"If I can entertain people, and at the same time make them walk away from something that I've been in and make them have a conversation, and make them think and feel something, that's important."

    About This Interview

    In his three-hour interview, Michael Chiklis recalls his early interest in acting and performing in Summer Stock as a teenager. He tells of studying acting at Boston University, moving to New York, and getting his big break playing John Belushi in the feature film Wired. He explains how he was blackballed by the industry for his role in the film, and turned to television work when Burt Reynolds hired him in B.L. Stryker. Chiklis then details starring in The Commish at the age of 27, and describes his encounters with fans of the show. He mentions his voiceover work on Family Guy, and then talks of the other show for which he's best known, The Shield. He discusses the tone and look of the show, playing the role of "Detective Vic Mackey," and shares how the show was shot. He comments on his Emmy and Golden Globe wins for The Shield, and speaks of his then-current acting, directing, producing, and music projects. Stephen J. Abramson conducted the interview on December 13, 2013 in North Hollywood, CA.

    All views expressed by interviewees are theirs alone and not necessarily those of the Television Academy.
    People Talking About ...
    Thumbnail of Michael Chiklis

    Michael Chiklis on playing John Belushi in the film "Wired" and getting blackballed

    04:21
    Thumbnail of Michael Chiklis

    Michael Chiklis on playing "Tony Scali" on The Commish and meeting the real man upon whom the character was based

    03:57
    Thumbnail of Michael Chiklis

    Michael Chiklis on the pilot of The Shield and the synergy of the cast and crew

    04:16
    Thumbnail of Michael Chiklis

    Michael Chiklis on his Emmy and Golden Globe wins for The Shield

    01:35
    Thumbnail of Michael Chiklis

    Michael Chiklis on playing "The Thing" in "Fantastic Four"

    01:30
    Play Full Interview

    Chapter 1

    On his childhood and early influences; on knowing at a young age that he wanted to be an actor; on doing Summer Stock as a teenager and attending Boston University

    12:26

    On earning his Equity card doing repertory theater; on television shows he watched as a kid; on starting to lose his hair during college and his talent for impressions

    08:22

    On moving to New York City and learning his craft; on getting an agent, playing John Belushi in the film "Wired" and getting blackballed

    08:54

    On Burt Reynolds hiring him for a role in B.L. Stryker and starting to get TV roles on Miami Vice, Wiseguy, Murphy Brown, and Seinfeld

    17:37

    On starring in The Commish at the age of 27; on his character "Tony Scali" and the show's production schedule

    11:32

    Chapter 2

    On the cast of The Commish; on the show's fans; on the end of The Commish and returning to the stage with "Defending the Caveman" on Broadway

    07:39

    On doing character voices on Family Guy; on playing "Curly" in the ABC movie "The Three Stooges"; on the sitcom Daddio

    08:16

    On reinventing himself and auditioning for The Shield; on the synergy of the cast and crew

    16:36

    On the complexity of his character, "Detective Vic Mackey" on The Shield; on the show's great writing

    12:10

    Chapter 3

    On the challenges of playing "Detective Vic Mackey" on The Shield; on the look and tone of the show

    11:00

    On how real cops and fans enjoyed The Shield; on the arc of the show and the finale

    20:36

    On playing "The Thing" in "Fantastic Four"; on starring in the superhero show No Ordinary Family and Vegas; on Emmy and Golden Globe wins for The Shield

    07:44

    On then-current projects: directing, producing, and recording music; on career achievements and regrets and where he sees himself in ten years

    11:14

    Commish, The

    Michael Chiklis on the cast of The Commish

    01:58

    Michael Chiklis on the fans of The Commish

    02:42

    Michael Chiklis on the end of The Commish and being typecast after the show ended

    01:35

    Michael Chiklis on his role in Wiseguy and meeting Stephen Kronish, co-creator of The Commish

    02:26

    Michael Chiklis on playing "Tony Scali" on The Commish and meeting the real man upon whom the character was based

    03:57

    Michael Chiklis on fans of The Commish feeling like they know him

    01:04

    Michael Chiklis on his input on playing "Tony Scali" on The Commish and how the character evolved over the course of the show

    02:15

    Michael Chiklis on a typical production schedule on The Commish and how it affected his personal life

    02:05

    Michael Chiklis on the writing on The Commish and his input on changing lines

    02:11

    Michael Chiklis on how fans of The Commish and The Shield respond to him

    01:24

    Family Guy

    Michael Chiklis on doing character voices on Family Guy

    01:37

    Miami Vice

    Michael Chiklis on making an appearance on Miami Vice

    01:47

    Murphy Brown

    Michael Chiklis on his role on Murphy Brown and his admiration for Candice Bergen

    02:41

    Seinfeld

    Michael Chiklis on appearing on Seinfeld and enjoying the cast and set

    03:42

    Shield, The

    Michael Chiklis on meeting Shawn Ryan and auditioning for The Shield, originally called The Barn

    06:42

    Michael Chiklis on the pilot of The Shield and the synergy of the cast and crew

    04:16

    Michael Chiklis on the stars aligning to get the lead role on The Shield and the sense of family among the cast and crew

    03:02

    Michael Chiklis on the complexity of his character, "Detective Vic Mackey" on The Shield

    08:39

    Michael Chiklis on his preparations to play "Detective Vic Mackey" on The Shield

    01:32

    Michael Chiklis on surprises in the scripts on The Shield and the great writers on the show

    01:59

    Michael Chiklis on the challenges of playing "Detective Vic Mackey" on The Shield

    03:10

    Michael Chiklis on the tone and look of The Shield

    03:04

    Michael Chiklis on Los Angeles as a character in The Shield

    02:48

    Michael Chiklis on "gross" things in The Shield

    01:58

    Michael Chiklis on how real cops reacted to The Shield

    02:24

    Michael Chiklis on "Detective Vic Mackey" as an anti-hero people still root for on The Shield

    01:13

    Michael Chiklis on how fans of The Commish and The Shield respond to him

    01:24

    Michael Chiklis on how people respond to him since The Shield

    02:57

    Michael Chiklis on "Detective Vic Mackey's" home life on The Shield

    01:39

    Michael Chiklis on censorship not being an issue on The Shield

    00:34

    Michael Chiklis on interaction with the writers of The Shield

    03:10

    Michael Chiklis on "Detective Vic Mackey's" relationships with "Shane Vendrell" and "Curtis Lemansky" on The Shield

    03:41

    Michael Chiklis on the arc of the show and the finale of The Shield

    03:34

    Michael Chiklis on how The Shield changed the television landscape

    01:18

    Michael Chiklis on his Emmy and Golden Globe wins for The Shield

    01:35

    Michael Chiklis on his proudest career achievement - The Shield

    01:30

    Wiseguy

    Michael Chiklis on his role in Wiseguy and meeting Stephen Kronish, co-creator of The Commish

    02:26

    Michael Chiklis on his character arc on Wiseguy and shooting in Vancouver

    00:56

    9/11

    Michael Chiklis on 9/11 occurring during the run of The Shield

    00:58

    Advice

    Michael Chiklis on advice to aspiring actors

    00:51

    Characters & Catchphrases

    Michael Chiklis on his character, "Detective Vic Mackey" on The Shield

    02:32

    Michael Chiklis on playing "Tony Scali" on The Commish and meeting the real man upon whom the character was based

    03:57

    Creative Influences and Inspiration

    Michael Chiklis on meeting his mentor while doing Summer Stock as a teenager

    03:00

    Emmy Awards

    Michael Chiklis on his Emmy and Golden Globe wins for The Shield

    01:35

    Fame and Celebrity

    Michael Chiklis on the fans of The Commish

    02:42

    Historic Events and Social Change

    Michael Chiklis on 9/11 occurring during the run of The Shield

    00:58

    Overcoming Adversity

    Michael Chiklis on playing John Belushi in the film "Wired" and getting blackballed

    04:30

    Pivotal Career Moments

    Michael Chiklis on playing John Belushi in the film "Wired" and getting blackballed

    04:30

    Pop Culture

    Michael Chiklis on his character, "Detective Vic Mackey" on The Shield

    02:32

    Michael Chiklis on playing "Tony Scali" on The Commish and meeting the real man upon whom the character was based

    03:57

    Television Industry

    Michael Chiklis on the fans of The Commish

    02:42

    Michael Chiklis on advice to aspiring actors

    00:51

    Michael Chiklis on changes in the industry and "binge watching"

    00:56

    Actor

    Michael Chiklis on different schools of acting that he studied

    01:12

    Michael Chiklis on advice to aspiring actors

    00:51

    Directors

    Michael Chiklis on his love of directing

    01:05

    Performers

    Michael Chiklis on different schools of acting that he studied

    01:12

    Michael Chiklis on advice to aspiring actors

    00:51

    Producers

    Michael Chiklis on learning how to produce from The Shield's Executive Producer Scott Brazil

    02:30

    Cop/Detective/Mystery Series

    Michael Chiklis on auditioning for and playing "Detective Mackey" on The Shield

    28:46

    Michael Chiklis on starring in The Commish at the age of 27; on his character "Tony Scali" and the show's production schedule

    11:32

    Michael Chiklis on the challenges of playing "Detective Vic Mackey" on The Shield; on the look and tone of the show; on the finale

    31:36

    Drama Series

    Michael Chiklis on auditioning for and playing "Detective Mackey" on The Shield

    28:46

    Michael Chiklis on starring in The Commish at the age of 27; on his character "Tony Scali" and the show's production schedule

    11:32

    Michael Chiklis on the challenges of playing "Detective Vic Mackey" on The Shield; on the look and tone of the show; on the finale

    31:36

    John Belushi

    Michael Chiklis on playing John Belushi in the film "Wired" and getting blackballed

    04:21

    Candice Bergen

    Michael Chiklis on his role on Murphy Brown and his admiration for Candice Bergen

    02:41

    Stephen J. Cannell

    Michael Chiklis on working with Stephen J. Cannell and Stephen Kronish

    00:59

    Elton John

    Michael Chiklis on Elton John being a fan of The Commish

    00:36

    Stephen Kronish

    Michael Chiklis on his role in Wiseguy and meeting Stephen Kronish, co-creator of The Commish

    02:26

    Michael Chiklis on working with Stephen J. Cannell and Stephen Kronish

    00:59

    Michael Chiklis on the writing on The Commish and his input with Stephen Kronish on changing lines

    02:11

    Seth MacFarlane

    Michael Chiklis on doing character voices on The Family Guy

    01:37

    Leslie Moonves

    Michael Chiklis on Les Moonves believing in him

    00:42

    Edward James Olmos

    Michael Chiklis on making an appearance on Miami Vice and Edward James Olmos helping him on set

    00:25

    Burt Reynolds

    Michael Chiklis on Burt Reynolds hiring him for a role in B.L. Stryker

    01:12

    Shawn Ryan

    Michael Chiklis on meeting Shawn Ryan and auditioning for The Shield, originally called The Barn

    10:58

    Michael Chiklis on surprises in the scripts on The Shield and the great writers on the show

    01:59

    Michael Chiklis on the arc of the show and the finale of The Shield

    03:34

    Jeff Sagansky

    Michael Chiklis on Jeff Sagansky not wanting him to play the lead in The Commish

    01:05

    Kurt Sutter

    Michael Chiklis on interaction with the writers of The Shield - Kurt Sutter

    03:10

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