Michael McManus is a Canadian television actor known for his role as Kai in the cult television series Lex. The project was wildly successful, and Michael himself unexpectedly acquired a whole army of female fans. After completing work on the project, the actor went into the shadows for a long time, focusing on work in the theater, and only occasionally appeared on screens.
Diligent student
Michael McManus was born in the city of London, in the Canadian province of Ontario, in 1962. A passion for the stage and music lived in the boy since childhood, he sang in the choir and participated in amateur performances of the school theater. At the age of 18, Michael McManus, following his dream, entered the Banff Center for Fine Arts, and then continued his education at the University of Alberta.
In this venerable educational institution, a native of London studied acting, got the hang of handling rapiers and became interested in playing the guitar.
The logical outcome of the musical fever was the desire to organize their own rock band and go into all seriousness, but he still graduated from the university with a bachelor of fine arts.
Career start
Just in time, an offer arrived from the theater from his hometown, where he received a permanent seat. Soon, the talent of Michael McManus outgrew the provincial level - he was invited to one of the major theaters in Toronto. For several years, Michael gained the role of the best dramatic actor in Canada and won a seat in the prestigious theater of the Canadian capital.
The Canadian of Irish descent had a special influence on the spectators of all ages, which is why Michael's wife arranged violent proceedings for him, although he was an excellent family man.
In the movie, Michael McManus, whose films we will list a little below, made his debut in 1988, starring in the film Squawish Five by Paul Donnovan. For this director, Michael will become one of his favorite actors, later he will use it in a large number of his films.
Bonuses and Failures
In 1990, Michael McManus, whose private life is hidden from strangers, receives official recognition of his dramatic talent. He was nominated for the prestigious Ginny Television Award for Best Actor. This was the result of his work in Atom Egoyan's film "Roles with Text," where he played the role of Lance.
Of the several works of the following years, one can single out the film “The Knight Forever”, where he played the priest Pierre Rochefort. In 1994, an old friend invited him to star in his film "Paint Cans." The film failed at the box office and caused negative reviews from critics, but Paul Donovann did not lose heart and prepared for the main project of his directorial career, in which Michael McManus played an important role.
Lex
The collaboration of the actor and director continued in 1996, after Michael agreed to the role of Kai in the science fiction series “Lex”, one of the creators of which was Paul Donovan. It was a very peculiar project, shot in the dystopian genre, where drama and parody, caustic sarcasm and tragedy were constantly intertwined.
Michael got the role of Kai - a very specific hero. According to the script, Kai was the last representative of the dying Brunen-Gee tribe, a ruthless and cold-blooded killer who turned into a walking dead.
Apathy to what is happening around, a complete lack of emotions and lifelessness - a temperamental Irish had to play such an unusual character. Nevertheless, the actor’s talent turned Kai into one of the key characters in the series, and soon a whole movement of Kai fans formed that did not allow her favorite pass.
Fortunately for Michael, during the filming he had to apply a very specific make-up, thanks to which he changed beyond recognition, so that after filming he could calmly walk the streets, without fear of being recognized in his natural guise.
Filming of the Lex series ended in 2012, after which Michael McManus decided to stay in Germany for a while, where they shot the series. After a stormy rhythm of 15 hours working days, he took a long break and rarely appeared on screens. Michael focused on his work in the theater and only in 2011 appeared in the project of his friend Paul Donovan Bliss-Strasse.