Michael Chiklis facts for kids

Quick facts for kids Michael Chiklis
Chiklis in 2014
Born	Michael Charles Chiklis (1963-08-30) August 30, 1963 (age 61) Lowell, Massachusetts, U.S.
Education	Boston University (BFA)
Occupation	Actor
Years active	1989–present
Spouse(s)	Michelle Chiklis ​ (m. 1992)​
Children	2, including Autumn Chiklis

Michael Charles Chiklis (born August 30, 1963) is an American actor. He is well-known for playing Detective Vic Mackey on the TV show The Shield from 2002 to 2008. For this role, he won an Emmy Award in 2002.

He also starred as Commissioner Tony Scali in the police drama The Commish (1991–1996). Other notable TV roles include Jim Powell in No Ordinary Family (2010–2011) and Nathaniel Barnes in Gotham (2015–2017). In movies, he is famous for playing The Thing in the Fantastic Four films (2005–2007).

Early Life

Michael Chiklis was born in Lowell, Massachusetts. His mother, Katherine, worked at a hospital, and his father, Charlie, ran a hair salon. Michael's family says he got his acting talent from his mother.

His father's family came from Lesbos, Greece, and his mother has both Greek and Irish roots. Michael grew up in Andover, Massachusetts. He started making his family laugh with celebrity impressions when he was only 5 years old.

As a child, Michael acted in local theater shows. He became a member of the Actors' Equity Association, a group for actors, when he was 13. In high school, he played Hawkeye Pierce in a play called M*A*S*H. He later graduated from Boston University College of Fine Arts with a degree in fine arts.

Acting Career

Chiklis (right) with Ioan Gruffudd in 2005

After college, Michael Chiklis moved to Brooklyn, New York. He got a role playing John Belushi in the movie Wired (1989). Even though the movie didn't do well, many people praised Michael's acting.

He also appeared in popular TV shows like Miami Vice, L.A. Law, and Seinfeld. He had small parts in movies such as Nixon.

Famous TV Roles

Michael's first big success was in The Commish, a police comedy-drama that aired from 1991 to 1996. He played Anthony "Tony" J. Scali, a police commissioner in a small city.

Later, Michael wanted to change his acting image. With help from his wife, he worked out a lot and shaved his head. This helped him get the main role of Detective Vic Mackey in The Shield. He won an Emmy Award and a Golden Globe Award for this role in 2002.

In 2010, he starred in the ABC show No Ordinary Family, where he played Jim Powell. He also co-starred in the CBS crime drama Vegas. From 2014 to 2015, Michael was in American Horror Story: Freak Show. He later joined the cast of Gotham as Captain Nathaniel Barnes from 2015 to 2017.

Movie Roles

In 2005, Michael starred as The Thing in the movie Fantastic Four. He played the role again in the sequel, Fantastic Four: Rise of the Silver Surfer (2007). Michael was a big fan of the comic books and always wanted to play this character. Many people liked his performance in these films.

In the 2008 movie Eagle Eye, Michael played the United States Secretary of Defense. He also appeared in Hubie Halloween (2020) as Father Dave.

Voice Acting

Since 2000, Michael Chiklis has also done a lot of voice acting. He was the voice of Chihiro's father, Akio, in the English version of the animated movie Spirited Away. He has also voiced characters in several episodes of Family Guy and in the animated series Heavy Gear.

Music and Other Projects

Michael Chiklis is also a talented musician. He plays drums and sings, and can also play guitar and bass. He has been part of several bands.

In September 2016, Michael released his first solo music album called INFLUENCE. He wrote and produced the album in his own music studio. In 2011, his band MCB released a song called "Til I Come Home," which was a tribute to soldiers. This song was even used in his TV series No Ordinary Family.

Michael has also produced films through his own company, Extravaganza.

Personal Life

Chiklis in 2019

Michael Chiklis married Michelle Moran on June 21, 1992. They have two daughters: Autumn, born in 1993, and Odessa, born in 1999. Autumn even played Vic Mackey's daughter, Cassidy, on The Shield.

Michael has always loved comic books, especially Fantastic Four, even before he played The Thing. It's said that he rarely says no when children ask for his autograph.

He is a big fan of Boston sports teams, like the Boston Red Sox baseball team and the Boston Bruins hockey team. He was interviewed for a documentary about the Red Sox and narrated an introduction for the New England Patriots football team.

Helping Others

Michael Chiklis has supported many different charities over the years. He has taken part in celebrity poker tournaments to help comedian Brad Garrett's charity, Maximum Hope. He has also worked with groups like The Children's Lifesaving Foundation, Alzheimer's Association, Autism Speaks, and the Revlon Run Walk.

Filmography

Movies

TV Shows

Video Games

Theater

Awards and Recognition