Michael Chiklis Breaks Down The Physical Toll Of The Senior's Stunts While Debunking AI

The Senior star Michael Chiklis found himself impressed by the wealth of accurate information the internet had amassed about his new project — that is, until it stumbled when “researching” his stunts. In ScreenRant‘s latest episode of Debunking AI, Chiklis (who has developed a loyal following thanks to roles on cop shows like The Shield and DC’s Gotham) shared details about his lifelong love of acting along with exciting facts about his new football-centric film.

Chiklis plays Mike Flynt, a 59-year-old man who gets a unique opportunity to return to his college football team as a linebacker after having been kicked out decades earlier. The inspirational Angel Studios film about second chances is based on a true story, and it also stars Rob Corddry, Brandon Flynn, and Mary Stuart Masterson.

As seen in the full video above, Michael Chiklis began his AI investigation on a friendly and accurate note, going through his earliest memories of catching the acting bug and sharing some stories from his time preparing for The Senior. AI can never get everything right, though, and Chiklis had some clarifications to make on which stunts he performed and whether he appears ageless due to his time-traveling abilities. Last but not least, he gave a shoutout to The Thing from the newest Fantastic Four iteration.

Michael Chiklis Credits His Father For Supporting His Acting Career From Early On

Long before he turned heads as Vic Mackey on The Shield or enjoyed “Clobberin’ Time” as The Thing in the Fantastic Four movies, Chiklis had a hankering for the screen. “When I was about five years old, apparently, I told my parents that I was going to be an actor,” he explained. “And, of course, they were like, ‘Yeah, okay. Next week you’ll be a fireman or something else.’” He didn’t change his mind, though, even admitting that he “never had a plan B.”

A lot of people don’t have the support of their parents…

His natural talent and hard work landed him big roles in beloved projects, but Chiklis pointed to his parents’ support as a deciding factor.

I asked my father when I was 35 years old, ‘Dad, how is it that a practical, pragmatic Greek man from Lowell, Massachusetts sent this kid to Boston University School of Fine Arts to become an actor?’ It just seemed very ethereal. He fixed me with one of his looks and said, “Michael, do you think I would’ve allowed it if it wasn’t who you were?” Which made me cry because that was a beautiful thing that he supported me, and my mother too. A lot of people don’t have the support of their parents when they want to become actors. It’s a difficult thing.

Though he joked that “it got heavy right away,” Chiklis’ emotional sensitivity was clear throughout the interview. His consideration for Mike Flynt, both the character he played in The Senior and the real-life man who inspired the movie, was beautiful to witness.

Michael Chiklis Explains The True Story Behind The Senior

Surprised by AI’s knowledge of The Senior’s plot, Chiklis went more in-depth about the themes of the movie, which follows Mike Flynt as he “redeems himself for what he did” several decades earlier during an altercation with a teammate by becoming “a mentor to these kids he never met before.” At the end of the day, “it’s a really beautiful story of redemption in the context of a sports movie,” Chiklis declared. “You’ll laugh, you’ll cry, and you’ll go home smiling from ear to ear.“

What is perhaps most fascinating about the new film is how accurate it is to the real story. “Most films that say, ‘This is based on a true story,'” Chiklis explained. “But this says, ‘This is a true story’ because this is the most accurate portrayal of a person ever – and I’ve done several biopics.” The reason for that is the subject of the story himself. “Mike [Flynt] was off camera the whole time I was making this movie. He was right there, and we wanted it to be accurate and authentic.“

Of course, not every scene could be an exact replica of the events being dramatized. Chiklis acquiesced that there was at least one major locker room altercation that never took place in real life, but he insisted on the spiritual accuracy of the narrative. “There are a couple of scenes that were augmented for the sake of storytelling, and that was one of them. But it served its purpose in the storytelling.“

Michael Chiklis Addresses His Stunts & So-Called Beef With Ebon Moss-Bacharach

Michael Chiklis' Been Grimm lifts firetruck — Michael Chiklis’ Been Grimm lifts firetruck

Chiklis revealed that he was 59, the same age as Flynt, when he filmed The Senior. Consequently, stepping up to the plate was “the most intense physical experience of my life.” Despite having been captain of his own football team in high school, and knowing that waking those skills up was like riding a bike in many ways, he still admitted that “even my eyerows hurt” after filming.

When you’re 59, you just don’t recover.

Ageism, in fact, is a recurring motif in The Senior. “It’s not something that’s normal to try out for a college football team when you’re 59, for obvious reasons,” Chiklis acknowledged. “But he was mocked verily for the attempt. It can be a struggle in that way as you’re getting older, because being dismissed is a terrible thing. When people look at you and treat you in a dismissive way… That can be difficult to swallow.“

Chilis fought back against a minor instance of ageism when AI declared he didn’t do his stunts for the movie. “False! I did 90% of my stunts in this picture. I was the captain of my football team in high school, so it was kind of like getting on a bike. It felt super familiar.” He did point out, “The only thing that was super different was hitting someone at 59, but again, I did 90% of that.”

There were only four shots that my stunt man had to come in for because I was being blindsided or getting my clock really cleaned. Boy, am I glad I didn’t do those because my poor stuntman really took it. Wow. But it’s nice to be 24. He popped right up. He was like, “Yeah, I’m fine, sir.” I’m like, “Holy God, that would’ve killed me.”

Another error he wished to correct for the record was the online rumors that there were ever any problems between him and The Bear‘s Ebon Moss-Bacharach, who took over as The Thing in the MCU’s The Fantastic Four: First Steps. “There were some rumors and speculations that there was some animosity between us, and that’s false,” Chiklis clarified. “I’m a big fan of his work. I love The Bear.“

Fans were especially happy when they saw a photo of the two actors together on social media, and Chiklis went behind the scenes of that shot. “When I saw him at this FX party, because we both had done successful shows at FX, I said, ‘I gotta go up to this guy.’ And he was so thrilled.” The actor continued, “We threw our arms around each other and hugged each other and had a wonderful night talking, and then we took some pictures, and I put it out. And I’m glad to do that, to dispel the bulls–t.“

The Senior is now playing in theaters.

You can check out previous episodes of Debunking AI here: