Wednesday, August 19, 2009

Sexy Guys of Sci Fi - Michael Shanks


Time for another dose of science fiction hunkiness! This week we celebrate actor Michael Shanks, aka Dr. Daniel Jackson on the television series Stargate SG-1.

Michael Garrett Shanks was born December 15, 1970, in Vancouver, British Columbia. He attended the University of British Columbia and graduated with a B.F.A. in Theatre in 1994.

Shanks played archaeologist Dr. Daniel Jackson in Stargate SG-1. The military, having discovered the Stargate, sought out Dr. Jackson because of his theories linking the ancient Egyptians to alien technology. A scientific view that has most of Daniel's peers treating him like a hack.

But when the US military shows him the Stargate, Daniel is the one who figures out how the machine is to be used. His theories are correct! Trouble is, he can't tell anyone, becaues it is now a matter of national security.

Thus begins Daniel's journey as a member of the SG-1 team, where through the years he visits countless planets, meets all sorts of alien life, and saves the day with his vast knowledge of ancient languages and cultures, coming to serve as the moral conscience of the team as a whole.


Dr. Jackson remains part of SG-1 until he ascends to a higher plane of existence at the end of season 5. Following his forceful de-ascension at the beginning of season 7, he rejoins the team for the remainder of the series. The last three seasons show his flirty yet antagonistic relationship with Vala Mal Doran (played by Claudia Black). Daniel also appears in both direct-to-DVD films and has cameos in seasons 1 and 5 of Stargate Atlantis. He is confirmed to appear in the pilot episode of the upcoming series Stargate Universe.



Now, I've always been a fan of the nerdy guy. Brains turn me on (among other things). But how can you go wrong when such a mind belongs to a hunk like this? Watching Michael portray a character that evolves so much over the course of the show was and is a complete pleasure. Daniel struggled every moment to reconcile his science with reality, his emotions with his logic, making him a perfect fit for for my Sexy Guys of Sci Fi!

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