Michael Chiklis

Person Score

 
9.4 Superb
175 votes

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Michael Chiklis Picture

Biography

Recent Role:
Himself on TMZ on TV
Gender:
Male
Born:
8-30-1963
Birthplace:
Lowell, Massachusetts, United States
Birth Name:
Michael Charles Chiklis
AKA:
Michael Chilkis, Chicky, Chick
Michael Chiklis was born into a Greek American family on August 30, 1963 in Lowell, Massachusetts. He showed an early love for acting, acquiring his Actor's Equity card at the age of 13. Raised in Andover, he attended the Boston University School of Performing Arts, where he received his BFA.

Like most actors, Chiklis struggled for a breakthrough in the first years of his career. He thought his big break had come when he was cast, at age 24, as John Belushi in the feature film Wired (1989). While the role garnered him much attention, much of the attention wasn't good.

More Many people in the entertainment community resented the film's portrayal of Belushi, and Chiklis had a hard time getting auditions or even phone calls returned for some period after its release.

Eventually, Chiklis found episodic work on television. His leading role in the popular television series, The Commish (1991-1995), proved to be a mixed blessing. While the run was excellent, the relatively young actor afterward found himself typecast as a balding, middle aged and overweight "character". This frustrated Chiklis who felt he had more range than available in parts he was being offered. He starred in the brief lived Daddio (playing a balding, middle aged and overweight "character"), and then, after that quick run, determined to make major changes in his life.

The transformation: Chiklis shaved his head, lost 50 pounds, and spent 2 to 3 hours a day in the gym bulking up (for six months). Chiklis now looked little like the friendly Commish or stay-at-home Daddio, and whole lot like the rogue cop he was about to come.

Transformation lead to breakthrough, when Chiklis happened to meet Shawn Ryan who was developing a series called The Shield for the fledgling FX network. Chiklis was cast as the (now) iconic Vic Mackey, but only after higher ups at FX could be convinced he wasn't really the Commish.

It did not take long for the The Shield to become a groundbreaking hit, and Michael Chiklis to be recognized as a significant actor of his time.

In addition to television work, Chiklis has also appeared on Broadway and feature film - most notably, his turn as The Thing in The Fantastic Four (2005).

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  •  
    2 Terrible
    i am a shields finatic! i have watched every episode and own ever box set and right now i am a very un happy customer!!! so read a little of what i am upset about!! email me if u would like to hear more hide show

    i love the show and have been watching it from the begining. to be honest with you i was a little upset with season 5's dvd box set. i am used to the nice set that you can get and i went an bought the 5th season and was very very disappointed. for one usually it is not that small and the pictures look like someone photo copied them and threw them in there. and with season 6's premier i was a little upset it didn't hold up to the shields usually expectations!!

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    6.2 Fair
    Chiklis is best known for playing the cop killing pig Vic Mackey on "The Shield" outside of "The Shield" there's not much else to talk about. hide show

    Dirty cops have been around since the earliest movies of the 30's and 50's so I'am not that impressed with his work.
    Seeing as well that his character is so similar to the Dennis Franz character it's laughable to call "The Shield" groundbreaking. The character he plays is like an evil version of Franz's.

    He's a decent actor but overrated. There's no depth to Mackey. He's a dirty cop masquerading as a father (he's had several women while allegedly loving his wife), he's killed suspect broken laws. The character is much more one dimensional and in any other show would have been killed of a long, long time ago. His resume outside of "The Shield" is not that impressive either outiside of "The Commish". Dennis Franz will always be the first really tough cop on tv with Chiklis following in his footsteps.

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    9.5 Superb
    Getting his first break on the commish, then parleying his cop skills into an unforgettable character on the Shield. hide show

    Im a little biased. The Shield ranks #2 on my list of shows and Michael Chiklis is a huge reason. Vic Mackey is without a dought the workds baddest cop. When I say baddest I mean every way "baddest" can be construde. He carry's the weight of the citys most notorious group of cops on his back and seems to enjoy sticking it to the very force he works for. You have to love the emotion the Chiklis is able to draw from Vic. No one on television knows the ins and outs of his/her character better than Chiklis. He really doesn't get the recognition he deserves but that's alright, those of us lucky to see him know what the fuss is about.

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  •  
    10 Perfect
    Saw Michael Chiklis at the MGM themepark years ago. He was with one of his beautiful kids. Very kind man. hide show

    I met him years ago when the MGM still had their themepark. We were waiting on line for some ride and He and a friend were talking. I said "Aren't you the Commish?" and he said yeah then we had a short conversation. He was very pleasant and approachable so I give him major kudos for being so nice and down to earth. GREAT ACTOR!

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  •  
    10 Perfect
    Michael Chiklis is sexy. hide show

    I've seen him in 'The Shield' and in 'Fantastic Four', and I think he is one of the sexiest men on the planet, especially in The Shield, playing a corrupt, tough, street-wise cop.
    Sex appeal x 1000 [!!]
    When I was fifteen I would tape the show so I could rewind the sexiest bits with him in it and just watch them over and over again. Two years later I still do it. That's how hot he is. He can act the sh*t out of any script he's given on 'The Shield' and I just love him.
    I saw him on Rove Live [Australian version of The Late Show] and he was funny as. Plus his blue eyes are absolutely gorgeous. Yeah, so I'm running out ways to say 'he's sexy' so I think I might end it here.
    In short: I heart Michael Chiklis.

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