Comprehensive information and links about Michael Chiklis

Michael Chiklis was born on August 30, 1963 in Lowell, Massachusetts and grew up in Andover, Massachusetts. Also known as Chick or Chicky, he is an American actor. Chiklis' family hailed from the Greek island of Lesbos and he is fluent in Greek, Italian and Spanish.

A natural performer, Chiklis 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 Equity card at age 13. He later attended Boston University School of Performing Arts where he received his BFA.

On the day of graduation, Chiklis hopped in his car bound for New York City. Upon arriving in the Big Apple, Chiklis later admitted that he "was going to kick this city's ass". But only a few years later and following the route of the struggling actor, Chiklis said he was sitting on the Brooklyn Bridge begging for forgiveness. It was on that same day, after auditioning for the part almost a dozen times over two years, he got the part of John Belushi in the controversial televison movie which proved to be short-lived.

He is best known for starring in two popular, but highly different, police television series: drama in which Chiklis played Anthony 'Tony' J. Scali, a police commisioner in a small city in upstate New York. A stern but lovable father figure, Chiklis's character had an easy going , smart wit, and a an unorthodox approach to parenthood and police work.

After playing Curly Howard in a televison movie about the Three Stooges he decided to reinvent his image. With his wife's help he spent six months on an extensive workout regiment and shaved his head. He turned up to audition for . Instantly winning over the creator Shawn Ryan, Chiklis nabbed the leading role of the show's tough, edgy, detective Vic Mackey. Although 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 type-casting, shedding the overweight and friendly image that had defined his career in the past.

Since 2000 he's also taken up a number of voice roles, voicing Chihiro's father, Akio, in the English dub of Hayao Miyazaki's as The Thing, and is slated to return in 2007 for the sequel. A fan of the comic series, he informed his brother Peter when he was 18 that if there was ever a movie made of the Fantastic Four, he would play Ben Grimm.

Awards

Michael Chiklis' first major recognition came in 2003, as he won the 2002 Emmy 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. In 2004 and 2005, he was nominated for a Golden Globe for Best Actor in a Drama Series, but did not win.