Balding, bright-eyed and stocky, Michael Chiklis has appeared older than his years on camera. He was only in his late 20s when cast as "The Commish" (ABC, 1991-95) in the likable cop/family drama about the chief of police in a New York state town who often solves his crimes in an unorthodox manner. By the time the show was established, the handsome young actor had lost so much weight that he had to wear a "fat suit" to remain in character. Chiklis earned his stage union (Equity) card at age 13, acting in a production of "Romeo and Juliet" at the Merrimack Repertory Theatre in his hometown of Lowell, MA (although he was raised in nearby Andover). He attended the prestigious acting program at Boston University before heading to Manhattan. In 1985, during his first week in New York, Chiklis had what was to be the first of 12 auditions to play the role of John Belushi in the feature film version of "Wired", the hardhitting Bob Woodward biography of the late comedian which dealt extensively with Belushi's drug abuse. Finally, in 1988, Chiklis won the role, but controversy and litigation kept the film from opening until 1989, at which point it was shunned by Hollywood and overlooked by the public. Luckily, casting directors took notice. In 1989, Chiklis made his TV-movie debut as an evangelist hoping to benefit from a child preacher's trust fund in "Blues for Buder", an episode of the Burt Reynoldsvehicle "B.L. Stryker". He also appeared in a memorable episode of "Murphy Brown" as a sexist comedian. In 1991, Chiklis was cast as "The Commish", which was filmed in Vancouver, Canada by Stephen J. Cannell Prods. The series was only a modest success but became an ABC Saturday night staple. After its regular run ended in 1995, Chiklis came back for several two-hour movies during the 1995-96 season. His additional feature film appearances have been sporadic: Chiklis co-starred in the little-seen "The Rain Killer" (1990) and had a small role as a TV director in Oliver Stone's "Nixon" (1995). He returned to TV as the star of the NBC midseason replacement family sitcom "Daddio" in 2000, which showed initial ratings potential but faded quickly. The actor then equated himself well in the iconic role of Jerome 'Curly' Howard in the ABC biopic "The Three Stooges" (2000). Chiklis would go two years before his next major gig made the airwaves--chaffing at his lightweight image, he bucked his previous "type," shaved his head, got himself in shape and adopted a more tenacious demeanor--but it was worth the wait: his role as the corrupt LAPD detective Vic Mackey on the hard-edged police drama "The Shield" (FX, 2002 - ) would not only reinvent Chiklis' career as a top-of-the-line dramatic actor and make the previosuly minor cable net into a major series player, it would also emerge as one of the most fascinating characters on television. Chiklis was compelled by the story arc proposed by series creator Shawn Ryan for the morally complicated and compromised Mackey character, who serves as both the protagonist and antogonist--a cop whose over-the-line ethics often serve justice better than the law, but who is also corrupt enough to kill a fellow officer to protect his undercover Strike Team and the illegal way they enrich themselves with the ill-gotten gains of the criminals they take down (Chiklis has famously refused to comment on his view of Mackey's morality, to keep the audience guessing as to any possible chance of redemption). The actor and his character intersecting perfectly, and Chiklis' compelling, all-too-real intensity resulted in a slew of critical praise, nominations and awards, including landing a surprise Emmy win for Outstanding Lead Actor in a Drama Series in 2002, followed shortly by another victory at the Golden Globes for Best Performance by an Actor in a Television Series Drama in early 2003. Hot off the success of "The Shield," Chiklis was next tapped by Marvel Productions and 20th Century Fox (the parental owner of FX) to star as the Marvel Comics superhero The Thing in the big-screen, big-budget adaptation of the classic Stan Lee-Jack Kirby comic book "The Fantastic Four" (2005). Playing Ben Grimm, a shuttle pilot whose exposure to cosmic rays turns him into a hulking, super-strong, blue-eyed creature with a rocky hide, Chiklis took on the role whole heartedly, playing the character in a full body suit and make-up as opposed to simply voicing a CGI creation (though he did admit to requiring therapy to deal with the claustrophia-inducing costume). The actor's efforts were undermined, however, by the unconvincing Thing suit as well as the film's wildly uneven script and direction.