Michael Ironside facts for kids
Quick facts for kids
Michael Ironside
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Ironside in 2009
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| Born |
Frederick Reginald Ironside
February 12, 1950 |
| Alma mater | Ontario College of Art |
| Occupation | Actor |
| Years active | 1977–present |
| Spouse(s) |
Karen Dinwiddie
(m. 1986) |
| Children | 2 |
Frederick Reginald Ironside (born February 12, 1950), who is known by his professional name Michael Ironside, is a Canadian actor. He is a well-known character actor, which means he often plays unique and memorable supporting characters. With over 270 roles in movies and TV, he is famous for playing villains and tough antiheroes, but he has also played kind and heroic characters.
Ironside is best known for his work in action and science fiction movies. His first big role was in the 1981 science fiction film Scanners. He is also famous for his deep voice, which he has used for characters in video games and cartoons. He voiced the supervillain Darkseid in the DC Animated Universe and the secret agent Sam Fisher in the Tom Clancy's Splinter Cell video game series.
Throughout his career, he has been nominated for several major Canadian acting awards.
Contents
Early Life and First Steps in Writing
Frederick Reginald Ironside was born in Toronto, Canada, on February 12, 1950. His mother, Patricia, was a housewife, and his father, Robert, was a street lighting technician. He grew up with four siblings.
He attended the Ontario College of Art in Toronto. Ironside discovered his talent for writing at a young age. When he was only 15, he wrote a play called The Shelter. The play was so good that it won first prize in a contest held by a university.
Ironside also developed a love for science fiction as a child. His grandfather was an engineer who knew many science fiction writers. These writers would send their stories to his grandfather to check for scientific accuracy. Ironside got to read these stories and sci-fi magazines, which sparked his imagination.
Acting Career
Michael Ironside has played many memorable characters in movies and on television. He is often recognized for playing tough, serious characters.
Famous Movie Roles
One of Ironside's first major roles was as the powerful telepath Darryl Revok in the science fiction movie Scanners (1981). A telepath is a person who can read minds or communicate using only their thoughts.
Throughout the 1980s and 1990s, he appeared in many popular films.
- He played the pilot "Jester" in Top Gun (1986).
- He was the tough soldier Major Paul Hackett in Extreme Prejudice (1987).
- He played Richter, the main villain's tough helper, in the sci-fi action movie Total Recall (1990).
- He was the villain General Katana in Highlander II: The Quickening (1991).
- He played the main bad guy, Dial, in the family movie Free Willy (1993).
- He reunited with the director of Total Recall for the movie Starship Troopers (1997), where he played the teacher-turned-soldier Jean Rasczak.
Later, he appeared in The Perfect Storm (2000), The Machinist (2004), and as General Ashdown in Terminator Salvation (2009). In 2021, he played a supporting role in the action film Nobody.
Television and Voice Acting
Ironside became very well-known for playing Ham Tyler in the TV miniseries V: The Final Battle (1984). He also starred as Captain Oliver Hudson in the third season of the science fiction series seaQuest DSV.
His deep and commanding voice has made him a popular voice actor.
- Darkseid: He was the voice of the powerful supervillain Darkseid in several animated shows, including Superman: The Animated Series and Justice League. He returned to the role for the video game Lego DC Supervillains and the show Harley Quinn.
- Sam Fisher: Gamers know his voice well from the Tom Clancy's Splinter Cell series, where he played the main character, a secret agent named Sam Fisher.
- Ultra Magnus: He voiced the Autobot Ultra Magnus in the animated series Transformers: Prime.
He has also appeared in many TV shows, including The A-Team, Smallville (as Lois Lane's father, General Sam Lane), The Flash (as Captain Cold's father), and The Dropout.
Personal Life
Michael Ironside married Karen Dinwiddie in 1986. They have one daughter together. He also has another daughter from a previous marriage.
Ironside has faced serious health challenges in his life. He has successfully recovered from three different types of cancer, showing great strength and resilience.
Filmography
See also
In Spanish: Michael Ironside para niños
