After a decade-long stint as fan favorite Dr. Daniel Jackson in the Sci-Fi Channel’s number-one hit show “Stargate SG-1,” Michael Shanks wasted no time testing the waters on the other side of the acting portal when the series wrapped in 2007. Since wrapping the record-breaking show, Shanks has been in high demand, starring on several hit shows, movies of the week and films.
Shanks recurred on USA’s “Burn Notice” as Victor. His critically acclaimed performance in the first half of season two set the stage for more fireworks as the remaining episodes of “Burn Notice” began airing in early 2009. He appeared in a three-episode arc on the Emmy®-winning drama “24” and recurred as Carter Hall, aka Hawkman, on the CW hit “Smallville” during its 10-season run. Shanks played a nasty bad guy opposite Anne Archer in the Lifetime movie “Judicial Indiscretion” and portrayed the hockey legend Gordie Howe in the CBC film “Mr. Hockey: The Gordie Howe Story,” a role which earned him a 2014 Leo Award for Best Lead Performance by a Male in a Television Movie.
In 2013, Shanks earned a Leo Award for Best Lead Performance by a Male in a Dramatic Series for his work on “Saving Hope,” which enjoyed a five-season run on CTV. Other television credits include guest-starring roles on “CSI: Miami,” “Stargate: Atlantis,” “Mr. Young”, “Endgame” and “Supernatural,” to name a few. He also co-starred in the Emmy Award®-winning William H. Macy telefilm “Door to Door,” the adaptation of Jack London’s “The Call of the Wild: Dog of the Yukon” and the Hallmark Channel Original Movie “Hearts of Spring.”
In his free time, Shanks, who lives with his family in Vancouver, enjoys rollerblading, golfing and spending time with his children. “There is no denying that I’m a true Canadian!” says Shanks, who has also played hockey for more than 23 years and still cheers for his hometown Vancouver Canucks.
