The Shield's Michael Chiklis Develops New Series

The Shield has come to an end, but the show's star, Michael Chiklis, is keeping busy developing a new series at FX that's very true to life.

The project, House of Cards, focuses on a group committing an elaborate scam similar to the one Bernard Madoff is accused of carrying out, according to The Hollywood Reporter.

Chiklis began working on the project in February after he and his wife became victims of a Ponzi scheme. "It really rocked our world," Chiklis said. "Not so much from a monetary standpoint — it didn't significantly hurt us — it was more the feeling of being betrayed and the ripple effect it caused."

A Ponzi scheme is a fraudulent investment operation that promises high rates of return at little risk. While Chiklis lost money as a result of the scheme, his biggest regret is convincing friends to invest.
"That was the worst part of it," he said. "It's one thing when you lose your own money, but here you lose your friends' money while your true heart's hope was to make them money."

Though Chiklis will not star in Cards, he does plan to serve as executive producer alongside a yet-to-be-announced showrunner.

"There's quite a lot that goes on during the course of this thing," Chiklis said. "It destroys relationships and marriages, it's intense."