# Chuck Shamata

Charles "Chuck" Shamata (born 1942) is a Canadian actor.

## Early life and education

Born and raised in Toronto, he worked at Honest Ed's, and studied acting at Toronto Metropolitan University.

## Career

Shamata had stage roles and bit parts in film and television, before his breakthrough role in the 1969 television film Dulcima, as the love interest of Jackie Burroughs' title character. His later roles included the films Between Friends (1973), Death Weekend (1976), Welcome to Blood City (1977), Power Play (1978), I Miss You, Hugs and Kisses (1978), Stone Cold Dead (1979) and Running (1979), and guest appearances in the television series The Mod Squad, Police Surgeon, Baretta and The Littlest Hobo. In 1980 he appeared alongside Earl Pennington and Marcel Sabourin in The Mounties, Stuart Gillard's pilot for a proposed comedy series about the Royal Canadian Mounted Police, but the show was not picked up to series.
In 1981 he played the lead role in The Running Man, an episode of the CBC Television anthology series For the Record which was the first LGBT-themed television film ever to air in Canada. He won the award for Best Actor in a Non-Feature at the Bijou Awards for his performance.
Through the 1980s, he continued to appear in films such as The Devil and Max Devlin (1981), The Terry Fox Story (1983), Hyper Sapien: People from Another Star (1986), Nowhere to Hide (1987), Night Friend (1987) and Martha, Ruth and Edie (1988), and in television series such as Seeing Things, Joshua Then and Now, Sylvanian Families, Katts and Dog, Street Legal and Night Heat. In the 1990s, he appeared in films such as Princes in Exile (1990), Death Wish V: The Face of Death (1994) and Virus (1996), and on television in Bordertown, E.N.G., Scales of Justice, Due South, Traders and Wind at My Back.
In 2005, Shamata appeared as Det. Henry Messina in the short-lived Ving Rhames revival of Kojak. His most recent roles have included a regular voice role as Uncle Cheech in Fugget About It, the films The Day After Tomorrow (2004), Cinderella Man (2005), The Sentinel (2006), Flash of Genius (2008), One Week (2008), Still Mine (2012), Clown (2014) and Miss Sloane (2016), and guest appearances in the television series Cracked, Beauty and the Beast and The Art of More.

## Family

His son Jesse Shamata is a film and television director most noted as the creator of Gaming Show (In My Parents' Garage).

## Filmography
### Film

| Year | Title | Role | Notes |
| 1969 | Change of Mind | Second Reporter | |
| 1973 | Between Friends | Chino | |
| 1976 | Death Weekend | Harry | |
| 1977 | Welcome to Blood City | Ricardo | |
| 1978 | Power Play | Hillsman | |
| 1978 | I Miss You, Hugs and Kisses | Gershen Isen | |
| 1979 | Running | Howard | |
| 1979 | Stone Cold Dead | Sergeant Tony Colabre | |
| 1981 | Scanners | Tony | Uncredited |
| 1981 | The Devil and Max Devlin | Jerry Nadler | |
| 1984 | Unfinished Business | Carl | |
| 1985 | Joshua Then and Now | Seymour Kaplan | |
| 1986 | Hyper Sapien: People from Another Star | Patterson | |
| 1987 | Nowhere to Hide | Mike Watson | |
| 1987 | Night Friend | Jack | |
| 1988 | Martha, Ruth and Edie | Mario Cellini | |
| 1990 | Princes in Exile | Dr. Merritt | |
| 1990 | A Touch of Murder | Detective | |
| 1994 | Death Wish V: The Face of Death | Sal Paconi | |
| 1996 | Virus | Leo Burns | |
| 1999 | When Justice Fails | Captain Tanner | |
| 1999 | Alegría | The Narrator | |
| 2000 | The Spreading Ground | Captain Nieman | |
| 2001 | Getting In | Mr. Thomas | Writer and director |
| 2002 | 19 Months | Rob's Dad | |
| 2003 | Behind the Red Door | Father | |
| 2004 | The Day After Tomorrow | General Pierce | |
| 2005 | Cinderella Man | Father Rorick | |
| 2006 | The Sentinel | Director Overbrook | |
| 2008 | WarGames: The Dead Code | Bill Carter | |
| 2008 | Flash of Genius | Professor Irwin | |
| 2008 | One Week | Gerald Tyler | |
| 2008 | The Two Mr. Kissels | Bill Kissel | |
| 2012 | Still Mine | Judge | |
| 2014 | Clown | Walt | |
| 2015 | Gone Tomorrow | Frank Thompson | |
| 2016 | Miss Sloane | Bill Sanford | |
| 2019 | Breakthrough | Chief Marlo | |

### Television

| Year | Title | Role | Notes |
| 1969 | Dulcima | The Surveyor | Television film |
| 1969 | The Mod Squad | The Dispatcher | Episode: "Ride the Man Down" |
| 1969 | Adventures in Rainbow Country | Sky Pilot | Episode: "Wall of Silence" |
| 1971 | Play for Today | Bongo | Episode: "Reddick" |
| 1972 | Dr. Simon Locke | Carl Vincent | Episode: "Crossfire" |
| 1976 | Teleplay | Reinhardt | Episode: "The Italian Machine" |
| 1976 | Baretta | Lynch | Episode: "Can't Win for Losin'" |
| 1977-1981 | For the Record | Ben Carfield | 2 episodes |
| 1979–1980 | The Littlest Hobo | Jake / Grimaldi | 3 episodes |
| 1980 | King of Kensington | Ray | Episode: "Good News, Bad News" |
| 1983 | The Terry Fox Story | Wilson | Television film |
| 1983 | Between Friends | Dr. Seth Simpson | Television film |
| 1984 | Seeing Things | Gary | Episode: "Someone Is Watching" |
| 1985 | Starcrossed | The Chairman | Television film |
| 1985 | In Like Flynn | Danton | Television film |
| 1985 | The Edison Twins | Coach Hinks | Episode: "The Fix" |
| 1985 | A Time to Live | Dr. Strathmore | Television film |
| 1985 | The Suicide Murders | Pete Staziak | Television film |
| 1985-1986 | Check It Out! | Various Roles | 2 episodes |
| 1985–1988 | Night Heat | Various Roles | 5 episodes |
| 1986 | The Right of the People | Phil Petroni | Television film |
| 1986 | Mafia Princess | Louie | Television film |
| 1986 | Act of Vengeance | Millard Atler | Television film |
| 1987 | The Kidnapping of Baby John Doe | Frank Syncroni | Television film |
| 1987 | Echoes in the Darkness | Costopoulos | 2 episodes |
| 1987 | Sylvanian Families | Papa Forrest Evergreen | 13 episodes |
| 1987-1989 | Street Legal | Various Roles | 2 episodes |
| 1988–1991 | Katts and Dog | Al Logan | 5 episodes |
| 1989 | T. and T. | Bill Stratton | Episode: "The Contender" |
| 1989 | Alfred Hitchcock Presents | Philip Bellamy | Episode: "The Man Who Knew Too Little" |
| 1990 | Uncut Gem | Max | Television film |
| 1990 | War of the Worlds | Colonel James Bradley | Episode: "Max" |
| 1990 | Counterstrike | Eric Morley | Episode: "The Dealbreaker" |
| 1990 | On Thin Ice: The Tai Babilonia Story | Connie Babilonia Sr. | Television film |
| 1990-1991 | Top Cops | Various Roles | 2 episodes |
| 1991 | Bordertown | Frank Wilson | Episode: "Tall in the Saddle" |
| 1991-1992 | Tarzán | Roger Taft Sr. | 2 episodes |
| 1992 | Tropical Heat | Ray Hampton | Episode: "Deceit" |
| 1992 | Secret Service | Teals / Rick | 2 episodes |
| 1992 | E.N.G. | Vince Fonseca | Episode: "Harvest" |
| 1993 | Family of Strangers | Tim | Television film |
| 1993 | Scales of Justice | | Episode "Rex v De Marigny" |
| 1994 | Kung Fu: The Legend Continues | McIllroy | Episode: "An Ancient Lottery" |
| 1994 | Due South | Captain Walsh | Episode: "Pilot" |
| 1994 | RoboCop | Richard Gless | Episode: "Midnight Minus One" |
| 1995 | The Great Defender | Dr. Arledge | Episode: "I Wuz Robbed" |
| 1995 | Almost Golden: The Jessica Savitch Story | Al Binder | Television film |
| 1995 | Ultraforce | Additional Voices | Episode: "Prime Time" |
| 1995 | Sugartime | Michael Delfano | Television film |
| 1996 | Escape Clause | Captain Vincent Nalli | Television film |
| 1996 | F/X: The Series | "Mini", The Pickpocket | Episode: "Zero Hour" |
| 1996 | Traders | The Therapist | Episode: "Dancing with Mr. D." |
| 1996-1997 | Wind at My Back | Principal Pagnutti | 2 episodes |
| 1997 | A Father for Brittany | Bob Minkowitz | Television film |
| 1998 | Highlander: The Raven | Martin Foster | Episode: "So Shall Ye Reap" |
| 1999 | Twice in a Lifetime | Coach Rybeck | Episode: "Blood Brothers" |
| 2000 | La Femme Nikita | Stephan Vacek | Episode: "Kiss the Past Goodbye" |
| 2000 | The Thin Blue Lie | Vinnie | Television film |
| 2000 | Jackie Bouvier Kennedy Onassis | Pierre Salinger | Television film |
| 2001 | The Associates | Gregory Kassan | 3 episodes |
| 2001 | Snap Decision | Jack Bradley | Television film |
| 2001–2004 | Doc | Paul Nichol | 5 episodes |
| 2002 | Guilty Hearts | Detective Mike Virgilio | Television film |
| 2002 | Whitewash: The Clarence Brandley Story | Dan Brown | Television film |
| 2003 | DC 9/11: Time of Crisis | Hugh Shelton | Television film |
| 2004 | Crimes of Fashion | Sal Hugo | Television film |
| 2004 | Wild Card | Angelo Antonello | Episode: "Bada Bing, Bada Busiek" |
| 2004 | Saving Emily | Russo | Television film |
| 2005 | The Perfect Neighbor | Detective Lupo | Television film |
| 2005 | Kojak | Detective Henry Mussina | 9 episodes |
| 2005 | The Engagement Ring | Johnny Anselmi | Television film |
| 2007 | Tipping Point | John Patterson | Television film |
| 2007 | The Dresden Files | Joe Murphy | Episode: "Second City" |
| 2007 | The Company | John Roselli | Episode #1.3 |
| 2008 | ReGenesis | Eric Dixon | Episode: "Hearts and Minds" |
| 2011 | Flashpoint | Robert Logasto | Episode: "Terror" |
| 2011 | Republic of Doyle | Anton Strata | Episode: "Will the Real Des Courtney Please Stand Up?" |
| 2012 | The Listener | Charles Harrow | Episode: "Now You See Him" |
| 2012–2016 | Fugget About It | Uncle Cheech | 27 episodes |
| 2013 | Cracked | Officer Vince Wisnefski | 2 episodes |
| 2014 | Beauty & the Beast | Freddy DeMarco | Episode: "Held Hostage" |
| 2016 | The Art of More | Howard Brannan | 5 episodes |
| 2017 | Designated Survivor | Senator Charlie Krauss | Episode: "The Ninth Seat" |
| 2019 | The Hot Zone | Nancy's Father | 3 episodes |
| 2019 | Good Witch | Jonathan Radford | 2 episodes |
| 2019 | Blood & Treasure | Sharif Gazal | Episode: "The Brotherhood of Serapis" |