David Nykl

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David Nykl
David Nykl 2014.jpg
Nykl at the Sydney Oz Comic Con, 2014
Born (1967-02-07) 7 February 1967 (age 58)
Occupationactor

David Nykl (born 7 February 1967) is a Czech-Canadian actor who has worked in film, television, commercials and theater. He is best known for portraying Dr. Radek Zelenka in the SyFy television series Stargate Atlantis and Anatoly Knyazev in the DC Comics series Arrow .

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Early life and education

Nykl was born in Prague, Czechoslovakia, to a nurse mother and a structural engineer father. [1] After the Soviet invasion in 1968, he and his family left then-Communist Czechoslovakia for Canada. Upon arriving at Victoria, British Columbia, Nykl briefly attended the University of British Columbia, where he majored in liberal arts and marketing, but did not graduate. [2]

Career

Nykl has appeared frequently in Vancouver and Prague in dozens of theater, film and television productions. Known for his versatility and depth as an actor, he has also produced theatre and film projects, and in 1994, he co-founded Prague's Misery Loves Company Theatre with Richard Toth and Ewan McLaren.

Nykl is known to science fiction fans as the recurring Stargate Atlantis character of Dr. Radek Zelenka, a Czech scientist on Earth's expedition to the "lost city" of Atlantis. His character is often seen working with the main scientist Dr. Rodney McKay, with their disagreements recurring throughout the series. He also played the role in the Stargate SG-1 episode "The Pegasus Project".

Nykl is fluent in Czech, English, French and Spanish. Though his character on Stargate Atlantis speaks English with a Czech accent, Nykl normally speaks with a Canadian accent. Whenever Zelenka spoke Czech in Stargate Atlantis, Nykl was given the lines in English, and he translated them.

In 2012 he made a brief guest appearance on "Once Upon A Time" as dock man turned fish by evil Cora.

Personal life

He has three children: daughters Judi and Maddie, and son Sam. [2]

Filmography

Actor
YearTitleMediaRoleNotes
1988 Danger Bay TV seriesPeter
1993 StrangeviewFeatureTrucker's Friend
DavidFeatureBob
1995 Sacred CargoFeatureBrother Alexis
1996 Hidden in SilenceTV movieHenek
5 Stunden Angst – Geiselnahme im KindergartenFeature"Drops"
Crackerjack 2FeatureCavanaugh
1997 Snow White: A Tale of Terror FeatureUnknown
1998 Prague DuetFeatureThe Journalist
The Barber of Siberia FeatureUnknown
Operation NoahTV moviePR Man
Act of WarFeatureGeorge Willmont
Ceská sodaFeatureUnknown
Blumenstein Fernand – bláznuv príbehFeaturevoice
Hell MountainFeatureFirst Corridor Guard
Escape Velocity FeatureFather Russell
Pat & Mat TV seriesPat1 episode – "Playing Cards"
1999 Loves Lies Bleeding FeatureFraser
Joan of ArcTV seriesDuke of Luxembourg
Praha ocimaPrague StoriesFeatureHonza
2000 Jack London's Call of the Wild TV seriesSettler
The Scarlet Pimpernel TV seriesRobespierre's Barber
2001 BéckaFeatureUnknown
Seven Days TV seriesYuri
2002 The Dead Zone TV seriesThe Waiter
My Guide to Becoming a Rock StarTV seriesDancing Potato
2003 Jake 2.0 TV seriesVasily
Stealing SinatraTV movieThe Valet
2004 Spare ChangeShort filmJoel
20042009 Stargate: Atlantis TV seriesDr. Radek Zelenka recurring, 55 episodes
2005 Masters of Horror TV seriesCSI
Pterodactyl Feature filmHerbert
Behind the Camera: Mork & MindyTV movieJohn Byner
Cold Squad TV seriesBernhardt
2006 Psych TV seriesEvents Coordinator in "Shawn vs. the Red Phantom"
Stargate SG-1 TV series Dr. Radek Zelenka 1 episode – "The Pegasus Project"
Merlin's Apprentice TV seriesBrianna's Father
2007 Eureka TV seriesDr. Steven Whiticus
2008 Sanctuary TV seriesStrickland
The Beast of Bottomless LakeFeatureUnknown
The SeamstressFeature filmDonny Platt
2009 Encounter with DangerTV movieElliott Maine
Helen TV seriesJohn
2010 Fringe TV seriesReverend Marcus
Human Target TV seriesVincent Morgan
2012 Christmas MiracleFilmDrake
Camera Shy FilmCliff Gardner
2013 Once Upon A Time TV seriesMan on dock1 episode – "The Cricket Game"
2013–2020 Arrow TV series Anatoli Knyazev [3] recurring
2014 Supernatural TV seriesLester Morris
2015 Air FilmSleeper 1
2018 Salvation TV seriesCzech Rep1 episode – "Détente"
2019 Superior Donuts PlayArthur
2019 The Sleepers (Bez vedomí)TV seriesGerald Lloyd

References

  1. "David Nykl Biography". Film Reference. Retrieved 3 February 2018.
  2. 1 2 Jackson, Desiree. "Zelenka Explains It All: An Interview with David Nykl".
  3. Byrne, Craig (22 October 2013). "Arrow Casting Spoiler: David Nykl Is Anatoli Knyazev". GreenArrowTV. Retrieved 23 October 2013.