Charles "Chuck" Shamata (born 1942) is a Canadian actor.[1]

Chuck Shamata
Born
Charles Shamata

November 30, 1942
Toronto, Ontario, Canada
EducationToronto Metropolitan University
OccupationActor

Early life and education

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Born and raised in Toronto,[1] he worked at Honest Ed's,[2] and studied acting at Toronto Metropolitan University.[2]

Career

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Shamata had stage roles and bit parts in film and television, before his breakthrough role in the 1969 television film Dulcima, as the love interest of Jackie Burroughs' title character.[1] His later roles included the films Between Friends (1973), Death Weekend (1976), Welcome to Blood City (1977), Power Play (1978), I Miss You, Hugs and Kisses (1978), Stone Cold Dead (1979) and Running (1979), and guest appearances in the television series The Mod Squad, Police Surgeon, Baretta and The Littlest Hobo. In 1980 he appeared alongside Earl Pennington and Marcel Sabourin in The Mounties, Stuart Gillard's pilot for a proposed comedy series about the Royal Canadian Mounted Police, but the show was not picked up to series.[3]

In 1981 he played the lead role in The Running Man, an episode of the CBC Television anthology series For the Record which was the first LGBT-themed television film ever to air in Canada.[4] He won the award for Best Actor in a Non-Feature at the Bijou Awards for his performance.[5]

Through the 1980s, he continued to appear in films such as The Devil and Max Devlin (1981), The Terry Fox Story (1983), Hyper Sapien: People from Another Star (1986), Nowhere to Hide (1987), Night Friend (1987) and Martha, Ruth and Edie (1988), and in television series such as Seeing Things, Joshua Then and Now, Sylvanian Families, Katts and Dog, Street Legal and Night Heat. In the 1990s, he appeared in films such as Princes in Exile (1990), Death Wish V: The Face of Death (1994) and Virus (1996), and on television in Bordertown, E.N.G., Scales of Justice, Due South, Traders and Wind at My Back.

In 2005, Shamata appeared as Det. Henry Messina in the short-lived Ving Rhames revival of Kojak. His most recent roles have included a regular voice role as Uncle Cheech in Fugget About It, the films The Day After Tomorrow (2004), Cinderella Man (2005), The Sentinel (2006), Flash of Genius (2008), One Week (2008), Still Mine (2012), Clown (2014) and Miss Sloane (2016), and guest appearances in the television series Cracked, Beauty and the Beast and The Art of More.

Family

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His son Jesse Shamata is a film and television director most noted as the creator of Gaming Show (In My Parents' Garage).[6]

Filmography

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Film

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Year Title Role Notes
1969 Change of Mind Second Reporter
1973 Between Friends Chino
1976 Death Weekend Harry
1977 Welcome to Blood City Ricardo
1978 Power Play Hillsman
1978 I Miss You, Hugs and Kisses Gershen Isen
1979 Running Howard
1979 Stone Cold Dead Sergeant Tony Colabre
1981 Scanners Tony Uncredited
1981 The Devil and Max Devlin Jerry Nadler
1984 Unfinished Business Carl
1985 Joshua Then and Now Seymour Kaplan
1986 Hyper Sapien: People from Another Star Patterson
1987 Nowhere to Hide Mike Watson
1987 Night Friend Jack
1988 Martha, Ruth and Edie Mario Cellini
1990 Princes in Exile Dr. Merritt
1990 A Touch of Murder Detective
1994 Death Wish V: The Face of Death Sal Paconi
1996 Virus Leo Burns
1999 When Justice Fails Captain Tanner
1999 Alegría The Narrator
2000 The Spreading Ground Captain Nieman
2001 Getting In Mr. Thomas Writer and director
2002 19 Months Rob's Dad
2003 Behind the Red Door Father
2004 The Day After Tomorrow General Pierce
2005 Cinderella Man Father Rorick
2006 The Sentinel Director Overbrook
2008 WarGames: The Dead Code Bill Carter
2008 Flash of Genius Professor Irwin
2008 One Week Gerald Tyler
2008 The Two Mr. Kissels Bill Kissel
2012 Still Mine Judge
2014 Clown Walt
2015 Gone Tomorrow Frank Thompson
2016 Miss Sloane Bill Sanford
2019 Breakthrough Chief Marlo

Television

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Year Title Role Notes
1969 Dulcima The Surveyor Television film
1969 The Mod Squad The Dispatcher Episode: "Ride the Man Down"
1969 Adventures in Rainbow Country Sky Pilot Episode: "Wall of Silence"
1971 Play for Today Bongo Episode: "Reddick"
1972 Dr. Simon Locke Carl Vincent Episode: "Crossfire"
1976 Teleplay Reinhardt Episode: "The Italian Machine"
1976 Baretta Lynch Episode: "Can't Win for Losin'"
1977-1981 For the Record Ben Carfield 2 episodes
1979–1980 The Littlest Hobo Jake / Grimaldi 3 episodes
1980 King of Kensington Ray Episode: "Good News, Bad News"
1983 The Terry Fox Story Wilson Television film
1983 Between Friends Dr. Seth Simpson
1984 Seeing Things Gary Episode: "Someone Is Watching"
1985 Starcrossed The Chairman Television film
1985 In Like Flynn Danton
1985 The Edison Twins Coach Hinks Episode: "The Fix"
1985 A Time to Live Dr. Strathmore Television film
1985 The Suicide Murders Pete Staziak
1985-1986 Check It Out! Various Roles 2 episodes
1985–1988 Night Heat 5 episodes
1986 The Right of the People Phil Petroni Television film
1986 Mafia Princess Louie
1986 Act of Vengeance Millard Atler
1987 The Kidnapping of Baby John Doe Frank Syncroni
1987 Echoes in the Darkness Costopoulos 2 episodes
1987 Sylvanian Families Papa Forrest Evergreen 13 episodes
1987-1989 Street Legal Various Roles 2 episodes
1988–1991 Katts and Dog Al Logan 5 episodes
1989 T. and T. Bill Stratton Episode: "The Contender"
1989 Alfred Hitchcock Presents Philip Bellamy Episode: "The Man Who Knew Too Little"
1990 Uncut Gem Max Television film
1990 War of the Worlds Colonel James Bradley Episode: "Max"
1990 Counterstrike Eric Morley Episode: "The Dealbreaker"
1990 On Thin Ice: The Tai Babilonia Story Connie Babilonia Sr. Television film
1990-1991 Top Cops Various Roles 2 episodes
1991 Bordertown Frank Wilson Episode: "Tall in the Saddle"
1991-1992 Tarzán Roger Taft Sr. 2 episodes
1992 Tropical Heat Ray Hampton Episode: "Deceit"
1992 Secret Service Teals / Rick 2 episodes
1992 E.N.G. Vince Fonseca Episode: "Harvest"
1993 Family of Strangers Tim Television film
1993 Scales of Justice Episode "Rex v De Marigny"
1994 Kung Fu: The Legend Continues McIllroy Episode: "An Ancient Lottery"
1994 Due South Captain Walsh Episode: "Pilot"
1994 RoboCop Richard Gless Episode: "Midnight Minus One"
1995 The Great Defender Dr. Arledge Episode: "I Wuz Robbed"
1995 Almost Golden: The Jessica Savitch Story Al Binder Television film
1995 Ultraforce Additional Voices Episode: "Prime Time"
1995 Sugartime Michael Delfano Television film
1996 Escape Clause Captain Vincent Nalli
1996 F/X: The Series "Mini", The Pickpocket Episode: "Zero Hour"
1996 Traders The Therapist Episode: "Dancing with Mr. D."
1996-1997 Wind at My Back Principal Pagnutti 2 episodes
1997 A Father for Brittany Bob Minkowitz Television film
1998 Highlander: The Raven Martin Foster Episode: "So Shall Ye Reap"
1999 Twice in a Lifetime Coach Rybeck Episode: "Blood Brothers"
2000 La Femme Nikita Stephan Vacek Episode: "Kiss the Past Goodbye"
2000 The Thin Blue Lie Vinnie Television film
2000 Jackie Bouvier Kennedy Onassis Pierre Salinger
2001 The Associates Gregory Kassan 3 episodes
2001 Snap Decision Jack Bradley Television film
2001–2004 Doc Paul Nichol 5 episodes
2002 Guilty Hearts Detective Mike Virgilio Television film
2002 Whitewash: The Clarence Brandley Story Dan Brown
2003 DC 9/11: Time of Crisis Hugh Shelton
2004 Crimes of Fashion Sal Hugo
2004 Wild Card Angelo Antonello Episode: "Bada Bing, Bada Busiek"
2004 Saving Emily Russo Television film
2005 The Perfect Neighbor Detective Lupo
2005 Kojak Detective Henry Mussina 9 episodes
2005 The Engagement Ring Johnny Anselmi Television film
2007 Tipping Point John Patterson
2007 The Dresden Files Joe Murphy Episode: "Second City"
2007 The Company John Roselli Episode #1.3
2008 ReGenesis Eric Dixon Episode: "Hearts and Minds"
2011 Flashpoint Robert Logasto Episode: "Terror"
2011 Republic of Doyle Anton Strata Episode: "Will the Real Des Courtney Please Stand Up?"
2012 The Listener Charles Harrow Episode: "Now You See Him"
2012–2016 Fugget About It Uncle Cheech 27 episodes
2013 Cracked Officer Vince Wisnefski 2 episodes
2014 Beauty & the Beast Freddy DeMarco Episode: "Held Hostage"
2016 The Art of More Howard Brannan 5 episodes
2017 Designated Survivor Senator Charlie Krauss Episode: "The Ninth Seat"
2019 The Hot Zone Nancy's Father 3 episodes
2019 Good Witch Jonathan Radford 2 episodes
2019 Blood & Treasure Sharif Gazal Episode: "The Brotherhood of Serapis"

References

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  1. ^ a b c "Beautiful Future for an Ugly Type". Ottawa Journal. January 10, 1970. p. 66. Retrieved January 6, 2017 – via Newspapers.com.  
  2. ^ a b "Shamata's riding out acting's ups and downs". The Globe and Mail, October 12, 1974.
  3. ^ "Mounties get their laughs". The Globe and Mail, May 2, 1980.
  4. ^ "Running Man tires quickly after early sprint". The Globe and Mail, February 21, 1981.
  5. ^ "CBC, NFB sweep new Bijou Awards". Calgary Herald, October 29, 1981.
  6. ^ Julianna Cummins, "Disney XD Canada picks up second season of Gaming Show". Playback, January 29, 2015.
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