Michael Chiklis

MICHAEL Chiklis is one busy man. After winding down his fifth season as antiheroic "different kind of cop" Vic Mackey on the critically acclaimed FX series "The Shield," he's moved right into promoting his big-screen appearance as fearsome-but-lovable superhero the Thing (a.k.a. Ben Grimm) in "Fantastic Four: Rise of the Silver Surfer." Three days after the film opens on Friday, Chiklis, 43, will be back on "The Shield" set shooting the last 13 episodes of that series.

Michael Chiklis always knew the end of FX's "The Shield," which revolves around his portrayal of a corrupt renegade cop, would come. But how it would end constantly weighed on him. Would his Vic Mackey get his comeuppance? Would he pay a price for his evil deeds, including murdering a fellow detective in cold blood, or would he get away? Would he live? Die?

He might not boast the Invisible Woman's striking beauty, the Human Torch's pretty-boy charm or Mr. Fantastic's unparalleled intellect, but don't be surprised when Michael Chiklis as the Thing steals the show in Marvel Comics' newest superhero flick, "Fantastic Four." A rocky-hided monster with a heart of gold, the Thing is without a doubt the most complex member of the Fantastic Four. A reluctant superhero, the Thing is endowed with incredible strength but is trapped in a body he hates.

Armed with a slew of terrific reviews, a surprise Emmy Award for star Michael Chiklis and a Golden Globe nomination for best dramatic series, FX's gritty cop series, "The Shield," enters its second season Tuesday confronting the benefits -- and challenges -- of a much higher profile than when it premiered in March. "When we were making the first season, we felt we had a very good pilot," says creator and executive producer Shawn Ryan.