Michael Mahonen Explained

Michael Mahonen
Birth Date:1964 4, df=yes
Birth Place:Kirkland Lake, Ontario, Canada
Occupation:Actor, Screenwriter
Years Active:1990 - present

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

History

Mahonen has Finnish ancestry.[1] 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."A trip down Avonlea lane" by Gayle MacDonald at www.theglobeandmail.com 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 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.[2] [3]

Filmography

Actor
YearTitleRoleNotes
1990-1996Road to AvonleaGus Pike28 episodes
1991Rin Tin Tin: K-9 CopNorman BakerEpisode: "Abused Child"
1991Conspiracy of SilenceLee ColganTV movie
1992Top CopsKeith GordonEpisode: "Robert Ruh"
1992Personal EffectsPhilipShort film
1992Giant StepsArvo Leek
1992By Way of the StarsBen DavisTV mini-series
1992Secret ServiceChandlerEpisode: "Social Insecurity/Inside Job"
1993Collateral DamageNickShort film
1997BroneEpisode: "Nemesis"
1997ViperDirk HanleyEpisode: "Wilderness Run"
1998CapturedJoey BreedVideo
2000John JewittEpisode: "When the World Began..."
2000Strong MedicineAnonymous / JoeEpisode: "Second Look"
2001An Intrigue of MannersDorimant
2003data-sort-value="Taste of Shakespeare, A" A Taste of ShakespeareMalcolmEpisode: "Macbeth"
2004This Is WonderlandPatrick BellamyEpisode: "1.5"
2007All HatSteve Allman
2008BlindnessSergeant
2009Crangle's CollisionSydneyShort film

Notes and References

  1. Web site: Lauri . Toiviainen . 1996-04-28 . Avonlea-sarjan tekeminen päättyi seitsemän vuoden jälkeen . 2023-01-17 . Helsingin Sanomat . fi.
  2. Web site: Voa News . Falun Gong Wages War of Words with China . 30 November 2009 .
  3. News: New York Times . Weathering Memories of Rough Interrogation . 3 September 2009 . Catsoulis . Jeannette .