Michael Shanks

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.{{Cite news |last=Strachan |first=Alex |date=1997-07-28 |title=Vancouver lands Stargate |pages=20 |work=The Vancouver Sun |url=https://www.newspapers.com/clip/121813691/vancouver-lands-stargate/ |access-date=2023-03-28 |via=Newspapers.com}} He later appeared in several stage productions while serving a two-year apprenticeship with the prestigious Stratford Festival in Ontario. His television career began with guest appearances on shows including Highlander and The Commish. Parts in the television movies A Family Divided{{Cite news |last=Mcalister |first=Nancy |date=2002-05-19 |title=Mary Higgins Clark's "All Around The Town" Airs Sunday on PAX |pages=61 |work=Corvallis Gazette-Times |url=https://www.newspapers.com/clip/121814564/mary-higgins-clarks-all-around-the/ |access-date=2023-03-28 |via=Newspapers.com}} and The Call of the Wild preceded his casting in his breakthrough role as Daniel Jackson in Stargate SG-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.{{cite web|url=http://www.salon.com/2002/02/13/stargate_rebellion/|title=Fan rebellion threatens 'Stargate'|date=February 13, 2002|work=Salon.com|author=Mary McNamara}} 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".{{Cite web|url=http://www.leoawards.com/past_winners/pdf/2004.pdf|title=2004 Leo Awards Nominees & Winners|access-date=January 9, 2021}} 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.[http://leoawards.com/winners_2009.html Leo Awards, 2009 Winners] {{webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20110713200555/http://leoawards.com/winners_2009.html|date=2011-07-13}}

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,{{cite web|url=https://www.gateworld.net/news/2008/02/shanks-set-for-mid-season-atlantis-visit/|title=Shanks set for mid-season Atlantis visit|date=February 20, 2008|access-date=January 9, 2021}} and made a cameo appearance in the pilot of the third Stargate series Stargate Universe. He also appeared in the episodes "Human" and "Subversion".{{cite web|url=http://josephmallozzi.wordpress.com/2009/04/05/april-5-2009-3-000-000-all-in-dog-visit-and-the-mailbag/|title=April 5, 2009: 3 000 000, All In, Dog Visit, and The Mailbag|date=April 6, 2009}}

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.{{Cite news |last=Reid |first=Michael D. |date=2007-05-27 |title=Jeans suit sci-fi star just fine |pages=15 |work=Times Colonist |url=https://www.newspapers.com/clip/121815324/jeans-suit-sci-fi-star-just-fine/ |access-date=2023-03-28 |via=Newspapers.com}} 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,{{Cite news |date=2009-02-20 |title=Movie highlights |pages=110 |work=Edmonton Journal |url=https://www.newspapers.com/clip/121815457/movie-highlights/ |access-date=2023-03-28 |via=Newspapers.com}} 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' had a guest role as archaeologist Carter Hall, DC Comics' superhero Hawkman, in the Smallville episode "Absolute Justice".{{cite web|url = http://tv.ign.com/articles/103/1036548p1.html|title = Exclusive: Two of Smallville's Justice Society|last = Goldman|first = Eric|publisher = IGN|date = 2009-10-19|access-date = 2009-10-19}} He later reprised the role in the final episode of the ninth season.

Shanks then appeared in guest spots during the Smallville 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.{{cite web|url = http://www.dreadcentral.com/news/37449/faces-crowd-starts-shooting-full-cast-announced|title = Faces in the Crowd Starts Shooting! Full Cast Announced!|last = Barton|first = Steve|publisher = Dread Central|date = 2010-05-11|access-date = 2010-05-11}}

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.{{cite web|url=https://www.gateworld.net/news/2019/07/michael-shanks-to-appear-on-netflixs-altered-carbon/|title=Michael Shanks To Appear On Netflix's Altered Carbon|work=GateWorld|date=July 13, 2019|access-date=July 15, 2019}}

Shanks has a daughter{{cite web|url=http://twitter.com/michaelshanks/status/763372615113342977|title=Michael wishing Tatiana happy birthday on Twitter|archive-url=https://archive.today/20250125033042/https://x.com/michaelshanks/status/763372615113342977?mx=2|archive-date=January 25, 2025}} from his relationship with model and actress Vaitiare Bandera, who portrayed Sha're, his character's wife on Stargate SG-1."Sha're Shares: Interview with Vaitiare Bandera", Stargate SG1 Official Magazine No. 8, Jan/Feb 2006, Titan Magazines publishers.{{cite web|url=http://www.michaelshanks-online.com/archives/msol/msfeet.shtml|title=Michael Shanks - MSOL Interview|last=MSOL|website=www.michaelshanks-online.com|access-date=2017-09-09|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20190428164942/http://www.michaelshanks-online.com/archives/msol/msfeet.shtml|archive-date=2019-04-28|url-status=dead}}

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.{{cite web |url = http://www.cbc.ca/player/TD+Kids+Book+Club+Video/ID/2065793035/ |title = Actors Michael Shanks and Lexa Doig on Great Kids Books |work = CBC/Radio-Canada |date = 2011-07-22}}

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.{{cite web |url = http://www.huffingtonpost.ca/2013/04/25/gordie-howe-movie_n_3155316.html |title = Gordie Howe, Mr Hockey, Played By Stargate's Michael Shanks In New Film |work = Huffington Post Canada |date = 2013-04-25}}

File:Directors-The Wild Boys.jpg, Shanks, and Peter DeLuise December 10, 2004]]

{{reflist}}

{{Commons category}}

• [http://www.michaelshanks-online.com/ Michael Shanks Online – The Official Michael Shanks Website]
• {{IMDb name|0788218}}
• [https://web.archive.org/web/20070519102122/http://community.tvguide.com/blog/celebrity-blogs/michaels-24-38/800048552 Michael Shanks TV Guide Blog]

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Category:1969 births

Category:Canadian male film actors

Category:Canadian male television actors

Category:Canadian male voice actors

Category:Living people

Category:Male actors from Vancouver

Category:University of British Columbia alumni