Michael Shanks

This article is about the actor. For the archaeologist, see Michael Shanks (archaeologist). For the racing driver and team owner, see Mike Shank.
Michael Shanks

Shanks at the Creation Official Stargate Convention, 2007
Born Michael Garrett Shanks
(1970-12-15) December 15, 1970
Vancouver, British Columbia, Canada
Occupation
  • Actor
  • writer
  • director
Years active 1993–present
Spouse(s) Lexa Doig (m. 2003)
Children 3

Michael Garrett Shanks (born December 15, 1970) is a Canadian actor, writer and director best known for his role as Dr. Daniel Jackson in the long-running Canadian-American military science fiction television series Stargate SG-1. More recently, Shanks has been playing Dr. Charles Harris on the Canadian medical drama, Saving Hope.

Early life

Shanks was born in Vancouver, and grew up in Kamloops, British Columbia. He attended the University of British Columbia and was in the BFA Acting Program from 1990 to 1994 and later appeared in several stage productions, serving a two-year apprenticeship with the prestigious Stratford Festival in Ontario. He made guest appearances on TV series like Highlander and University Hospital, appeared in the TV movie A Family Divided and had a small role in The Call of the Wild, before winning the role of Daniel Jackson on Stargate SG-1.

Career

Stargate franchise

Shanks played archaeologist Dr. Daniel Jackson throughout the first five seasons of Stargate SG-1 before leaving the show at the end of Stargate SG-1's fifth season, citing creative differences concerning the under-use of his character and the direction of the show as a whole.[1] 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".[2] 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.[3]

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,[4] and made a cameo appearance in the pilot of the third Stargate series Stargate Universe. He also appeared in the episodes "Human" and "Subversion".[5]

Other appearances

In 2001, Shanks guest starred in the episode "Star-Crossed" in the Sci-Fi series Andromeda, during which he met his wife, Lexa Doig. 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, 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".[6] He later reprised the role in the final episode of the ninth season, and 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.[7]

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 Dr. Charles "Charlie" Harris on Saving Hope, reuniting with Stargate SG-1 and Smallville co-star Erica Durance.

Personal life

Shanks' eldest child is Tatiana (b. August 10, 1998), from his relationship with model and actress Vaitiare Bandera, who portrayed Sha're, his character's wife, on Stargate SG-1.[8]

On August 2, 2003, Shanks married actress Lexa Doig, whom he met in 2001 while guest-starring on the series Andromeda, in which she starred. (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 together: daughter Mia Tabitha Shanks (b. September 13, 2004) and son Samuel David Shanks (b. March 19, 2006). [9]

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 TV movie 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 film Mr. Hockey: The Gordie Howe Story. [10]

Filmography

Television

Year Title Role Other notes
1995 A Family Divided Todd
1997 The Call Of The Wild: Dog Of The Yukon A gambler
1997-2007 Stargate SG-1 Dr. Daniel Jackson / Voice of Thor / Machello
1998 The Outer Limits Melburn Ross
1999 Escape from Mars Bill Malone, Mission Architect
2001 Andromeda Balance of Judgment/Gabriel Episode: Star-Crossed
2001 The Artist's Circle Artist
2002 All Around the Town Justin Donnelly
2002 Door to Door John Brady
2005 Swarmed Kent Horvath
2005 Stargate SG-1: The Alliance (Cancelled) Dr. Daniel Jackson (voice) Video Game – cancelled
2006 Under the Mistletoe Kevin Harrison
2007 Mega Snake Les Daniels
2007 24 Mark Bishop
2008 Stargate: The Ark of Truth Dr. Daniel Jackson
2008 Stargate: Continuum Dr. Daniel Jackson
2008 The Lost Treasure of The Grand Canyon Jacob Thain
2008 Desperate Escape Michael Coleman
2008-2009 Burn Notice Victor
2009 Living Out Loud Brad Marshall
2009 Arctic Blast Jack Tate
2010 Tower Prep Dr. Literature Episode: Book Report
2010 Smallville Hawkman
2010 Supernatural Rob
2011 Tactical Force Demetrius
2011 Faces in the Crowd Bryce
2011 Flashpoint David Fleming Episode: Blue on Blue
2011 The Pastor's Wife Matthew Winkler
2011 Christmas Lodge Jack Rand
2012–present Saving Hope Charlie Harris
2013 Mr. Hockey: The Gordie Howe Story Gordie Howe
2016 Hearts of Spring Andy

Film

Year Title Character
2000 Suspicious River Ball cap man
2000 Mr Fortune's Smile James
2001 Suddenly Naked (aka Show and Tell) Danny Blair/Donny Blitzer
2002 SF Seeks (not released)
2003 Sumuru Adam Wade
2007 Mega Snake Les
2007 Judicial Indiscretion Jack Sullivan
2008 Stargate : The Ark of Truth Dr Daniel Jackson
2008 Stargate : Continuum Dr Daniel Jackson
2010 Red Riding Hood Adrien Lazar
2011 Tactical Force (formerly Hangar 14) Demetrius
2011 The Pastor's Wife Matthew Winkler
2011 Elysium Technician #3
2011 13 Eerie Professor Tomkins
2012 The Bouquet Sam

Director

Year Title Other notes
2001 Stargate SG-1 TV Series (episode 4.21 "Double Jeopardy")
2014 Saving Hope TV Series (episode 3.04 "Stand By Me")

Writer

Year Title Other notes
2003 Stargate SG-1 (TV Series) (story) (episode 7.11 "Evolution: Part 1")
2004 (TV Series) (episode 7.19 "Resurrection")

Theatre

Stratford Festival, Ontario

Year Title Character Production
1998 Hamlet Hamlet Stanley Theatre Arts Club, Vancouver
1995-

1996

 Merchant of Venice Lorenzo Stratford Festival, Ontario
1995-

1996

 King Lear Cast Stratford Festival, Ontario
1995-

1996

 Amadeus Cast Stratford Festival, Ontario
1995-

1996

 Macbeth Mentieth Stratford Festival, Ontario
1995-

1996

 Merry Wives of Windsor Cast Stratford Festival, Ontario
The Directors "The Wild Boys" – Colin Cunningham, Shanks, and Peter DeLuise December 10, 2004

Frederick Wood Theatre

Play Role Location
Love's Labours Lost Don Armado University of British Columbia

Frederick Wood Theatre

Leonce & Lena Leonce University of British Columbia

Frederick Wood Theatre

Love of the Nightingale Tereus University of British Columbia

Frederick Wood Theatre

You're A Good Man, Charlie Brown Schroeder UBC Summer Players

Dorothy Somerset Studio

Wait Until Dark Roat UBC Summer Players

Dorothy Somerset Studio

Dombey & Son Walter Gray University of British Columbia

Frederick Wood Theatre

Sure Thing Clarke Vancouver Men's Festival
Loot Dennis University of British Columbia

Dorothy Somerset Studio

Translations Lt. Yolland University of British Columbia

Frederick Wood Theatre

Hopscotch Will
Lion In Winter

References

  1. ↑ Mary McNamara (February 13, 2002). "Fan rebellion threatens 'Stargate'". Salon.com.
  2. ↑ Leo Awards official website, last accessed October 24, 2007.
  3. ↑ Leo Awards, 2009 Winners
  4. ↑ GateWorld.net: Shanks set for mid-season Atlantis visit
  5. ↑ Writer/producer Joseph Mallozzi's April 5th blog entry
  6. ↑ Goldman, Eric (2009-10-19). "Exclusive: Two of Smallville's Justice Society". IGN. Retrieved 2009-10-19.
  7. ↑ Barton, Steve (2010-05-11). "Faces in the Crowd Starts Shooting! Full Cast Announced!". Dread Central. Retrieved 2010-05-11.
  8. ↑ "Sha're Shares: Interview with Vaitiare Bandera," Stargate SG1 Official Magazine No. 8, Jan/Feb 2006, Titan Magazines publishers
  9. ↑ "Actors Michael Shanks and Lexa Doig on Great Kids Books". CBC/Radio-Canada. 2011-07-22.
  10. ↑ "Gordie Howe, Mr. Hockey, Played By Stargate's Michael Shanks In New Film". Huffington Post Canada. 2013-04-25.
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