{"id":94978,"date":"2020-11-04T15:02:00","date_gmt":"2020-11-04T19:02:00","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/id-andrea.cms-devl.bu.edu\/cfa\/?post_type=bu-article&#038;p=94978"},"modified":"2023-02-01T14:39:48","modified_gmt":"2023-02-01T19:39:48","slug":"changing-minds","status":"publish","type":"bu-article","link":"https:\/\/id-andrea.cms-devl.bu.edu\/cfa\/magazine\/articles\/2020\/changing-minds\/","title":{"rendered":"Changing Minds"},"content":{"rendered":"\t<div class=\"wp-block-editorial-leadin magazine-block-editorial-leadin is-style-image-to-text has-media has-media-focus-center-middle has-secondary-theme\">\n\t\t<div class=\"container-lockup\">\n\n\t\t\t<div class=\"wp-block-leadin-media\">\n\t\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\t<img width=\"2140\" height=\"1620\" src=\"\/cfa\/files\/2022\/11\/Michael-Chiklis-Changing-Minds.jpg\" class=\"\" alt=\"\" loading=\"lazy\" srcset=\"https:\/\/id-andrea.cms-devl.bu.edu\/cfa\/files\/2022\/11\/Michael-Chiklis-Changing-Minds.jpg 2140w, https:\/\/id-andrea.cms-devl.bu.edu\/cfa\/files\/2022\/11\/Michael-Chiklis-Changing-Minds-636x481.jpg 636w, https:\/\/id-andrea.cms-devl.bu.edu\/cfa\/files\/2022\/11\/Michael-Chiklis-Changing-Minds-1024x775.jpg 1024w, https:\/\/id-andrea.cms-devl.bu.edu\/cfa\/files\/2022\/11\/Michael-Chiklis-Changing-Minds-768x581.jpg 768w, https:\/\/id-andrea.cms-devl.bu.edu\/cfa\/files\/2022\/11\/Michael-Chiklis-Changing-Minds-1536x1163.jpg 1536w, https:\/\/id-andrea.cms-devl.bu.edu\/cfa\/files\/2022\/11\/Michael-Chiklis-Changing-Minds-2048x1550.jpg 2048w, https:\/\/id-andrea.cms-devl.bu.edu\/cfa\/files\/2022\/11\/Michael-Chiklis-Changing-Minds-1321x1000.jpg 1321w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 2140px) 100vw, 2140px\" \/>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\n\t\t\t\n\n\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\t<div class=\"container-words-outer\">\n\n\t\t\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\t\t<div class=\"container-words-inner\">\n\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<span class=\"wp-prepress-tag\">Theatre<\/span>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<h1 class=\"head\">\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<a href=\"http:\/\/michael-chiklis-changing-minds-coyote\">Changing Minds<\/a>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/h1>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<h4 class=\"deck\">Good cop, bad cop, superhero. Michael Chiklis discusses how he reinvented himself to stay on top in a fickle business and dishes on his new show,\u00a0<em>Coyote<\/em><\/h4>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\n\t\t\t\n\t\t<\/div>\n\n\t\t\n\t<\/div>\n\n\t\n<div class=\"wp-prepress-component-metabar magazine-prepress-layout-metabar\">\n\t<div class=\"wp-prepress-component-metabar-wrapper\">\n\t\t\t\t\t<div class=\"wp-prepress-component-metabar-date\">November 4, 2020<\/div>\n\t\t\n\t\t\t\t<div class=\"wp-prepress-component-metabar-credits\">\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<ul data-credit-type=\"By\">\n\t\t\t\t\t\t<li><a href=\"https:\/\/id-andrea.cms-devl.bu.edu\/cfa\/magazine\/authors\/mara-sassoon\/\">Mara Sassoon<\/a><\/li>\n\t\t\t\t\t<\/ul>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t<div class=\"wp-prepress-component-metabar-share js-bu-prepress-share-tools\">\n\t\t\t<span class=\"icon-twitter\"><span>Twitter<\/span><\/span>\n\t\t\t<span class=\"icon-facebook\"><span>Facebook<\/span><\/span>\n\t\t\t<span class=\"icon-action\"><\/span>\n\t\t<\/div>\n\t<\/div>\n<\/div>\n\n\t\n\n\n<div class=\"wp-block-editorial-introparagraph magazine-block-editorial-introparagraph is-style-dropcap-boxed has-dropcap has-dropcap-color-secondary\"><div class=\"wp-block-editorial-introparagraph-content\"><p>In the 2002 pilot episode of the hit FX series&nbsp;<em>The Shield<\/em>, the show\u2019s merciless and corrupt protagonist, Los Angeles Police Department detective Vic Mackey, played by Michael Chiklis, brutally beats a suspect and murders a fellow officer in cold blood\u2014and it only gets worse from there. For the rest of the show\u2019s seven seasons, Mackey displays increasingly disturbing and illegal behavior: torturing and killing suspects, stealing evidence, embezzling money. Not only did the events of that first episode make it onto&nbsp;<em>Rolling Stone<\/em>\u2019s \u201cThe Shocking 16: TV\u2019s Most Heart-stopping Moments,\u201d but&nbsp;<em>Entertainment Weekly<\/em>&nbsp;also named Mackey one of its \u201c16 Ultimate TV Antiheroes.\u201d<\/p><\/div><\/div>\n\n\n\n<p>It\u2019s a role Chiklis (\u201985) played with compelling, can\u2019t-look-away grit and one that earned him critical acclaim\u2014he won a 2002 Emmy Award for Outstanding Lead Actor in a Drama Series and a 2003 Golden Globe Award for Best Actor \u2013 Television Series Drama. And he\u2019s bringing a similar captivating performance to his starring role in the upcoming series&nbsp;<em>Coyote<\/em>. But before he got to the A-list, Chiklis had plenty of time out of the limelight, working in a host of small theaters, waiting a lot of tables, and even starring in a movie so controversial he thought he\u2019d never act again.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<h2>The Acting Bug<\/h2>\n\n\n\n<p>\u201cMy parents used to tell me that I announced when I was five years old that I was going to be an actor,\u201d Chiklis says. Growing up in Andover, Mass., he recalls watching&nbsp;<em>The ABC Comedy Hour<\/em>, which featured a group of comedic impressionists called The Kopykats that included the actors Frank Gorshin and Rich Little. Chiklis would walk around \u201cimitating those two guys imitating other people\u201d and make people laugh. \u201cI think it was that response that made me feel like acting was my calling.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n<div class=\"wp-block-editorial-photoessay magazine-block-editorial-photoessay wp-block-photoessay js-block-editorial-photoessay\"><div class=\"photo-row-tall-1-1\">\n<div class=\"photo-1\"><div class=\"wp-block-photoessay-media\"><figure><img loading=\"lazy\" width=\"898\" height=\"1024\" src=\"\/cfa\/files\/2022\/11\/AP_03011906250-898x1024.jpg\" alt=\"\" class=\"wp-image-94997\" srcset=\"https:\/\/id-andrea.cms-devl.bu.edu\/cfa\/files\/2022\/11\/AP_03011906250-898x1024.jpg 898w, https:\/\/id-andrea.cms-devl.bu.edu\/cfa\/files\/2022\/11\/AP_03011906250-558x636.jpg 558w, https:\/\/id-andrea.cms-devl.bu.edu\/cfa\/files\/2022\/11\/AP_03011906250-768x876.jpg 768w, https:\/\/id-andrea.cms-devl.bu.edu\/cfa\/files\/2022\/11\/AP_03011906250-1347x1536.jpg 1347w, https:\/\/id-andrea.cms-devl.bu.edu\/cfa\/files\/2022\/11\/AP_03011906250-877x1000.jpg 877w, https:\/\/id-andrea.cms-devl.bu.edu\/cfa\/files\/2022\/11\/AP_03011906250.jpg 1754w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 898px) 100vw, 898px\" \/><\/figure><\/div><\/div>\n\n\n\n<div class=\"photo-1\"><div class=\"wp-block-photoessay-media\"><figure><img loading=\"lazy\" width=\"1004\" height=\"1024\" src=\"\/cfa\/files\/2022\/11\/AP_02092206310-1004x1024.jpg\" alt=\"\" class=\"wp-image-94996\" srcset=\"https:\/\/id-andrea.cms-devl.bu.edu\/cfa\/files\/2022\/11\/AP_02092206310-1004x1024.jpg 1004w, https:\/\/id-andrea.cms-devl.bu.edu\/cfa\/files\/2022\/11\/AP_02092206310-624x636.jpg 624w, https:\/\/id-andrea.cms-devl.bu.edu\/cfa\/files\/2022\/11\/AP_02092206310-768x783.jpg 768w, https:\/\/id-andrea.cms-devl.bu.edu\/cfa\/files\/2022\/11\/AP_02092206310-1506x1536.jpg 1506w, https:\/\/id-andrea.cms-devl.bu.edu\/cfa\/files\/2022\/11\/AP_02092206310-981x1000.jpg 981w, https:\/\/id-andrea.cms-devl.bu.edu\/cfa\/files\/2022\/11\/AP_02092206310.jpg 1863w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 1004px) 100vw, 1004px\" \/><\/figure><\/div><\/div>\n<\/div><\/div>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"has-background has-normal-font-size has-secondary-background-color\">Left, Michael Chiklis (\u201985) earned critical acclaim for his role on&nbsp;The Shield, for which he won a 2002 Emmy and a 2003 Golden Globe.&nbsp; Reed Saxon\/AP. Right, Kevork Djansezian\/AP.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>That calling became a little more real during the ninth grade, when Chiklis starred as Hawkeye Pierce in his school\u2019s stage production of&nbsp;<em>M*A*S*H<\/em>. \u201cIt was pretty racy for a high school play,\u201d he says. His turn as the chief surgeon caught the attention of a casting director from a local summer stock theater, landing him a spot in a production of&nbsp;<em>Bye Bye Birdie<\/em>. The production\u2019s director, Mark Kaufman, would become Chiklis\u2019 first theatrical mentor. When Kaufman cofounded the Merrimack Repertory Theatre in Lowell, he cast Chiklis in a production of&nbsp;<em>Romeo and Juliet<\/em>&nbsp;during its first season.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>\u201cI gained incredible insight from watching Mark open a regional theater, from inception to fruition,\u201d Chiklis says. \u201cSeeing that process and getting to be onstage so much, it solidified my love for the theater and acting.\u201d Kaufman also encouraged him to apply to Boston University\u2019s theater program. It was the only school Chiklis applied to. \u201cNow, I think to myself, \u2018Oh my God, what if I didn\u2019t get in?\u2019 I don\u2019t know what I was thinking.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Chiklis attributes much of his success to the guidance he had as a young actor from people like Kaufman and\u2014at CFA\u2014the late Jim Spruill, who was an associate professor of theater. \u201cGood mentorship can completely change the outcome in a person\u2019s life,\u201d Chiklis says. That kind of mentorship, he believes, extends far beyond acting advice. During his freshman year, he was blindsided by the news that his parents were divorcing. \u201cMy family broke. It really cracked my foundation and sent me into a kind of a spiral.\u201d His grades and performances started to suffer and Spruill took notice. \u201cHe knew I was a good student, that I loved the craft. But all of a sudden, I was aimless and unfocused. He cared enough to say, \u2018What\u2019s up with you? What\u2019s happening?\u2019 He nurtured me through it. He cared enough to just ask a couple of questions.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n<div class=\"wp-block-editorial-photoessay magazine-block-editorial-photoessay wp-block-photoessay js-block-editorial-photoessay\"><div class=\"photo-row-full-f\">\n<div class=\"photo-f\"><div class=\"wp-block-photoessay-media\"><figure><img loading=\"lazy\" width=\"1024\" height=\"683\" src=\"\/cfa\/files\/2022\/11\/84-779-007-1024x683.jpg\" alt=\"\" class=\"wp-image-94995\" srcset=\"https:\/\/id-andrea.cms-devl.bu.edu\/cfa\/files\/2022\/11\/84-779-007-1024x683.jpg 1024w, https:\/\/id-andrea.cms-devl.bu.edu\/cfa\/files\/2022\/11\/84-779-007-636x424.jpg 636w, https:\/\/id-andrea.cms-devl.bu.edu\/cfa\/files\/2022\/11\/84-779-007-768x512.jpg 768w, https:\/\/id-andrea.cms-devl.bu.edu\/cfa\/files\/2022\/11\/84-779-007-1536x1024.jpg 1536w, https:\/\/id-andrea.cms-devl.bu.edu\/cfa\/files\/2022\/11\/84-779-007-2048x1365.jpg 2048w, https:\/\/id-andrea.cms-devl.bu.edu\/cfa\/files\/2022\/11\/84-779-007-1500x1000.jpg 1500w, https:\/\/id-andrea.cms-devl.bu.edu\/cfa\/files\/2022\/11\/84-779-007-900x600.jpg 900w, https:\/\/id-andrea.cms-devl.bu.edu\/cfa\/files\/2022\/11\/84-779-007-450x300.jpg 450w, https:\/\/id-andrea.cms-devl.bu.edu\/cfa\/files\/2022\/11\/84-779-007-600x400.jpg 600w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 1024px) 100vw, 1024px\" \/><\/figure><\/div><\/div>\n<\/div><\/div>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"has-background has-normal-font-size has-secondary-background-color\">Chiklis at a rehearsal for a 1984 BU mainstage production of&nbsp;The Hostage. Rehearsals, he says, \u201cwere where I learned the most.\u201d BU Photography<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>While Chiklis fondly recalls performing in shows like&nbsp;<em>On the Razzle&nbsp;<\/em>at the Huntington Theatre Company, which BU had established during his freshman year, he loved the rehearsals more than anything. \u201cThey were where I learned the most. At rehearsals, we were exchanging ideas\u2014students from all over the country, from every race, creed, and walk of life. The truth is, we would go at it. Everyone was super opinionated and we discussed and argued about the shows.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>\u201cBU just opened my mind to so many things, so many people. It made me think, \u2018Wow, there\u2019s just so much to know.\u2019\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n<h2>Breaking Through<\/h2>\n\n\n\n<p>As graduation loomed, Chiklis envisioned himself heading to New York and getting a big break on Broadway. He moved to the city two days after graduating, ready to make headlines.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>\u201cI commend the School of Theatre for all the things I learned in terms of the craft and how to be the best actor that I could be. But what was lacking at the time was learning the vocational side of it\u2014the business of show business,\u201d he says. \u201cThat\u2019s why I love coming back to BU and speaking to students, because I feel like I was that wide-eyed kid five minutes ago thinking, \u2018Please give me some insight.\u2019\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n<div class=\"wp-block-bu-pullquote magazine-block-bu-pullquote alignwide has-image-focus-center-middle has-secondary-theme has-secondary-theme-text\"><div class=\"wp-block-bu-pullquote-inner\"><figure><\/figure><blockquote><div class=\"container-lockup\"><div class=\"container-icon-outer\"><div class=\"container-icon-inner\"><\/div><\/div><div class=\"container-text\"><hr\/><div class=\"quote-sizing\">I LOVE COMING BACK TO BU AND SPEAKING TO STUDENTS, BECAUSE I FEEL LIKE I WAS THAT WIDE-EYED KID FIVE MINUTES AGO THINKING, \u2018PLEASE GIVE ME SOME INSIGHT.\u2019<\/div><footer class=\"caption\"><br\/>MICHAEL CHIKLIS<\/footer><hr\/><\/div><\/div><\/blockquote><\/div><\/div>\n\n\n\n<p>When Chiklis arrived in New York, Broadway was in a slump. \u201cThere were only maybe eight theaters lit,\u201d he says. \u201cIt was all musicals and they were mostly revivals. There were almost no original musicals happening at that time.\u201d He found some small off-Broadway and off-off-Broadway gigs, and did a few performances at La MaMa, the experimental theater group in the East Village. But he was mostly biding his time, waiting tables and bartending to make a living, and hoping that something big would come along soon. It would take two years.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<figure class=\"wp-block-embed-youtube wp-block-embed is-type-video is-provider-youtube wp-embed-aspect-16-9 wp-has-aspect-ratio\"><div class=\"wp-block-embed__wrapper\">\n<div class=\"responsive-video responsive-youtube\"><iframe loading=\"lazy\" title=\"Michael Chiklis: College of Fine Arts Convocation Speaker 2018\" width=\"500\" height=\"281\" src=\"https:\/\/www.youtube.com\/embed\/UexHn5pgYBE?feature=oembed&#038;enablejsapi=1&#038;origin=https:\/\/id-andrea.cms-devl.bu.edu\/cfa\" frameborder=\"0\" allow=\"accelerometer; autoplay; clipboard-write; encrypted-media; gyroscope; picture-in-picture\" allowfullscreen><\/iframe><\/div>\n<\/div><figcaption>Chiklis spoke at the 2018 CFA Convocation. \u201cMusic, art, theater, dance, film, all of these art forms make the world a far better place,\u201d he told the graduates. \u201cCan you imagine our world without them?\u201d Video by BU Productions<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\n\n\n<p>Chiklis was working as a waiter at a West Village restaurant called Formerly Joe\u2019s, alongside the late chef Anthony Bourdain and an up-and-coming Edie Falco. One day, his agent called the restaurant\u2019s phone\u2014Falco was the one who picked up: Chiklis had gotten a break. While he was still at BU, a casting director for a forthcoming film adaptation of Bob Woodward\u2019s John Belushi biography&nbsp;<em>Wired&nbsp;<\/em>had spotted Chiklis in the senior theater showcase in New York City at Lincoln Center and offered him an audition for the role of Belushi. It took more than 12 auditions over the course of two years to finally get the role.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Things were looking up.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<h2>Reinvention<\/h2>\n\n\n\n<p>Until they weren\u2019t.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Woodward\u2019s book had reaped its fair share of controversy when it was released, with Belushi\u2019s friend and&nbsp;<em>Saturday Night Live<\/em>&nbsp;costar Dan Aykroyd claiming it misquoted him and misrepresented Belushi. When the film adaptation was announced, there were plenty of vocal opponents: Chiklis has long maintained that at least one of them warned casting directors not to hire anyone from the movie.&nbsp;<em>Wired<\/em>\u2019s coproducer Edward Feldman told&nbsp;<em>Time&nbsp;<\/em>magazine months before the film was released that \u201cword was put out that this was a project not to be touched.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>\u201cHere it is, I got a huge break playing an icon in a big feature film with an Academy Award\u2013winning producer. It was a completely exciting, life-changing moment,\u201d says Chiklis. \u201cAnd then, by the time I\u2019m not even finished filming the movie, I find out that I\u2019m going to be blacklisted from making movies. My career seemed like it was over.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>For a little more than a year, Chiklis says, he was snubbed: \u201cI couldn\u2019t get seen for anything,\u201d he says. \u201cIt was a horrible, fretful time.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>When the film eventually appeared on screens, Chiklis says it was \u201ccut to pieces to avoid the onslaught of lawsuits pending against it.\u201d The movie was panned. Moviegoers walked out of the 1989 Cannes Film Festival premiere.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Chiklis returned to New York and played some small parts in stage productions while trying out for guest roles in popular television series. Finally, the television doors opened when the late Burt Reynolds advocated for him to get a part in an episode of his show&nbsp;<em>B.L. Stryker<\/em>. A cameraman who had worked on&nbsp;<em>Wired&nbsp;<\/em>was now working on&nbsp;<em>B.L. Stryker<\/em>&nbsp;and arranged for Chiklis to meet with Reynolds. In a 2015 interview with the Television Academy Foundation, Chiklis says Reynolds told him he \u201cdidn\u2019t believe in blackballing and thought I was a great talent, and he wanted to hire me, so he did.\u201d Guest starring roles in some of the biggest shows of the time, like&nbsp;<em>Murphy Brown<\/em>,&nbsp;<em>L.A. Law<\/em>, and&nbsp;<em>Seinfeld<\/em>, followed. Networks were even considering him for his own show.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>In 1991, he landed the starring role in&nbsp;<em>The Commish<\/em>, in which he played Tony Scali, the affable police commissioner of a small town in New York. He was encouraged to gain weight for the role; although he was in his late 20s when the show started filming, he was playing someone more than a decade older. The show ran for a successful five seasons, but Chiklis felt stuck, pigeonholed by the part. \u201cEverybody thought that I was a 50-year-old, roly-poly nice guy.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>At his wife\u2019s encouragement, Chiklis shaved his thinning hair and hit the gym, ready to reinvent himself. \u201cAt this point, no one would have hired me to play Vic Mackey. I did what I had to do to change minds,\u201d he says. \u201cIt\u2019s a very fickle industry. Listen to the lyrics of Frank Sinatra\u2019s song \u2018That\u2019s Life\u2019: \u2018Riding high in April, shot down in May.\u2019 That is exactly the life of an actor.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n<h2>Striking Gold<\/h2>\n\n\n\n<p>In 2019, the<em>&nbsp;Guardian&nbsp;<\/em>reminisced about&nbsp;<em>The Shield,&nbsp;<\/em>writing, \u201cIf you talk about the golden age of TV without mentioning&nbsp;<em>The Shield<\/em>, you\u2019re doing it wrong.\u201d The newspaper lauded the show for maintaining its quality all the way through its last episode and not petering out with a disappointing final season like other programs have. It praised Chiklis\u2019 \u201cmagnificent performance\u201d of a character who, despite his amoral deeds, still garners sympathy. Playing Mackey, which has arguably become Chiklis\u2019 best-known role to date, was \u201can amazing, life-changing experience,\u201d he says.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<div class=\"wp-block-editorial-photoessay magazine-block-editorial-photoessay alignwide wp-block-photoessay js-block-editorial-photoessay\"><div class=\"photo-row-tall-1-1\">\n<div class=\"photo-1\"><div class=\"wp-block-photoessay-media\"><figure><img loading=\"lazy\" width=\"683\" height=\"1024\" src=\"\/cfa\/files\/2022\/11\/20-1299-CFACHIKLIS-002-683x1024.jpg\" alt=\"\" class=\"wp-image-94991\" srcset=\"https:\/\/id-andrea.cms-devl.bu.edu\/cfa\/files\/2022\/11\/20-1299-CFACHIKLIS-002-683x1024.jpg 683w, https:\/\/id-andrea.cms-devl.bu.edu\/cfa\/files\/2022\/11\/20-1299-CFACHIKLIS-002-424x636.jpg 424w, https:\/\/id-andrea.cms-devl.bu.edu\/cfa\/files\/2022\/11\/20-1299-CFACHIKLIS-002-768x1152.jpg 768w, https:\/\/id-andrea.cms-devl.bu.edu\/cfa\/files\/2022\/11\/20-1299-CFACHIKLIS-002-1024x1536.jpg 1024w, https:\/\/id-andrea.cms-devl.bu.edu\/cfa\/files\/2022\/11\/20-1299-CFACHIKLIS-002-1365x2048.jpg 1365w, https:\/\/id-andrea.cms-devl.bu.edu\/cfa\/files\/2022\/11\/20-1299-CFACHIKLIS-002-667x1000.jpg 667w, https:\/\/id-andrea.cms-devl.bu.edu\/cfa\/files\/2022\/11\/20-1299-CFACHIKLIS-002-scaled.jpg 1707w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 683px) 100vw, 683px\" \/><\/figure><\/div><\/div>\n\n\n\n<div class=\"photo-1\"><div class=\"wp-block-photoessay-media\"><figure><img loading=\"lazy\" width=\"683\" height=\"1024\" src=\"\/cfa\/files\/2022\/11\/20-1299-CFACHIKLIS-001-683x1024.jpg\" alt=\"Michael Chiklis\" class=\"wp-image-94989\" srcset=\"https:\/\/id-andrea.cms-devl.bu.edu\/cfa\/files\/2022\/11\/20-1299-CFACHIKLIS-001-683x1024.jpg 683w, https:\/\/id-andrea.cms-devl.bu.edu\/cfa\/files\/2022\/11\/20-1299-CFACHIKLIS-001-424x636.jpg 424w, https:\/\/id-andrea.cms-devl.bu.edu\/cfa\/files\/2022\/11\/20-1299-CFACHIKLIS-001-768x1152.jpg 768w, https:\/\/id-andrea.cms-devl.bu.edu\/cfa\/files\/2022\/11\/20-1299-CFACHIKLIS-001-1024x1536.jpg 1024w, https:\/\/id-andrea.cms-devl.bu.edu\/cfa\/files\/2022\/11\/20-1299-CFACHIKLIS-001-1365x2048.jpg 1365w, https:\/\/id-andrea.cms-devl.bu.edu\/cfa\/files\/2022\/11\/20-1299-CFACHIKLIS-001-667x1000.jpg 667w, https:\/\/id-andrea.cms-devl.bu.edu\/cfa\/files\/2022\/11\/20-1299-CFACHIKLIS-001-scaled.jpg 1707w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 683px) 100vw, 683px\" \/><\/figure><\/div><\/div>\n<\/div><\/div>\n\n\n\n<p>\u201cWe knew we were doing something special. It was artistically just such an incredible time. The show felt very relevant. It still feels so relevant because a question we were asking at the time through the show was, \u2018What are we willing to accept from law enforcement in post\u20139\/11 America to keep us safe?\u2019 And, as it turns out, a lot of us were willing to accept way too much.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n<div class=\"wp-block-image\"><figure class=\"alignleft size-large\"><img loading=\"lazy\" width=\"683\" height=\"1024\" src=\"\/cfa\/files\/2022\/11\/20-1299-CFACHIKLIS-005-683x1024.jpg\" alt=\"\" class=\"wp-image-94994\" srcset=\"https:\/\/id-andrea.cms-devl.bu.edu\/cfa\/files\/2022\/11\/20-1299-CFACHIKLIS-005-683x1024.jpg 683w, https:\/\/id-andrea.cms-devl.bu.edu\/cfa\/files\/2022\/11\/20-1299-CFACHIKLIS-005-424x636.jpg 424w, https:\/\/id-andrea.cms-devl.bu.edu\/cfa\/files\/2022\/11\/20-1299-CFACHIKLIS-005-768x1152.jpg 768w, https:\/\/id-andrea.cms-devl.bu.edu\/cfa\/files\/2022\/11\/20-1299-CFACHIKLIS-005-1024x1536.jpg 1024w, https:\/\/id-andrea.cms-devl.bu.edu\/cfa\/files\/2022\/11\/20-1299-CFACHIKLIS-005-1365x2048.jpg 1365w, https:\/\/id-andrea.cms-devl.bu.edu\/cfa\/files\/2022\/11\/20-1299-CFACHIKLIS-005-667x1000.jpg 667w, https:\/\/id-andrea.cms-devl.bu.edu\/cfa\/files\/2022\/11\/20-1299-CFACHIKLIS-005-scaled.jpg 1707w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 683px) 100vw, 683px\" \/><figcaption>Figurine of Chiklis&#8217; <em>Fantastic Four <\/em>character Ben Grimm\/The Thing. Photo by Patrick Strattner<\/figcaption><\/figure><\/div>\n\n\n\n<p>His turn as Mackey opened up other parts, like Ben Grimm\/The Thing in&nbsp;<em>Fantastic Four&nbsp;<\/em>and&nbsp;<em>Fantastic Four: Rise of the Silver Surfer&nbsp;<\/em>(passion projects for Chiklis, a lifelong comic book fan) and more recent roles in&nbsp;<em>American Horror Story: Freak Show&nbsp;<\/em>and&nbsp;<em>Gotham<\/em>.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Soon, Chiklis will bring a Mackey-esque tough-guy edge to his starring role in the upcoming series&nbsp;<em>Coyote<\/em>, set to premiere on an as-yet undisclosed streaming service in early 2021. He plays Ben Clemens, a longtime US Border Patrol agent who, on the same day of his mandatory retirement, finds a tunnel used for smuggling black market goods into the United States from Mexico. Through a series of events, he becomes a coyote, someone who smuggles people across the border. Chiklis, who also serves as a coexecutive producer on the series, worked with the show\u2019s director and executive producer Michelle MacLaren for more than two years to polish the series and get it ready for development.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>\u201cThis show is about a collision of cultures. It\u2019s very timely, but the show is not political,\u201d says Chiklis. Half of the show\u2019s writing staff, he says, are South and Central American and Mexican, while the other half are from the United States. He is drawn to playing the complex Clemens, a character whose \u201cviewpoint has been galvanized through echo chambers. But he starts questioning his views. It\u2019s very disillusioning for him and very disorienting.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Filming for the show started in November 2019, mostly around Baja California, Mexico, and Chiklis often faced rigorous shoots\u2014including one that landed him in surgery. While shooting a scene in the Sonoran Desert during the first couple of weeks of filming, he was running up a mountain face and hopped over a prairie dog hole to avoid it. \u201cUnfortunately, I landed right above the hole, where the tunnel was, and it collapsed. My knee completely hyperextended.\u201d He kept going and finished the take. Although he knew he was hurt, he continued filming through the next few months with two tears in his meniscus.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Then, in March, six and a half episodes into filming, production had to suddenly shut down due to COVID-19. \u201cWe had to stop in the middle of this amazing experience that we were having. It was horrible,\u201d says Chiklis. Still, he was inspired by how the cast and crew adapted.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<figure class=\"wp-block-embed-youtube wp-block-embed is-type-video is-provider-youtube wp-embed-aspect-16-9 wp-has-aspect-ratio\"><div class=\"wp-block-embed__wrapper\">\n<div class=\"responsive-video responsive-youtube\"><iframe loading=\"lazy\" title=\"Coyote Season 1 Teaser | Rotten Tomatoes TV\" width=\"500\" height=\"281\" src=\"https:\/\/www.youtube.com\/embed\/J7oSKDJRbVA?feature=oembed&#038;enablejsapi=1&#038;origin=https:\/\/id-andrea.cms-devl.bu.edu\/cfa\" frameborder=\"0\" allow=\"accelerometer; autoplay; clipboard-write; encrypted-media; gyroscope; picture-in-picture\" allowfullscreen><\/iframe><\/div>\n<\/div><figcaption>In the upcoming&nbsp;<em>Coyote<\/em>, Chiklis plays US Border Patrol agent Ben Clemens. Like many shows and movies in 2020,&nbsp;<em>Coyote<\/em>\u2018s premiere was pushed to 2021, but Chiklis says it is worth the wait. Video courtesy Rotten Tomatoes TV<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\n\n\n<p>\u201cThe postproduction on those episodes was done entirely remotely, which was just an extraordinary and arduous experience. But it was the only way to be able to do it. I really think this will change the way the industry does business in the future.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Chiklis says filming&nbsp;<em>Coyote<\/em>&nbsp;brought back memories of making&nbsp;<em>The Shield<\/em>.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"is-style-end-of-article\">\u201cSometimes, when people watch something on TV, they\u2019re watching with this benign, removed attention,\u201d he says. But, he\u2019s not interested in that. \u201cI want to affect people. I want to make people feel something. It\u2019s so satisfying when I make something that entertains people, but also gets them thinking, gets them engaged, and maybe makes them see things in a different way.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\t<aside class=\"wp-block-editorial-relatedstories is-style-card has-two magazine-block-editorial-relatedstories\">\n\t\t<h3 class=\"wp-block-editorial-relatedstories-title\">Related<\/h3>\n\t\t<ul class=\"wp-block-editorial-relatedstories-list\">\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<li class=\"wp-block-editorial-relatedstories-list-item\">\n\t\t\t\t\t<article class=\"wp-block-editorial-relatedstories-article\">\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<figure class=\"wp-block-editorial-relatedstories-article-image\">\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<img width=\"300\" height=\"200\" src=\"\/cfa\/files\/2016\/12\/Reid-Kelley_thumb.jpg\" class=\"attachment-post-thumbnail size-post-thumbnail wp-post-image\" alt=\"video still by Mary Reid Kelley and Patrick Kelley\" loading=\"lazy\" \/>\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/figure>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<div class=\"wp-block-editorial-relatedstories-article-content\">\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<p class=\"wp-block-editorial-relatedstories-article-category\"><span>Visual Arts<\/span><\/p>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<h4 class=\"wp-block-editorial-relatedstories-article-title\"><a href=\"https:\/\/id-andrea.cms-devl.bu.edu\/cfa\/news\/articles\/2017\/mary-reid-kelley-patrick-kelley\/\" class=\"wp-block-editorial-relatedstories-article-title-link\">Visiting Artists: Mary Reid Kelley &#038; Patrick Kelley<\/a><\/h4>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<p class=\"wp-block-editorial-relatedstories-article-date\">January 5, 2017<\/p>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t<div class=\"wp-prepress-component-article-share wp-prepress-component-article-share-sharedby-news\"><span class=\"wp-prepress-component-article-share-label\">Shared from<\/span> <span class=\"wp-prepress-component-article-share-source\"><div class=\"editorial-branding editorial-branding-news bu-prepress-branding-type-text\"><div class=\"editorial-branding-wrap\">News<\/div><\/div><\/span><\/div>\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/article>\n\t\t\t\t<\/li>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<li class=\"wp-block-editorial-relatedstories-list-item\">\n\t\t\t\t\t<article class=\"wp-block-editorial-relatedstories-article\">\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<figure class=\"wp-block-editorial-relatedstories-article-image\">\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<img width=\"1200\" height=\"1800\" src=\"\/cfa\/files\/2016\/12\/083016_Cerjan_Margaret_1735.jpg\" class=\"attachment-post-thumbnail size-post-thumbnail wp-post-image\" alt=\"083016_Cerjan_Margaret_1735.JPG\" loading=\"lazy\" srcset=\"https:\/\/id-andrea.cms-devl.bu.edu\/cfa\/files\/2016\/12\/083016_Cerjan_Margaret_1735.jpg 1200w, https:\/\/id-andrea.cms-devl.bu.edu\/cfa\/files\/2016\/12\/083016_Cerjan_Margaret_1735-424x636.jpg 424w, https:\/\/id-andrea.cms-devl.bu.edu\/cfa\/files\/2016\/12\/083016_Cerjan_Margaret_1735-683x1024.jpg 683w, https:\/\/id-andrea.cms-devl.bu.edu\/cfa\/files\/2016\/12\/083016_Cerjan_Margaret_1735-768x1152.jpg 768w, https:\/\/id-andrea.cms-devl.bu.edu\/cfa\/files\/2016\/12\/083016_Cerjan_Margaret_1735-1024x1536.jpg 1024w, https:\/\/id-andrea.cms-devl.bu.edu\/cfa\/files\/2016\/12\/083016_Cerjan_Margaret_1735-667x1000.jpg 667w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 1200px) 100vw, 1200px\" \/>\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/figure>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<div class=\"wp-block-editorial-relatedstories-article-content\">\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<p class=\"wp-block-editorial-relatedstories-article-category\"><span>BU Tanglewood Institute<\/span><\/p>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<h4 class=\"wp-block-editorial-relatedstories-article-title\"><a href=\"https:\/\/id-andrea.cms-devl.bu.edu\/cfa\/news\/articles\/2017\/bu-tanglewood-institute-launches-junior-strings-intensive\/\" class=\"wp-block-editorial-relatedstories-article-title-link\">BU Tanglewood Institute Launches Junior Strings Intensive<\/a><\/h4>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<p class=\"wp-block-editorial-relatedstories-article-date\">January 12, 2017<\/p>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t<div class=\"wp-prepress-component-article-share wp-prepress-component-article-share-sharedby-news\"><span class=\"wp-prepress-component-article-share-label\">Shared from<\/span> <span class=\"wp-prepress-component-article-share-source\"><div class=\"editorial-branding editorial-branding-news bu-prepress-branding-type-text\"><div class=\"editorial-branding-wrap\">News<\/div><\/div><\/span><\/div>\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/article>\n\t\t\t\t<\/li>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/ul>\n\t<\/aside>\n\t\n\n\n<p><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>It\u2019s a role Chiklis (\u201985) played with compelling, can\u2019t-look-away grit and one that earned him critical acclaim\u2014he won a 2002 Emmy Award for Outstanding Lead Actor in a Drama Series and a 2003 Golden Globe Award for Best Actor \u2013 Television Series Drama. And he\u2019s bringing a similar captivating performance to his starring role in [&hellip;]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":6310,"featured_media":94998,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","template":"","meta":{"bu_prepress_billboard":"","_bu_prepress_primary_term":"","_bu_prepress_primary_term_manual":""},"tags":[],"bu-publication":[191],"magazine-article-category":[372,378],"magazine-topic":[],"news-article-category":[],"news-topic":[],"bu_edition":[384],"media_type":[],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/id-andrea.cms-devl.bu.edu\/cfa\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/bu-article\/94978"}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/id-andrea.cms-devl.bu.edu\/cfa\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/bu-article"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/id-andrea.cms-devl.bu.edu\/cfa\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/bu-article"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/id-andrea.cms-devl.bu.edu\/cfa\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/6310"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/id-andrea.cms-devl.bu.edu\/cfa\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=94978"}],"version-history":[{"count":7,"href":"https:\/\/id-andrea.cms-devl.bu.edu\/cfa\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/bu-article\/94978\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":97685,"href":"https:\/\/id-andrea.cms-devl.bu.edu\/cfa\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/bu-article\/94978\/revisions\/97685"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/id-andrea.cms-devl.bu.edu\/cfa\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/94998"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/id-andrea.cms-devl.bu.edu\/cfa\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=94978"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/id-andrea.cms-devl.bu.edu\/cfa\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=94978"},{"taxonomy":"bu-publication","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/id-andrea.cms-devl.bu.edu\/cfa\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/bu-publication?post=94978"},{"taxonomy":"magazine-article-category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/id-andrea.cms-devl.bu.edu\/cfa\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/magazine-article-category?post=94978"},{"taxonomy":"magazine-topic","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/id-andrea.cms-devl.bu.edu\/cfa\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/magazine-topic?post=94978"},{"taxonomy":"news-article-category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/id-andrea.cms-devl.bu.edu\/cfa\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/news-article-category?post=94978"},{"taxonomy":"news-topic","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/id-andrea.cms-devl.bu.edu\/cfa\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/news-topic?post=94978"},{"taxonomy":"bu_edition","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/id-andrea.cms-devl.bu.edu\/cfa\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/bu_edition?post=94978"},{"taxonomy":"media_type","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/id-andrea.cms-devl.bu.edu\/cfa\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media_type?post=94978"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}