Michael Chiklis Biography

Fast Facts

• Has worked with such charities as The children's Lifesaving Foundation, Alzheimer's Association, Autism Speaks and the Revlon Run Walk
• Benefitted the Maximum Hope charity while playing in celebrity Texas Hold 'Em tournaments
• After graduating from Boston University's College of Fine Arts, he moved to New York City to work his way up the ranks of theatre, but the climate in 1985 New York was not good for new actors, and he ended up bartending and waiting tables
• Quote: "I am still an actor today for the same fundamental reasons I became one in the first place all those many years ago…to entertain you and in some instances hopefully, to make you think and feel․"
• Became a network television star by guest starring on popular series including "Seinfeld," "Murphy Brown," "Wise Guy" and "LA Law․"
• Made a purposeful transition from playing affable characters to chasing more hard-hitting parts, engaging in an intense physical training program to reinvent his image
• Announced to his family that he wanted to be an actor as a young child, and though they didn't take him seriously at the time, he stuck to that passion
• Has been able to play the roles of several of his childhood heroes, including John Belushi in "Wired," Jerome "Curly" Howard in "The Three Stooges" movie and The Thing in the "Fantastic Four" movies for Fox and Marvel Studios
• Hated wearing The Thing's bulky superhero costume, but loved the role and the cast of the films
• Reunited with his best friend from high school after 23 years and recorded several singles before performing live as the Michael Chiklis Band