Michael Eklund
Michael Eklund is a Canadian television and film actor who is known for playing the role of the villain or antihero.[1][2][3][4][5] His characters are often described as being "creepy".[2][5][6][7][8][9]
Michael Eklund | |
|---|---|
 | |
| Born | Saskatoon, Saskatchewan, Canada |
| Occupation | Actor |
| Years active | 2000–present |
His roles include a kidnapper who terrorizes Halle Berry's character in the 2013 psychological thriller The Call, serial killer Barton Mathis in the second season of the superhero TV series Arrow, 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 (2016—present).
Eklund won the 2008 Leo Award for Best Performance in a Supporting Role for his work on the 2007 Canadian crime drama and thriller film Walk All Over Me.[10]
In 2012 Eklund won the Best Actor award at Fantastic Fest for his role as Dr. Geoff Burton in the psychological thriller Errors of the Human Body.[11][12] He also won the 2013 Leo Award for Best Performance by a Male in a Feature Length Drama for the same role.[13][14]
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 (UBCPA/ACTRA) for his portrayal of English photographer Eadweard Muybridge in the biographical film Eadweard.[15]
Early life
Born in Saskatoon, Saskatchewan, Eklund fell in love with the movies at five years of age when his mother took him to see his first movie.[1][13][16] He participated in school theatre then later decided to study painting at the Alberta College of Art in Calgary before dropping-out and moving to Vancouver in order to pursue an acting career.[13][17]
Career
Television
As an actor living in Vancouver (aka Hollywood North) 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 in 2002, and appeared in 2 episodes of Battlestar Galactica the following year.[18][19] In 2005 he appeared on the Canadian series Da Vinci's Inquest and Cold Squad.[19] He also had a recurring role on the Canadian mini-series Terminal City that same year.[18][19]
Eklund appeared in 2 episodes of Smallville in different roles in 2001 and 2007.[13][19] From 2005–2007 he played narcotics detective Rene Desjardins on the Canadian crime drama series Intelligence.[13][19] In 2007 Eklund also had a recurring role on the Canadian series Blood Ties.[19]
In 2008 Eklund appeared on an episode of Supernatural.[13] 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 and Fringe. 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.[13] He also appeared in an episode of Arrow in 2013.[19]
In 2014 Eklund played Zane Morgan, a recurring character in the second season of the psychological horror drama Bates Motel.[13][18][20] In 2015 he also played recurring character Robert Zorin on the Canadian sci-fi series Continuum.[1][19]
From 2016–2017 Eklund played Martin, the punk energy vampire on the series Dirk Gently's Holistic Detective Agency[16][19] 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.[19]
In 2016 he also joined the cast of Wynonna Earp, a series filmed in Calgary, Alberta and surrounding rural areas. On the series Eklund plays Bobo Del Rey, a fur-coat wearing Revenant.[1][16]
Film
In 2007 Eklund appeared in the Al Pacino thriller film 88 Minutes.[18] In 2009, he had a small role in Terry Gilliam's The Imaginarium of Doctor Parnassus.[18]
He played Larry in the 2010 comedy-western film Gunless with Paul Gross[18] That same year Eklund appeared in the British-Canadian comedy film The Making of Plus One, a film that also played at Cannes in 2009.[18]
In 2011 he starred alongside Michael Biehn in the Xavier Gens thriller The Divide[18] He also played the character of Father in the apocalyptic siege warfare film The Day with Dominic Monaghan and Shawn Ashmore that same year.[18]
In 2013 Eklund played Michael Foster, a serial killer who kidnaps Abigail Breslin's character and terrorizes Halle Berry in the film The Call.[1][16]
Eklund has also collaborated three times with Calgary-based film director Robert Cuffley: In 2007, he played a crime boss’s enforcer in Cuffley’s dark comedy Walk All Over Me. In 2012, he played a desperate bartender in the violent thriller Ferocious and in 2016 he starred in Chokeslam as Luke Petrie, a friend of the film's protagonist.[16]
Filmography
Film
| Film | |||
|---|---|---|---|
| Year | Title | Role | Notes |
| 2000 | The Other Side of Being | Rhys | |
| 2001 | Blackwoods | Billy/Man | |
| 2002 | K-9: P.I. | Billy Cochran | Direct-to-video |
| Stark Raving Mad | Sickly Thin Guy | ||
| 2003 | House of the Dead | Hugh | |
| 2006 | Daingerfield | Mr. Shorts | Short film |
| Blowburn | Teacher | Short film | |
| The Entrance | Ryan James | ||
| Klatsassin | Thief | Short film | |
| 2007 | Seed | Executioner | |
| When a Man Falls | Hardware Store Cashier | ||
| 88 Minutes | J.T. Rycker | ||
| In the Name of the King: A Dungeon Siege Tale | Scout | ||
| Postal | Disgruntled Man | ||
| Walk All over Me | Aaron | ||
| BloodRayne 2: Deliverance | The Preacher | Direct-to-video | |
| 2008 | Sarah in the Dark | Jason | Short film |
| Inconceivable | Marlon Bell | ||
| 2009 | Watchmen | Man in Riot Crowd | |
| The Imaginarium of Doctor Parnassus | Tony's assistant | ||
| 2010 | Smokin' Aces 2: Assassins' Ball | Navy Dude | Direct-to-video |
| The Making of Plus One | Dave Dallas | ||
| The Final Storm | Co-op Man | ||
| Gunless | Larry | ||
| 2010 | Guido Superstar: The Rise of Guido | Rocket Yella | |
| Hunt to Kill | Geary | ||
| Exposed | Man | Short film | |
| The Muse | The Painter | Short film | |
| Messages Deleted | Adam Brickles | ||
| 2011 | Pressed | Jimmy | |
| The Divide | Bobby | ||
| Tactical Force | Kenny | ||
| Sisters & Brothers | Director | ||
| The Day | Father | ||
| The Planting | The Shooter | Credited as Micheal Eklund | |
| 2012 | Errors of the Human Body | Geoffrey Burton | |
| 2013 | The Marine 3: Homefront | Eckert | |
| Ferocious | Eric | ||
| The Call | Michael Foster | ||
| Assault on Wall Street | McKay | ||
| Nurse 3D | Richie | ||
| 3 Days in Havana | Intense Man | ||
| 2014 | Cruel & Unusual | Julien | |
| Primary | Harry | ||
| See No Evil 2 | Holden | ||
| Poker Night | The Man | ||
| What an Idiot | Bradley | ||
| 2015 | Eadweard | Eadweard Muybridge | Producer |
| Lower Bay | |||
| Vendetta | Warden Snyder | ||
| Zoom | Mustache Guy | ||
| Into the Forest | Stan | ||
| Dark | Benoit | ||
| Mr. Right | Johnny Moon | ||
| 2016 | Dead Draw | Mack | |
| Chokeslam | Luke Petrie | ||
| 2017 | Mercs | Crisp | Short film |
| The Sound | Detective John Richards | ||
| The Hitman Never Dies | Gus | Producer | |
| 2018 | West of Hell | Roland Bursley | |
| The Package | Gas Station Attendant | ||
| 2019 | Cold Pursuit | Speedo | |
| 2020 | The Color Rose | Detective Zankowski | |
| Bright Hill Road | Owen | ||
| Welcome to Death Road | Jobe | Direct-to-video | |
| TBA | The Farm | Ekles | Announced |
Television
| Television | |||
|---|---|---|---|
| Year | Title | Role | Notes |
| 2000 | Dark Angel | Officer Miller | Season 1 episode 4: "Flushed" |
| Level 9 | Chief Druid | Season 1 episode 2: "DefCon" | |
| Hollywood Off-Ramp | Bob | Season 1 episode 26: "Lights, Camera, Reaction" | |
| 2001 | The Outer Limits | Jacob | Season 7 episode 3: "A New Life" |
| Sk8 | Skater | ||
| The Lone Gunmen | Weiner Man/Clerk | 2 episodes | |
| Special Unit 2 | White Guy | Season 2 episode 7: "White Guy" | |
| 2001-2007 | Smallville | Richter Maddox/Will | 2 episodes |
| 2002 | Living with the Dead | Ronnie Higgins | TV movie |
| Mysterious Ways | Max Arnette | Season 2 episode 21: "Listen" | |
| Jeremiah | Vernon Diggs | Season 1 episode 12: "The Touch" | |
| Stargate SG-1 | Dark-haired Man | Season 6 episode 5: "Nightwalkers" | |
| Haunted | Stan | Episode 1: "Pilot" | |
| We'll Meet Again | Tommy Barry | TV movie | |
| Killer Bees! | Deputy Slim | TV movie | |
| Critical Assembly | Jefferson | TV movie | |
| 2003 | Still Life | Dirt Bag Guy | Season 1 episode 2: "Evidence" |
| Dead Like Me | Male Protester | Season 1 episode 3: "Curious George" | |
| Romeo! | Sam | Season 1 episode 3: "Let's Make a Deal" | |
| Battlestar Galactica | Prosna | Miniseries | |
| 2004 | Touching Evil | Carl Burgess | Episode 12: "No Mercy" |
| The 4400 | Dean Keating | Season 1 episode 4: "Trial By Fire" | |
| Deadly Visions | Steven | TV movie | |
| A Beachcombers Christmas | Mickey Buchanan | TV movie | |
| 2005 | Da Vinci's Inquest | Horvath | 2 episodes |
| Cold Squad | Rick Barnes | Season 7 episode 10: "Borders" | |
| Godiva's | Johnny G. | Season 1 episode 2: "The Hungry Ghost" | |
| Painkiller Jane | Dude | TV movie | |
| Terminal City | Henry Lundquist | Main role 10 episode | |
| Zixx: Level Two | Earl | 3 episodes | |
| 2005-2007 | Intelligence | Rene Desjardins | 13 episodes |
| 2006 | Masters of Horror | Cashier | Season 1 episode 11: "Pick Me Up" |
| Eight Days to Live | Weaver | TV movie | |
| Saved | Smelly Bill | Episode 4: "Fog" | |
| Alice, I Think | Marcus | 13 episodes | |
| 2007 | Termination Point | Liam | TV movie |
| Blood Ties | Norman Bridewell | 3 episodes | |
| Traveler | Jimmy | 2 episodes | |
| Flash Gordon | Quin | Episode 7: "Alliances (Part 1)" | |
| 2007-2014 | Psych | Floor Manager/Ruben Leonard | 2 episodes |
| 2008 | Supernatural | Ed Brewer | Season 4 episode 5: Supernatural (season 4)|"Monster Movie" |
| 2009 | Zixx: Level Three | Merle | Season 3 episode 7: "My Name Isn't Earl" |
| The Gambler, the Girl and the Gunslinger | Red | TV movie | |
| Revolution | Sgt. Yun | TV movie | |
| 2009-2010 | Flashpoint | Bruce DeMaura/Bruce | 2 episodes |
| 2010 | Caprica | Waylon | Episode 3: "Rebirth" |
| The Bridge | Dex | Episode 4: "The Unguarded Moment" | |
| Fringe | Milo | Episode: "The Plateau" | |
| Shattered | Nick Ducet | 7 episodes | |
| 2011 | True Justice | Miles Toole | 2 episodes |
| Endgame | Deacon | Episode 12: "Polar Opposites" | |
| Kits | Jed | TV movie | |
| 2012 | Alcatraz | Kit Nelson | 2 episodes |
| 2013 | Tom Dick & Harriet | Reese Danzinger | TV movie |
| Arrow | Barton Mathis/Dollmaker | 2 episodes | |
| 2014 | Almost Human | Eric Lathem | Episode 12: "Beholder" |
| Bates Motel | Zane Morgan | 8 episodes | |
| 2015 | Gotham | Bob | Season 1 episode 13: "Welcome Back, Jim Gordon" |
| Continuum | Robert Zorin | 5 episodes | |
| 2016–present | Wynonna Earp | Bobo Del Rey/Robert Svane | 13 episodes |
| 2016–2017 | Dirk Gently's Holistic Detective Agency | Martin | Main cast 8 episodes |
| 2018 | Altered Carbon | Dimi the Twin/The Patchwork Man | 3 episodes |
| 2018-2019 | Van Helsing | Abraham Van Helsing | 3 episodes |
| 2019 | The Twilight Zone | Otto | Season 1 episode 8: "Point of Origin" |
| 2020 | Legends of Tomorrow | Grigori Rasputin | Season 5 episode 2: "Meet the Legends" |
References
- Wilson, A.R. (May 2, 2016). "Wynonna Earp's Michael Eklund on conjuring Bobo Del Rey". Digital Journal. Retrieved September 21, 2018.
For an actor who has made a career out of playing intense characters, Michael Eklund is a pretty laid-back guy.
- Ostergard, Jan (April 18, 2013). "Balance with Michael Eklund". MovieVine.com. Retrieved September 21, 2018.
Michael Eklund is the reason people leave their porch light on. His brilliant yet creepy portrayal as Michael Foster in The Call has resonated so deeply with audiences that people now look over their shoulder in parking lots.
- Wheeler, Brad (November 17, 2017). "Review: Stegman is Dead is an unconvincing, clunky caper film". The Globe and Mail. Toronto, Ontario, Canada. Retrieved September 21, 2018.
On the other hand, Michael Eklund is likable as an anti-hero burglar with a nagging wife and an adorable little daughter.
- Duhatschek, Paula (October 14, 2015). "Telling the story of Eadweard Muybridge". The Ubyssey. University of British Columbia. Retrieved September 21, 2018.
Epstein and Rideout’s interpretation of Muybridge is of a tortured genius — an anti-hero who would fit in alongside Walter White or Don Draper. In Eadweard, he is played with cryptic power by actor Michael Eklund, who was recently seen skulking around on the TV show Bates Motel.
- "Michael Eklund biography". tribute.ca. Tribute Entertainment Media Group. Retrieved September 21, 2018.
Many fans might recognize Michael Eklund as the creepy doorman from the Al Pacino movie 88 Minutes...Known for playing dark and edgy roles, Eklund is strongly and quickly becoming a household name in Canada.
- Volmers, Eric (April 6, 2017). "How character actor Michael Eklund became Calgary filmmaker Robert Cuffley's go-to guy for creepy comic relief". Calgary Herald. Retrieved September 21, 2018.
Since then [Eklund] has proven himself to be a versatile character, often cast as the heavy. That includes Michael Foster, a serial killer who terrorizes Halle Berry and Abigail Breslin in 2013’s The Call, chief demon BoBo Del Rey in the first season of the Calgary-shot sci-fi series Wynonna Earp and an uber-creepy store clerk in the 2015 end-of-the-world drama Into the Forest.
- Travers, Peter (July 29, 2016). "'Into the Forest' Review: It's the End of the World (and They Don't Feel Fine)". Rolling Stone. Retrieved September 21, 2018.
Stan (Michael Eklund), the creepy store manager, has sold them their last supplies.
Cite magazine requires|magazine=(help) - "Michael Eklund biography". tribute.ca. Tribute Entertainment Media Group. Retrieved September 21, 2018.
Many fans might recognize Michael Eklund as the creepy doorman from the Al Pacino movie 88 Minutes.
- Moynihan, Rob (January 20, 2012). "Exclusive Preview: Alcatraz's Creepy Kidnapper". TV Guide. Retrieved September 21, 2018.
- "2008 Leo Award Winners". LeoAwards.com. Retrieved September 21, 2018.
- Cangialosi, Jason (September 29, 2012). "Fantastic Fest Review: 'Errors of the Human Body'". Yahoo! Voices. Archived from the original on November 9, 2013. Retrieved September 21, 2018.
- Borders, Meredith (September 25, 2012). "The Fantastic Fest 2012 Awards! We're all winners here at Fantastic Fest 2012. But these guys more than most". FantasticFest.com. Retrieved September 21, 2018.
- Leiren-Young, Mark (June 27, 2013). "Hollywood North: Michael Eklund pioneers a new look for Vancouver-shot feature Eadweard". Vancouver Sun. Vancouver, British Columbia, Canada. Retrieved September 21, 2018.
- Gilbert, Rob (May 13, 2015). "Actor Michael Eklund portrays photographer Eadweard Muybridge in Eadweard, which has received 15 Leo Award nominations". Vancouver Sun. Vancouver, British Columbia, Canada. Retrieved September 21, 2018.
- Marchand, Francois (November 9, 2015). "HMichael Eklund and Camille Sullivan win best acting honours". Vancouver Sun. Vancouver, British Columbia, Canada. Retrieved September 21, 2018.
- Volmers, Eric (April 6, 2017). "How character actor Michael Eklund became Calgary filmmaker Robert Cuffley's go-to guy for creepy comic relief". Calgary Herald. Retrieved September 21, 2018.
- "Michael Eklund biography". tribute.ca. Tribute Entertainment Media Group. Retrieved September 21, 2018.
- "Bates Motel Cast: Zane Morgan Played by Michael Eklund". aetv.com. A&E. Retrieved September 21, 2018.
- Michael Eklund at IMDb
- Abrams, Natalie (January 4, 2012). "Exclusive: Eric Johnson, Michael Eklund Head to Alcatraz". TV Guide. Retrieved September 21, 2018.
