Michael Mahonen

Last updated
Michael Mahonen
Born (1964-04-27) 27 April 1964 (age 60)
Occupation(s)Actor, Screenwriter
Years active1990present

Michael Mahonen (born 27 April 1964) is a Canadian actor, director, and screen writer.

Contents

History

Mahonen has Finnish ancestry. [2] After graduating from the Theatre Arts Program at George Brown College in 1989, he auditioned for a young company formed for the Citadel Theatre in Edmonton. His first job as a professional actor involved the role of James Keller in "The Miracle Worker," as well as the roles of Lucius and Popilious Lena in "Julius Caesar."

In 1990, Mahonen was chosen for the role of Gus Pike for the CBC Television program Road to Avonlea . [1] He garnered three Gemini Award nominations in 1993, 1994, and 1995 for his work on the television series. In 1992, he starred as a jazz trumpet player with Billy Dee Williams in the film Giant Steps. He then played Lee Colgan in the CBC miniseries Conspiracy of Silence, directed by Francis Mankiewicz.

In 1994, Mahonen co-starred with Michael Riley in the television special "The Facts Behind the Helsinki Roccamatios". He played the character of Paul, a young man dying of the AIDS virus after contracting it from a blood transfusion a few years earlier. In the summer of 1994, he played the role of Jacob Mercer in "Salt Water Moon". This was part of David French's Mercer family saga set in Newfoundland.

Mahonen also guest-starred in numerous American and Canadian television projects, including an episode of Star Trek: Voyager entitled "Nemesis", in which he played a humanoid named "Brone." In 1997, Mahonen starred in Judith Thompson's "Sled" at Toronto's Tarragon Theatre. He then returned to film, co-starring in the 1998 film Captured. He went on to make several more films including Blindness .

In 2003, Mahonen began work on his first feature film Sandstorm. The film involved a fact-based drama about the persecution of Falun Gong practitioners in China. He wrote, directed, and produced the entire film for under $5,000. The cast was made up of volunteers. The film received 29 awards including Best Feature Film, Best Drama, Best Director, and Best Screenplay. [3] [4]

Filmography

Actor
YearTitleRoleNotes
1990-1996 Road to Avonlea Gus Pike28 episodes
1991 Rin Tin Tin: K-9 Cop Norman BakerEpisode: "Abused Child"
1991Conspiracy of SilenceLee ColganTV movie
1992 Top Cops Keith GordonEpisode: "Robert Ruh"
1992Personal EffectsPhilipShort film
1992Giant StepsArvo Leek
1992 By Way of the Stars Ben DavisTV mini-series
1992 Secret Service ChandlerEpisode: "Social Insecurity/Inside Job"
1993 Collateral Damage NickShort film
1997 Star Trek: Voyager BroneEpisode: "Nemesis"
1997 Viper Dirk HanleyEpisode: "Wilderness Run"
1998CapturedJoey BreedVideo
2000 Canada: A People's History John JewittEpisode: "When the World Began..."
2000 Strong Medicine Anonymous / JoeEpisode: "Second Look"
2001An Intrigue of MannersDorimant
2003A Taste of ShakespeareMalcolmEpisode: "Macbeth"
2004 This Is Wonderland Patrick BellamyEpisode: "1.5"
2007 All Hat Steve Allman
2008 Blindness Sergeant
2009Crangle's CollisionSydneyShort film
Director & writer
YearTitleNotes
2004Sandstorm2005 - Won - Humanitarian Film Award
2004 - Won - Grand Jury Prize - Best Feature Film

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References

  1. 1 2 "A trip down Avonlea lane" by Gayle MacDonald at www.theglobeandmail.com
  2. Lauri, Toiviainen (1996-04-28). "Avonlea-sarjan tekeminen päättyi seitsemän vuoden jälkeen". Helsingin Sanomat (in Finnish). Retrieved 2023-01-17.
  3. "Falun Gong Wages War of Words with China". Voa News. 30 November 2009.
  4. Catsoulis, Jeannette (3 September 2009). "Weathering Memories of Rough Interrogation". New York Times.