Michael Shanks | |
|---|---|
 Shanks in 2023 | |
| Born | Michael Garrett Shanks December 15, 1970 Vancouver, Canada |
| Occupation | Actor |
| Years active | 1993–present |
| Spouse | |
| Children | 3 |
Michael Garrett Shanks (born December 15, 1970) is a Canadian actor. He is best known for his role as Daniel Jackson in the long-running military science fiction television series Stargate SG-1 and as Dr Charles Harris in the Canadian medical drama Saving Hope . He is also known for his work on low budget genre work filmed in Canada.
Shanks was born in Vancouver, British Columbia, and grew up in Kamloops. After witnessing Richard Dean Anderson prepare for a scene of MacGyver, Shanks "decided to pursue [acting] a little further", opting to attend the University of British Columbia's fine arts program until 1994. [1] He later appeared in several stage productions while serving a two-year apprenticeship with the prestigious Stratford Festival in Ontario. [1] His television career began with guest appearances on shows including Highlander and The Commish . [1] Parts in the television movies A Family Divided [2] and The Call of the Wild preceded his casting in his breakthrough role as Daniel Jackson in Stargate SG-1. [1]
Shanks played archaeologist Dr Daniel Jackson throughout the first five seasons of Stargate SG-1 before leaving the show at the end of its fifth season, citing creative differences concerning the under-use of his character and the direction of the show as a whole. [3] He made several guest appearances throughout the sixth season playing his own character, as well as voicing the Asgard character Thor. Shanks returned for the seventh and subsequent seasons, winning the Leo Award for Best Lead Performance By A Male in a Dramatic Series in 2004 for the seventh season episode "Lifeboat". [4] During the series' tenth and final season, he signed up for 16 of the 20 episodes, taking some time off in March 2006 for the birth of his third child (second with wife and occasional co-star Lexa Doig).
He appeared in both direct-to-DVD Stargate films released in 2008, Stargate: The Ark of Truth and Stargate: Continuum , and won the 2009 Leo Award for Lead Performance by a Male in a Feature Length Drama for Continuum. [5]
In 2004, Shanks made a crossover appearance (as Daniel Jackson) in the Stargate Atlantis pilot, "Rising". He also appeared in the tenth and eleventh episodes of Atlantis' fifth and final season, [6] and made a cameo appearance in the pilot of the third Stargate series Stargate Universe . He also appeared in the episodes "Human" and "Subversion". [7]
In 2001, Shanks guest starred in the episode "Star-Crossed" in the Sci-Fi series Andromeda, during which he met his future wife, Lexa Doig. [8] Coincidentally, they played two androids who fell in love with each other. In 2002, Shanks starred in the German/UK/South African co-production Sumuru , [9] a science fiction B-movie, as astronaut Adam Wade. He also auditioned for the role of Shinzon in Star Trek: Nemesis .
In 2007, Shanks joined the Fox Network series 24 , guest-starring as lobbyist Mark Bishop in a three-episode arc for season 6. In 2008–2009, Shanks had a recurring role on the second season of the USA Network spy series Burn Notice , playing Victor Stecker-Epps, a fellow burned spy and maniacal counterpoint to series lead Jeffrey Donovan's character. In 2008, Shanks had a guest starring role in one episode of the SciFi Channel series Eureka , as an alchemist somewhat responsible for the near destruction of the town due to a student's mixing chemicals in his lab and thereby creating the "Alchemist curse". He appeared in the episode "All That Glitters...", with a mention of his character in the episode "A Night At Global Dynamics".
Shanks was featured in a lead role in the SciFi Channel's adventure film, The Lost Treasure of the Grand Canyon as Jacob Thain opposite Beverly Hills, 90210 and Charmed alumna Shannen Doherty. The film premiered on the cable network on December 20, 2008. In 2010, Shanks appeared in an episode of Sanctuary , which stars fellow Stargate actor Amanda Tapping. In the same year he starred in the film Arctic Blast, a disaster film, as physicist Jack Tate.
Shanks' latest television guest roles were as archaeologist Carter Hall, DC Comics' superhero Hawkman, in the Smallville episode "Absolute Justice". [10] He later reprised the role in the final episode of the ninth season.
Shanks then in guest spots during the tenth season episodes "Shield" and "Icarus" as well as appearing in Supernatural season 5 episode "99 Problems".
Shanks stars in the Canadian thriller Faces in the Crowd . [11]
Shanks has also starred in the Fox comedy The Good Guys as the pompous leader of the Strike Force. In 2011, Shanks was the guest star in the third episode of the Showcase show Endgame , where he plays an amnesiac.
In 2012, Shanks returned to primetime as Charles "Charlie" Harris on Saving Hope , reuniting with Stargate SG-1 and Smallville co-star Erica Durance.
In 2019, Shanks played the role of Horace Axley on the second season of the Netflix science-fiction series Altered Carbon . [12]
Shanks' eldest daughter, Tatiana Shanks, [13] (b. Aug 10 1998) [14] is from his relationship with model and actress Vaitiare Bandera, who portrayed Sha're, his character's wife on Stargate SG-1. [15]
On August 2, 2003, Shanks married actress Lexa Doig, whom he met in 2001 while guest-starring on the series Andromeda . (They would also work together on Stargate SG-1 , when Doig was cast as Dr Carolyn Lam, a recurring character in seasons nine and ten). They have two children. [16]
Shanks enjoys playing ice hockey, and once considered playing professionally. He was on the Stargate SG-1 hockey team, competing against the teams of other Vancouver-based productions such as Smallville , and also displayed his aptitude for the sport in the 2006 television film Under the Mistletoe, in which he played the part of a school hockey coach. This aptitude was also highlighted in his 2013 role as the title character in the television film Mr. Hockey: The Gordie Howe Story . [17]
| Year | Title | Role | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2000 | Suspicious River | Ball cap man | |
| Mr Fortune's Smile | James | ||
| 2001 | The Artist's Circle | Artist | Short film |
| Suddenly Naked (aka Show and Tell) | Danny Blair/Donny Blitzer | ||
| 2002 | SF Seeks | Not released[ citation needed ] | |
| 2003 | Sumuru | Adam Wade | |
| Dismiss Yourself | Jonny Label | ||
| 2007 | Mega Snake | Les | |
| Judicial Indiscretion | Jack Sullivan | ||
| 2010 | Arctic Blast | Jack Tate | |
| Red Riding Hood | Adrien Lazar | ||
| 2011 | Tactical Force | Demetrius | Direct-to-video film; originally titled Hangar 14 |
| Faces in the Crowd | Bryce | ||
| Elysium | Technician #3 | ||
| 13 Eerie | Professor Tomkins | ||
| 2012 | The Bouquet | Sam | |
| TBA | Time Cut | Gil | Post-production |
| TBA | Never Forget | Hook | Short film Filming |
| Year | Title | Role | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1993 | Highlander: The Series | Jesse | Episode: "The Zone" |
| 1995 | A Family Divided | Todd | Television film |
| 1997 | The Call Of The Wild: Dog Of The Yukon | A gambler | Television film |
| 1997–2007 | Stargate SG-1 | Daniel Jackson / Machello / Voice of Thor | Main role |
| 1998, 2000 | The Outer Limits | Melburn Ross / Dr. Will Olsten | Episode: "Mary 25" / Episode: "Manifest Destiny" |
| 1999 | Escape from Mars | Bill Malone, Mission Architect | Television film |
| 2001 | Andromeda | Balance of Judgment/Gabriel | Episode: "Star-Crossed", "Day of judgement, Day of Wrath" |
| 2002 | All Around the Town | Justin Donnelly | Television film |
| Door to Door | John Brady | Television film | |
| 2004 | Stargate Atlantis | Daniel Jackson | 3 episodes |
| 2005 | Swarmed | Kent Horvath | Television film |
| 2006 | Under the Mistletoe | Kevin Harrison | Television film |
| 2007 | Mega Snake | Les Daniels | Television film |
| 24 | Mark Bishop | 3 episodes | |
| Eureka | Christopher Dactylos | Episode: "All That Glitters..." | |
| 2008 | The Lost Treasure of The Grand Canyon | Jacob Thain | Television film |
| Stargate: The Ark of Truth | Daniel Jackson | Television film | |
| Stargate: Continuum | Daniel Jackson | Television film | |
| Desperate Escape | Michael Coleman | Television film | |
| Burn Notice | Victor | 4 episodes | |
| Living Out Loud | Brad Marshall | Television film | |
| 2009 | Sanctuary | Jimmy | Episode: "Penance" |
| 2010 | Tower Prep | Dr. Literature | Episode: "Book Report" |
| Smallville | Hawkman / Carter Hall | 4 episodes | |
| Supernatural | Rob | Episode: "99 Problems" | |
| 2011 | Flashpoint | David Fleming | Episode: "Blue on Blue" |
| Christmas Lodge | Jack Rand | Television film | |
| The Pastor's Wife | Matthew Winkler | Television film | |
| 2012–2017 | Saving Hope | Charlie Harris | Main role |
| 2013 | Mr. Hockey: The Gordie Howe Story | Gordie Howe | Television film |
| 2013 | The Bouquet | Sam | Television film |
| 2016 | Hearts of Spring | Andy | Television film |
| 2017 | Christmas Homecoming | Sgt. Jim Mullins | Television film |
| 2018 | The Detectives | Det. Doug Morrison | Episode: "The Last Fare" |
| 2019 | Unspeakable | Will Sanders | 8 episodes |
| Virgin River | Paul | Episode: "Unexpected Ending" | |
| The College Admissions Scandal | Rick Singer | Television film | |
| Heritage Minutes: D-Day | Major Archie MacNaughton | Canadian history short film | |
| 2020 | Altered Carbon | Horace Axley | Recurring role |
| Project Blue Book | Air vice-marshal Christopher Thomas | Episode: "Broken Arrow" | |
| 2022 | The Good Doctor | Paul | Episode: "A Big Sign" |
| Year | Title | Notes |
|---|---|---|
| 2001 | Stargate SG-1 | Episode 4.21: "Double Jeopardy" |
| 2014 | Saving Hope | Episode 3.04: "Stand By Me" |
| 2016 | Saving Hope | Episode 4.14: "You Can't Always Get What You Want" |
| 2017 | Saving Hope | Episode 5.14: "We Need to Talk About Charlie Harris" |
| Year | Title | Notes |
|---|---|---|
| 2003 | Stargate SG-1 | Episode 7.11 "Evolution: Part 1" |
| 2004 | Stargate SG-1 | Episode 7.19: "Resurrection" |
| Year | Title | Role | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2005 | Stargate SG-1: The Alliance | Dr. Daniel Jackson (voice) | Cancelled |
| Year | Title | Character | Production |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1995 & 1996 | The Merchant of Venice | Lorenzo | Stratford Festival, Stratford, Ontario |
| King Lear | Cast | ||
| The Merry Wives of Windsor | |||
| Amadeus | |||
| Macbeth | Mentieth |
| Play | Role | Location |
|---|---|---|
| Love's Labours Lost | Don Armado | Frederic Wood Theatre |
| Dombey & Son | Walter Gray | |
| Leonce & Lena | Leonce | |
| Love of the Nightingale | Tereus | |
| Translations | Lt. Yolland | |
| You're A Good Man, Charlie Brown | Schroeder | Summer Players, Dorothy Somerset Studio |
| Wait Until Dark | Roat | |
| Loot | Dennis | |
| Sure Thing | Clarke | Vancouver Men's Festival |
| Hopscotch | Will | |
| The Lion in Winter |
| Year | Title | Character | Production |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1998 | Hamlet | Hamlet | Stanley Theatre Arts Club, Vancouver, B.C. |
Stargate SG-1 is a military science fiction adventure television series within Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer's Stargate franchise. The show, created by Brad Wright and Jonathan Glassner, is based on the 1994 science fiction film Stargate by Dean Devlin and Roland Emmerich. The television series was filmed in and around the city of Vancouver, British Columbia, Canada. The series premiered on Showtime on July 27, 1997, and moved to the Sci Fi Channel on June 7, 2002; the final episode first aired on Sky1 on March 13, 2007.
Jonathan J. "Jack" O'Neill is a fictional character in the MGM's military science fiction franchise Stargate, primarily as one of the main characters of the television series Stargate SG-1. Richard Dean Anderson played O'Neill in all the Stargate media since 1997, when he took over the role from actor Kurt Russell, who portrayed the character in the original Stargate film in 1994. O'Neill and Daniel Jackson are the only two characters to appear in both the original film and all three live-action Stargate television series.
Richard Dean Anderson is a retired American actor. He began his television career in 1976, playing Jeff Webber in the American soap opera series General Hospital, and then rose to prominence as the lead actor in the television series MacGyver (1985–1992). He later appeared in films such as Through the Eyes of a Killer (1992), Pandora's Clock (1996), and Firehouse (1997).
Alexandra Doig is a Canadian actress. She played the title role in the science fiction television series Andromeda (2000–2005). She also played the lead female role of Rowan in the science fiction-action horror film Jason X (2001), the tenth installment of the Friday the 13th film series. Since 2015, Doig has appeared in the Aurora Teagarden mystery television film series on the Hallmark Movies & Mysteries channel.
Daniel Jackson, PhD, is a fictional character in the military science fiction franchise Stargate, and one of the main characters of the 1997 series Stargate SG-1. He is portrayed by James Spader in the 1994 film Stargate, and by Michael Shanks in Stargate SG-1 and other SG-1 derived media. Jackson is the only Stargate character to appear in all films and series in the franchise.
Teal'c of Chulak is a fictional character in the 1997 military science fiction television series Stargate SG-1. Portrayed by Christopher Judge, Teal'c is a Jaffa warrior from the planet Chulak. As a Jaffa, Teal'c is a genetically modified human with an abdominal pouch that serves as an incubator for a larval Goa'uld. The larval symbiote grants enhanced strength, health, healing, and longevity; Teal'c is around 100 years old during the show's run and ages an additional 50 years in the final SG-1 episode. Teal'c's most notable feature is a golden tattoo found on his forehead, a sign that he once served the System Lord Apophis as First Prime, the most senior Jaffa rank.
"Children of the Gods" is the first episode of the military science fiction television series Stargate SG-1. It was written by producers Jonathan Glassner and Brad Wright and was directed by Mario Azzopardi. The episode first aired on July 27, 1997, on Showtime. Originally presented as a television movie, the episode would later be split into two parts for repeats and syndicated viewings. A new, updated cut, which is entitled "Children of the Gods – The Final Cut" was released on DVD on July 21, 2009 by MGM Home Entertainment.
Colonel Cameron "Cam" Mitchell, USAF is a fictional character in the 1997 American military science fiction television series Stargate SG-1, a science fiction show about a military team exploring the galaxy via a network of alien transportation devices. Played by Ben Browder, Cameron Mitchell is introduced as a main character in the season 9 premiere "Avalon", holding the military rank of lieutenant colonel in the United States Air Force. Learning of the SG-1 team's off-screen separation after the previous season, Mitchell is assigned as new commanding officer of SG-1, which he remains throughout season 10 (2006–2007) and the direct-to-DVD films Stargate: The Ark of Truth, ending at the rank of colonel for Stargate: Continuum (2008).
Vala Mal Doran is a fictional character in the American military science fiction television series Stargate SG-1 about a military team exploring the galaxy via a network of alien transportation devices. Played by former Farscape actress Claudia Black, Vala was created by Damian Kindler and Robert C. Cooper as a guest character for the season 8 episode "Prometheus Unbound" (2004). Because of the on-screen chemistry between Black's Vala and Michael Shanks' character Daniel Jackson and the character's popularity with the producers and the audience, Claudia Black became a recurring guest star in season 9 (2005–2006) and joined the main cast in season 10 (2006–2007).
"Avalon" are the Season 9 premiere episodes of the science fiction television series Stargate SG-1. They marked the beginning of a "new" Stargate SG-1 that continued after the ending of the previous season. Despite seeing the departure of Richard Dean Anderson's Jack O'Neill, it sees the introduction of Ben Browder as Lt. Colonel Cameron Mitchell, Beau Bridges as Major General Hank Landry, and Lexa Doig as Dr. Carolyn Lam. They also bring in Claudia Black's character Vala Mal Doran as a recurring character, later to become a regular in Season 10, and introduce entire new storylines including further information about the Ancients, their links to Arthurian legends, and their origins.
"200" is the sixth episode of the science fiction television series Stargate SG-1's tenth season, and the 200th episode of the series overall. Unlike the more serious nature of the season's story arc, "200" is a light-hearted parody of both Stargate SG-1 and other sci-fi shows, as well as popular culture like The Wizard of Oz.
The ninth season of Stargate SG-1, an American-Canadian television series, began airing on July 15, 2005, on SCI FI. The ninth season concluded on March 10, 2006, after 20 episodes on the same channel. The series was originally developed by Brad Wright and Jonathan Glassner, and Brad Wright, Robert C. Cooper, Joseph Mallozzi and Paul Mullie served as executive producers. The season arc centers on the new threat of the Ori, a race who Daniel Jackson and Vala Mal Doran unleash in an unknown galaxy, and who are threatening to prepare for a crusade into the Milky Way galaxy to convert the beings to their religion called Origin.
The eighth season of Stargate SG-1, an American-Canadian military science fiction television series, began airing on July 9, 2004, on the Sci Fi channel. The eighth season concluded on February 22, 2005, after 20 episodes on British Sky One, which overtook the Sci Fi Channel in mid-season. This was the first season of the show to have 20 episodes instead of 22, as well as the first to air concurrently with Stargate SG-1 spinoff series Stargate Atlantis. The series was originally developed by Brad Wright and Jonathan Glassner, while Brad Wright and Robert C. Cooper served as executive producers. Season eight regular cast members include Richard Dean Anderson, Amanda Tapping, Christopher Judge, and Michael Shanks
The second season of Stargate SG-1, an American-Canadian television series, began airing on June 26, 1998, on Showtime. The second season concluded after 22 episodes on February 10, 1999, on British Sky One, which overtook Showtime in mid-season. The series was developed by Brad Wright and Jonathan Glassner, who also served as executive producers. Season two regular cast members include Richard Dean Anderson, Michael Shanks, Amanda Tapping, Christopher Judge, and Don S. Davis.
The sixth season of Stargate SG-1, an American-Canadian television series, began airing on June 7, 2002 on Sci Fi. The sixth season concluded after 22 episodes on February 19, 2003 on the UK's Sky One, which had overtaken the Sci-Fi Channel's number of new-episode broadcasts mid-season. The series was developed by Brad Wright and Jonathan Glassner. Season six regular cast members include Richard Dean Anderson, Amanda Tapping, Christopher Judge, Corin Nemec, and Don S. Davis.
The seventh season of Stargate SG-1, an American-Canadian television series, began airing on June 13, 2003 on Sci Fi. The seventh season concluded after 22 episodes on March 9, 2004 on British Sky One, which overtook the Sci-Fi Channel in mid-season. The series was developed by Brad Wright and Jonathan Glassner. Season seven regular cast members include Richard Dean Anderson, Amanda Tapping, Christopher Judge, Don S. Davis, and Michael Shanks.
The first season of the television series Stargate Atlantis commenced airing on the Sci Fi Channel in the United States on July 16, 2004, concluded on The Movie Network in Canada on January 31, 2005, and contained 20 episodes. The show was a spin off of sister show, Stargate SG-1. Stargate Atlantis re-introduced supporting characters from the SG-1 universe, such as Elizabeth Weir and Rodney McKay among others. The show also included new characters such as Teyla Emmagan and John Sheppard. The first season is about a military-science expedition team discovering Atlantis and exploring the Pegasus Galaxy. However, there is no way to return home, and they inadvertently wake a hostile alien race known as the Wraith, whose primary goal is to gather a fleet to invade Atlantis and find their new "feeding ground", Earth.
The fourth season of Stargate Atlantis, an American-Canadian television series, began airing on September 28, 2007 on the US-American Sci Fi Channel. The fourth season concluded after 20 episodes on March 7, 2008 on Sci Fi. The series was developed by Brad Wright and Robert C. Cooper, who also served as executive producers. Amanda Tapping joins the cast as a regular for 14 episodes, and Jewel Staite was a recurring character for eleven episodes. In comparison, regular cast member Torri Higginson was a recurring cast member for four episodes. Other season four regular cast members include Joe Flanigan, Rachel Luttrell, Jason Momoa and David Hewlett.
The fifth and final season of the military science fiction television series Stargate Atlantis commenced airing on the Sci Fi Channel in the United States on July 11, 2008, concluded on the same channel on January 9, 2009, and contained 20 episodes. The show itself is a spin off of its sister show, Stargate SG-1. The season upgrades previous supporting characters cast members such as Richard Woolsey and Jennifer Keller. Amanda Tapping's character Samantha Carter was downgraded to recurring character in this season. The fifth and final season is about a military-science expedition team fighting against the Wraith from their base of operation, Atlantis. The Wraith primary goal is to gather a fleet to invade Atlantis and find their new "feeding ground", Earth.
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