{
  "id": 10275591,
  "title": "Before The Shield's Vic Mackey, Michael Chiklis Played A Very Different TV Cop",
  "url": "https://urgent.news/2026/09/27/before-the-shields-vic-mackey-michael-chiklis-played-a-very-different",
  "topic": "culture",
  "section": "Culture",
  "published": "2026-09-27T19:12:00.000Z",
  "source": {
    "name": "TVLine",
    "slug": "tvline",
    "url": "https://www.tvline.com/2267898/the-shield-vic-mackey-michael-chiklis-different-tv-cop-the-commish/"
  },
  "original_language": "en",
  "account": "Before Vic Mackey became an iconic figure in crime dramas through Michael Chiklis' portrayal, Chiklis had already made a mark on television as Tony Scali in the 90s ABC dramedy, The Commish. Scali was a small-town police commissioner in the fictional New York town of Eastbridge, known for his empathy and humor. This stark contrast between the two roles played by Chiklis led him to draw inspiration from his Tony Scali character while developing Vic Mackey's persona. Chiklis believed that Tony would always choose the right thing, even when it meant going against his own interests. This perspective helped Chiklis create Vic Mackey, a character driven by ego, id, and moral depravity. When Chiklis auditioned for The Shield, he faced resistance from the casting team due to his reputation as Tony Scali. However, his audition was praised, and it took considerable determination to overcome the initial doubts about casting Chiklis as Vic Mackey. Chiklis' performance in the acclaimed first season of The Shield earned him an Emmy for Outstanding Lead Actor in a Drama Series and solidified his career in crime dramas.",
  "summary": "Michael Chiklis has so much range, most audiences don't even realize he was actually playing against type when he was cast as The Shield's brutal antihero.",
  "key_points": [
    "Michael Chiklis starred as Tony Scali in 90s ABC dramedy The Commish.",
    "Tony Scali was a compassionate, humorous police commissioner in Eastbridge.",
    "Chiklis drew inspiration from Scali to create complex Vic Mackey character."
  ],
  "editors_take": null,
  "illustration": null,
  "coverage": {
    "outlets": 1,
    "also_reported_by": []
  },
  "ai_generated": true,
  "disclaimer": "Summaries, key points and the editor’s take are written by software from other outlets’ reporting and may contain errors — always check the linked original."
}