Michael Eklund
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Michael Eklund is a Canadian television and film actor who is known for playing the role of the
villain A villain (also known as a " black hat" or "bad guy"; the feminine form is villainess) is a stock character, whether based on a historical narrative or one of literary fiction. '' Random House Unabridged Dictionary'' defines such a charact ...
or
antihero An antihero (sometimes spelled as anti-hero) or antiheroine is a main character in a story who may lack conventional heroic qualities and attributes, such as idealism, courage, and morality. Although antiheroes may sometimes perform actions ...
. His characters are often described as being "creepy". His roles include a kidnapper who terrorizes characters played by
Halle Berry Halle Maria Berry (; born Maria Halle Berry; August 14, 1966) is an American actress. She began her career as a model and entered several beauty contests, finishing as the first runner-up in the Miss USA pageant and coming in sixth in the Mi ...
and
Abigail Breslin Abigail Kathleen Breslin (born April 14, 1996) is an American actress. She rose to prominence with the comedy-drama film ''Little Miss Sunshine'' (2006), for which she received a nomination for the Academy Award for Best Supporting Actress at ...
in the 2013
psychological thriller Psychological thriller is a genre combining the thriller and psychological fiction genres. It is commonly used to describe literature or films that deal with psychological narratives in a thriller or thrilling setting. In terms of context and c ...
'' The Call'',
serial killer A serial killer is typically a person who murders three or more persons,A * * * * with the murders taking place over more than a month and including a significant period of time between them. While most authorities set a threshold of three ...
Barton Mathis in the second season of the
superhero A superhero or superheroine is a stock character that typically possesses ''superpowers'', abilities beyond those of ordinary people, and fits the role of the hero, typically using his or her powers to help the world become a better place, ...
TV series ''
Arrow An arrow is a fin-stabilized projectile launched by a bow. A typical arrow usually consists of a long, stiff, straight shaft with a weighty (and usually sharp and pointed) arrowhead attached to the front end, multiple fin-like stabilizers ...
'', drug trafficker Zane Morgan in the second season of the psychological horror drama series '' Bates Motel'' (2014), Martin, the leader of a hedonist group called "The Rowdy 3" on the sci-fi TV series '' Dirk Gently’s Holistic Detective Agency'' (2016–2017) and demon Bobo Del Rey on the sci-fi TV series ''
Wynonna Earp Wynonna Earp is a horror Western comic book miniseries created and owned by Beau Smith. The series was initially published by Image Comics, and from 2003 by IDW Publishing. Plot summary Wynonna is a present-day descendant of the famous law ...
'' (2016–2021). Eklund won the 2008
Leo Award The Leo Awards are the awards program for the British Columbia film and television industry. Held each May or June in Vancouver, British Columbia, Canada, the Leo Awards were founded by the Motion Picture Arts and Sciences Foundation of British C ...
for Best Performance in a Supporting Role for his work on the 2007 Canadian
crime drama Crime films, in the broadest sense, is a film genre inspired by and analogous to the crime fiction literary genre. Films of this genre generally involve various aspects of crime and its detection. Stylistically, the genre may overlap and comb ...
and
thriller film Thriller film, also known as suspense film or suspense thriller, is a broad film genre that evokes excitement and suspense in the audience. The suspense element found in most films' plots is particularly exploited by the filmmaker in this genre. ...
'' Walk All Over Me''. In 2012 Eklund won the Best Actor award at
Fantastic Fest Fantastic Fest is an annual film festival in Austin, Texas. It was founded in 2005 by Tim League of Alamo Drafthouse, Harry Knowles of Ain't It Cool News, Paul Alvarado-Dykstra, and Tim McCanlies, writer of ''The Iron Giant'' and ''Secondhand ...
for his role as Dr. Geoff Burton in the psychological thriller ''
Errors of the Human Body ''Errors of the Human Body'' is a 2012 psychological thriller directed by Eron Sheean and starring Michael Eklund. Plot Dr. Geoff Burton (Eklund), a brilliant genetics researcher, is invited to a lab in Dresden, only to discover a lethal virus i ...
''. He also won the 2013
Leo Award The Leo Awards are the awards program for the British Columbia film and television industry. Held each May or June in Vancouver, British Columbia, Canada, the Leo Awards were founded by the Motion Picture Arts and Sciences Foundation of British C ...
for Best Performance by a Male in a Feature Length Drama for the same role. In 2015 Eklund won the Best Actor award presented by the Union of British Columbia Performers and
Alliance of Canadian Cinema, Television and Radio Artists The Alliance of Canadian Cinema, Television and Radio Artists (ACTRA) is a Canadian trade union representing performers in English-language media. It has 25,000 members working in film, television, radio, and all other recorded media. The orga ...
(UBCPA/ACTRA) for his portrayal of English photographer
Eadweard Muybridge Eadweard Muybridge (; 9 April 1830 – 8 May 1904, born Edward James Muggeridge) was an English photographer known for his pioneering work in photographic studies of motion, and early work in motion-picture projection. He adopted the first ...
in the biographical film '' Eadweard''.


Early life

Born in
Saskatoon Saskatoon () is the largest city in the Provinces and territories of Canada, Canadian province of Saskatchewan. It straddles a bend in the South Saskatchewan River in the central region of the province. It is located along the Trans-Canada Hig ...
, Saskatchewan, Eklund fell in love with the movies at five years of age when his mother took him to see his first movie. He participated in school theatre then later decided to study painting at the Alberta College of Art in
Calgary Calgary ( ) is the largest city in the western Canadian province of Alberta and the largest metro area of the three Prairie Provinces. As of 2021, the city proper had a population of 1,306,784 and a metropolitan population of 1,481,806, maki ...
before dropping-out and moving to
Vancouver Vancouver ( ) is a major city in western Canada, located in the Lower Mainland region of British Columbia. As the most populous city in the province, the 2021 Canadian census recorded 662,248 people in the city, up from 631,486 in 2016. ...
in order to pursue an acting career.


Career


Television

As an actor living in Vancouver Eklund has appeared on several Canadian and American television series filmed in the area. His first television role was in 2000 as a police officer in an episode of the sci-fi series '' Dark Angel''. Eklund appeared on an episode of ''
Stargate SG-1 ''Stargate SG-1'' (often stylized in all caps, or abbreviated ''SG-1'') is a military science fiction adventure television series within Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer's ''Stargate'' franchise. The show, created by Brad Wright and Jonathan Glassner, ...
'' in 2002, and appeared in 2 episodes of ''
Battlestar Galactica ''Battlestar Galactica'' is an American science fiction media franchise created by Glen A. Larson. The franchise began with the original television series in 1978, and was followed by a short-run sequel series (''Galactica 1980''), a line of ...
'' the following year. In 2005 he appeared on the Canadian series ''
Da Vinci's Inquest ''Da Vinci's Inquest'' is a Canadian dramatic television series which originally aired on CBC Television from 1998 to 2005. While never a ratings blockbuster, the critically acclaimed show did attract a loyal following, and ultimately seven seaso ...
'' and ''
Cold Squad ''Cold Squad'' is a Canadian police procedural television series that premiered on CTV on January 23, 1998, at 10 p.m., and ran for seven seasons. Led by Sergeant Ali McCormick ( Julie Stewart), a team of homicide detectives from the Vancouver Pol ...
''. He also had a recurring role on the Canadian mini-series '' Terminal City'' that same year. Eklund appeared in 2 episodes of ''
Smallville ''Smallville'' is an American superhero television series developed by writer-producers Alfred Gough and Miles Millar, based on the DC Comics character Superman created by Jerry Siegel and Joe Shuster. The series was produced by Millar/G ...
'' in different roles in 2001 and 2007. From 2005–2007 he played narcotics detective Rene Desjardins on the Canadian crime drama series ''
Intelligence Intelligence has been defined in many ways: the capacity for abstraction, logic, understanding, self-awareness, learning, emotional knowledge, reasoning, planning, creativity, critical thinking, and problem-solving. More generally, it can ...
''. In 2007 Eklund also had a recurring role on the Canadian series '' Blood Ties''. In 2008 Eklund appeared on an episode of ''
Supernatural Supernatural refers to phenomena or entities that are beyond the laws of nature. The term is derived from Medieval Latin , from Latin (above, beyond, or outside of) + (nature) Though the corollary term "nature", has had multiple meanings si ...
''. In 2009 and 2010 he appeared on episodes of the Canadian series '' Flashpoint'' . In 2010 he also appeared on episodes of the sci-fi series ''
Caprica ''Caprica'' is an American science fiction drama television series. A spin-off prequel of the re-imagined ''Battlestar Galactica'' (2004), Caprica is set 58 years before the main series. ''Caprica'' shows how humanity first created the Cylon a ...
'' and ''
Fringe Fringe may refer to: Arts * Edinburgh Festival Fringe, the world's largest arts festival, known as "the Fringe" * Adelaide Fringe, the world's second-largest annual arts festival * Fringe theatre, a name for alternative theatre * The Fringe, the ...
''. He also had a recurring role on the Canadian series '' Shattered'' that same year. In 2012 Eklund appeared in 2 episodes of the sci-fi thriller series ''
Alcatraz Alcatraz Island () is a small island in San Francisco Bay, offshore from San Francisco, California, United States. The island was developed in the mid-19th century with facilities for a lighthouse, a military fortification, and a military pris ...
''. He also appeared in an episode of ''
Arrow An arrow is a fin-stabilized projectile launched by a bow. A typical arrow usually consists of a long, stiff, straight shaft with a weighty (and usually sharp and pointed) arrowhead attached to the front end, multiple fin-like stabilizers ...
'' in 2013. In 2014 Eklund played Zane Morgan, a recurring character in the second season of the psychological horror drama '' Bates Motel''. In 2015 he also played recurring character Robert Zorin on the Canadian sci-fi series '' Continuum''. From 2016–2017 Eklund played Martin, the punk energy vampire on the series ''
Dirk Gently's Holistic Detective Agency ''Dirk Gently's Holistic Detective Agency'' is a humorous detective novel by English writer Douglas Adams, published in 1987. It is described by the author on its cover as a "thumping good detective-ghost-horror-who dunnit-time travel-romantic- ...
'' In 2018 he also appeared in 3 episodes of the sci-fi series '' Altered Carbon'' as Dimi 2, an illegal copy of character Dimitri Kadmin. In 2016 he also joined the cast of ''
Wynonna Earp Wynonna Earp is a horror Western comic book miniseries created and owned by Beau Smith. The series was initially published by Image Comics, and from 2003 by IDW Publishing. Plot summary Wynonna is a present-day descendant of the famous law ...
'', a series filmed in
Calgary Calgary ( ) is the largest city in the western Canadian province of Alberta and the largest metro area of the three Prairie Provinces. As of 2021, the city proper had a population of 1,306,784 and a metropolitan population of 1,481,806, maki ...
, Alberta and surrounding rural areas. On the series Eklund plays Bobo Del Rey, a fur-coat wearing Revenant.


Film

In 2007 Eklund appeared in the
Al Pacino Alfredo James Pacino (; ; born April 25, 1940) is an American actor. Considered one of the most influential actors of the 20th century, he has received numerous accolades: including an Academy Award, two Tony Awards, and two Primetime Emmy ...
thriller film ''
88 Minutes ''88 Minutes'' is a 2007 thriller film directed by Jon Avnet and starring Al Pacino, Alicia Witt, Leelee Sobieski, William Forsythe, Deborah Kara Unger, Amy Brenneman, Neal McDonough and Benjamin McKenzie. In the film, famed forensic psychiatris ...
''. In 2009, he had a small role in
Terry Gilliam Terrence Vance Gilliam (; born 22 November 1940) is an American-born British filmmaker, comedian, animator, actor and former member of the Monty Python comedy troupe. Gilliam has directed 13 feature films, including '' Time Bandits'' (1981), '' ...
's ''
The Imaginarium of Doctor Parnassus ''The Imaginarium of Doctor Parnassus'' is a 2009 fantasy film directed by Terry Gilliam and written by Gilliam and Charles McKeown. The film follows a travelling theatre troupe whose leader, having made a bet with the Devil, takes audience me ...
''. He played Larry in the 2010 comedy-western film ''
Gunless ''Gunless'' is a 2010 Canadian Western comedy film directed by William Phillips and released by Alliance Films. Plot In 1878, a hardened American gunfighter arrives in a small town in the foothills of the Canadian Rockies, a place that doesn't ...
'' with Paul Gross That same year Eklund appeared in the British-Canadian comedy film '' The Making of Plus One'', a film that also played at
Cannes Cannes ( , , ; oc, Canas) is a city located on the French Riviera. It is a commune located in the Alpes-Maritimes department, and host city of the annual Cannes Film Festival, Midem, and Cannes Lions International Festival of Creativity. The ...
in 2009. In 2011 he starred alongside
Michael Biehn Michael Connell Biehn ( ; born July 31, 1956) is an American actor, primarily known for his roles in science fiction films directed by James Cameron; as Sgt. Kyle Reese in '' The Terminator'' (1984), Cpl. Dwayne Hicks in ''Aliens'' (1986), and ...
in the Xavier Gens thriller '' The Divide'' He also played the character of Father in the apocalyptic siege warfare film ''
The Day The Day may refer to: Film and television * ''The Day'' (1914 film), an Australian silent film * ''The Day'' (1960 film), a short film * ''The Day'' (2011 film), a Canadian film * ''The Day'' (2022 film), a Bangladeshi–Iran joint production ...
'' with
Dominic Monaghan Dominic Bernard Patrick Luke Monaghan (born 8 December 1976) is a British actor. He is best known for playing Meriadoc "Merry" Brandybuck in Peter Jackson's film trilogy ''The Lord of the Rings'' (2001–2003), and Charlie Pace on J. J. Abram ...
and
Shawn Ashmore Shawn Robert Ashmore (born October 7, 1979) is a Canadian actor. He is known for his roles as Bobby Drake / Iceman in the ''X-Men'' film series, Jake Berenson in the television series ''Animorphs'', Agent Mike Weston in the television drama s ...
that same year. In 2013 Eklund played Michael Foster, a serial killer who kidnaps
Abigail Breslin Abigail Kathleen Breslin (born April 14, 1996) is an American actress. She rose to prominence with the comedy-drama film ''Little Miss Sunshine'' (2006), for which she received a nomination for the Academy Award for Best Supporting Actress at ...
's character and terrorizes
Halle Berry Halle Maria Berry (; born Maria Halle Berry; August 14, 1966) is an American actress. She began her career as a model and entered several beauty contests, finishing as the first runner-up in the Miss USA pageant and coming in sixth in the Mi ...
in the film '' The Call''. Eklund has also collaborated three times with
Calgary Calgary ( ) is the largest city in the western Canadian province of Alberta and the largest metro area of the three Prairie Provinces. As of 2021, the city proper had a population of 1,306,784 and a metropolitan population of 1,481,806, maki ...
-based film director
Robert Cuffley Robert Cuffley is a Canadian film director and screenwriter. He began with music videos, directing over 40 in all, before moving into short films, and later, drama. Career In 2001, Cuffley directed '' Turning Paige'' (2001), starring Nicholas Ca ...
: In 2007, he played a crime boss’s enforcer in Cuffley’s
dark comedy Black comedy, also known as dark comedy, morbid humor, or gallows humor, is a style of comedy that makes light of subject matter that is generally considered taboo, particularly subjects that are normally considered serious or painful to discus ...
'' Walk All Over Me''. In 2012, he played a desperate bartender in the violent thriller ''
Ferocious ''Ferocious'' is a Canadian psychological thriller film released in 2013. Written and directed by Robert Cuffley, the film stars Amanda Crew, Kim Coates, Dustin Milligan, Michael Eklund and Katie Boland. Synopsis Leigh Parrish, a small town Sa ...
'' and in 2016 he starred in '' Chokeslam'' as Luke Petrie, a friend of the film's protagonist.


Filmography


Film


Television


Awards and nominations


References


External links

* {{DEFAULTSORT:Eklund, Michael Living people Canadian male film actors Male actors from Saskatoon Canadian people of Swedish descent Year of birth missing (living people)