Scared Chiklis

No Ordinary Family’s Michael Chiklis on his embarrassing early roles and maintaining his rock-hard ass.



Everybody’s been comparing this show to Heroes and The Incredibles, which must be annoying. Do you want to finally put those comparisons to rest?

Yeah, it’s an unfair comparison. There have been 475,000 cop shows, yet they’ll make 10 new ones a year without even batting an eye. As far as superhero shows are concerned, I don’t even think we’ve gotten to a dozen yet in TV history. No Ordinary Family is its own thing.




Your character has super strength. Do you spend crazy hours in the gym?



Well, he’s a middle-aged everyman, so it’s not appropriate for him to be Herculean. Just to survive this thing, I’m gonna need to stay fit and in shape, but I want to keep it accessible. At its core this is a family show more than anything else.




Your (male) costar Romany Malco said your butt is hard as a rock. What’s up with that?

Romany has a tendency to pinch me down there once in a while. It’s an odd thing.

Did you have any bad gigs early on in your career?

There are definite credits on my résumé I wish weren’t there, and of course, you’re gonna make me mention them, aren’t you?

Of course.

Let me think. I was in a movie called Soldier. Oy. Not OK.

And the Miami Vice TV show?

If I remember correctly, I played an art thief. It was one of my first roles ever—a long time ago. I had to dress up in drag. Wait—I had to dress up like a Haitian woman to try to escape and get across the border, to get on a ship.

Did you get away?

No! Crockett busted me.

Share: 
Tags: