Michael Chiklis

**Michael Charles Chiklis** is an American film and television actor, television director and television producer, best known for his roles in the TV shows "The Shield" and "The Commish" as well as for his role as Ben Grimm in "The Fantastic Four" films in 2005 and 2007.

Born in Lowell, Massachusetts on August 30, 1963, he was born with a German-Irish heritage, the son of Charles Chiklis, the owner of a Andover hair and beauty salon, and Katherine Vousboukis-Chiklis, a hospital administrative aide. Described as having inherited his acting ability from his mother, he grew up in Andover, Massachusetts and began entertaining his family with celebrity imitations at the age of five years old, later appearing in regional theater productions and becoming a member of the Actors' Equity Association at thirteen. While attending Andover High School, he played Hawkeye Pierce an a school production of "M\*A\*S\*H," later going on to graduated from the Boston University College of Fine Arts with a Bachelor of Fine Arts degree.

After college, Chiklis moved to Brooklyn, New York and was ultimately cast in the controversial 1989 biopic, "Wired," about the life of the late 1970s comedian John Belushi. Heavily panned, the film flopped at the box office, but he successfully went on to appear in several popular 80s TV shows, such as "Miami Vice," "B.L. Stryker," "Wiseguy," "L.A. Law," "Murphy Brown" and a memorable episode of "Seinfeld" as well as small parts in the films, "Nixon," "Body and Soul," "Carlo's Wake," "St. Michael's Crossing" and "Do Not Disturb."

As an actor, Chiklis exhibited broad range for an actor as both a tough and as a comedic actor. He gained popularity in the comedy-drama, "The Commish," which ran from 1991 to 1996 on ABC and afterward starred in the short-lived TV series, "Daddio." In 1997, he replaced Rob Becker in the Broadway one-man show "Defending the Caveman," which lasted from January to June in 1997.

In 2000, Chiklis landed the highlight of his career in playing Jerome "Curly" Howard in the TV biopic movie, "The Three Stooges," produced by actor Mel Gibson about the late 1930s comedians. He followed the role by losing weight and going on an extensive workout regimen for his role on "The Shield," winning the 2002 Emmy Award for Outstanding Lead Actor In A Drama Series for the role. He also received a Golden Globe Award that same year for Best Performance by an Actor in a Television Series-Drama as well, later getting nominated for a Golden Globe for Best Actor in a Drama Series. He also dabbled in voice work, adding his distinct voice to the English dub of Hayao Miyazaki's "Spirited Away" and to the direct-to-video feature, "The Adventures of Tom Thumb and Thumbelina He lent his voice to several episodes of "Robot Chicken," "Family Guy" and "Heavy Gear: The Animated Series."

In 2005, he achieved another life long dream playing Ben Grimm, ("The Thing") in two non-MCU films, "The Fantastic Four" and "Fantastic Four: Rise of the Silver Surfer," which was released in 2007. A fan of the comic book series, he was first pick for the role, but the heavy costume was physically debilitating for him. Although he was praised for his sympathetic performance in the film, the movie otherwise earned mixed reviews, and although, it garnered a sequel, it was sadly not considered part of the later Marvel Cinematic Universe.

Following "The Shield" and "Fantastic Four," Chiklis starred in the films "Eagle Eye," where he played Secretary of Defense George Callister, "The Legend of Secret Pass," "High School," "Parker," "When the Game Stands Tall" and "The Do-Over." He also had starring roles in the TV shows, "No Ordinary Family" and "Vegas," neither of which was successful. He gained better praise for roles in "American Horror Story: Freak Show," "Son of Anarchy" with Mark Boone Junior and William Lucking and "Gotham."

Through 2008, Chiklis started developing a TV series for the FX Network about the Bernie Madoff scandal. The project became known as "House of Cards" about a group committing an elaborate scam similar to the Madoff fraud. The project was important to him as both he and his wife, Michelle Epstein, his wife since June 21, 1992, had been victims of a Ponzi scheme themselves. Chiklis became executive producer of the series, choosing not to star in it.

Chiklis is also an accomplished musician. specializing in drums and vocals, but also playing guitar and bass. He is a member of several performing bands in the Boston area such as The Surgeon General, Best Kept Secret, and Double Talk. He released his first solo album, INFLUENCE in September 2016. He wrote and produced the album at his own Extravaganza Music Studio. A man of many talents and interests, he is a fan of both the Boston Red Sox and the Boston Bruins, getting interviewed for the HBO documentary, "The Curse of the Bambino," about the Red Sox's long struggle to win the World Series. He also narrated the video introduction of the New England Patriots in Super Bowl XXXIX. He has starred and produced films through his own production company, Extravaganza. He also has a passion for the martial arts, and has boasted that he had recently attained the rank of yellow belt in karate. He has also been philanthropic, participating in Celebrity Texas Hold 'em tournaments to benefit comedian Brad Garrett's charity foundation, Maximum Hope. He has worked closely with many different charities over the years including The Children's Lifesaving Foundation, Alzheimer's Association, Autism Speaks and the Revlon Run Walk.

Chiklis has been married to Michelle Epstein since June 21, 1992. They have two daughters: Autumn (born in 1993) and Odessa (born in 1999). Autumn played the daughter of his character on "The Shield."