn to action heroes. He suggests it's because heroes seem to have a lot of power and can make things happen in the world.

Personal Life

Joe Flanigan married Katherine Kousi, who is an actress and a painter, in 1996. They have three sons together. They separated in early 2014.

In January 2006, Joe Flanigan won two awards in a skiing competition at Lake Louise. Another actor from Stargate, Richard Dean Anderson, also attended this event. Joe currently lives in Malibu, California. In November 2018, the home he was renting in Malibu was destroyed in the Woolsey Fire.

Film and TV Roles

See also

In Spanish: Joe Flanigan para niños