Chosen over 200 other candidates for the role of John Belushi in the fantasy biopic Wired (1989).
After his show "Daddio" (2000) went off the air, his wife suggested that Chiklis slim his weight down and change his self image with a different look and a totally different acting part, even if they have to create one themselves for him. He then shaved his head, lost more than 50 pounds, worked out vigorously and the two of them started to write a "rogue cop" movie role for him. Chiklis eventually read "The Shield" (2002)'s pilot script (originally called "The Barn"), which was similar to his "rogue cop" movie script, and aggressively pursued the part of Vic Mackey until he got it. When he read for the the part, he generated anger by being furious at the prospect of not getting it.
Is Greek, his family hailing from the island of Lesbos.
When he was on "The Commish" (1991), a hostage situation broke out down the street from his house. Two LAPD plainclothes detectives came up to him when he was out in his yard and explained the situation to him, thinking he was the LAPD commissioner.
Said when he arrived in New York City, that he was going to kick the city's ass. Three years later when he was a struggling actor so poor that he couldn't afford a can of Spam, he was sitting on the Brooklyn Bridge begging for forgiveness. It was that day when he got the role in Wired (1989).
Moved to New York City the day of his graduation to pursue his career
Shares a birthday with baseball legend, Ted Williams
Speaks Greek fluently
He does charity work pertaining to autism, as Vic's son on 'The Shield' suffers from the disease.
Michael Chiklis made his return to series television with a starring role on FX's first original drama series The Shield, a critically acclaimed one-hour police drama now in its third season. His remarkable performance garnered Chiklis a Golden Globe Award for Best Actor in a Drama Series, an Emmy win for Outstanding Lead Actor in a Drama Series, as well as the Television Critics Association Award for Best Drama Actor. His Emmy win marked the first time that a lead performer in a show airing on a basic cable channel has won in this category.
The Shield debuted to record ratings for Fox's FX and has continued to capture the attention of critics and television audiences. Chiklis stars as Detective Vic Mackey, a rogue cop and leader of the precinct strike force who operates under his own set of rules in his efforts to clean up the streets of Los Angeles.
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 when he was just thirteen. He later attended Boston University School of Performing Arts where he received his B.F.A.
Just days after graduation, Chiklis auditioned for the role of John Belushi in the controversial film Wired, a part he landed three years later. He guest starred on the popular series Miami Vice, L.A. Law, Murphy Brown, and Seinfeld.
In 1991 Chiklis landed the title role on The Commish, which aired on ABC from 1991-1996. Chiklis portrayed Tony Scali, a tough but fair-minded police commissioner who was beloved by his fellow officers. The role was based on an actual New York state police commissioner and originally called for an older man, but Chiklis won the producers over and made the role his own.
After that show wrapped, Chiklis went to Broadway and starred in the one-man show Defending the Caveman. His film credits include The Tax Man with Joe Pantoliano, Do Not Disturb opposite William Hurt and Jennifer Tilly, Last Request and Body and Soul. His additional television credits include a roll as Chris Woods, the stay at home father on the NBC comedy Daddio, as well as a starring role as Curly in the ABC movie The Three Stooges, which was executive produced by Mel Gibson.
Next up for Chiklis is an independent feature film Rise, a horror thriller directed by Sebastian Gutierrez, also starring Lucy Liu.
