As the beleaguered Col. Saul Tigh on the Sci-Fi Channel’s acclaimed series “Battlestar Galactica,” (2004- ) actor Michael Hogan put a human face on the rigors of interstellar war. Whether it was locking horns with his commander or struggling with his own inner demons, Hogan’s character made the world of science fiction-fantasy feel remarkably, and sometimes, uncomfortably real.
Like many of his co-stars, Hogan hails from Canada, where he enjoyed the bulk of his career. Born in Kirkland Lake, Ontario, he has been acting his entire life and is regarded as one of the country’s most respected actors in all mediums.
Hogan has played many of Canada’s most prestigious stage venues, portraying Biff in “Death of a Salesman” at the Stratford Festival and performing in “Escape from Happiness” at the Arts Club in Vancouver. Other stage credits include “King Lear” at the Vancouver East Cultural Centre, “Zastrozzi” at Toronto’s Factory Theater, and “Tartuffe” and “Of the Fields Lately” at Toronto’s Canadian Stage.
Hogan’s first big screen role was in the 1978 Peter Fonda movie “High-Ballin.” After this first foray into film, he landed predominately television work. He and his wife, Susan Hogan – a popular Canadian actress in her own right – developed a loyal following while starring together on the 1983 Canadian Television series “Vanderberg” and on the 1986 Canadian-German series “The Little Vampire.” Hogan also starred in the Canadian police drama “Cold Squad” in 1998.
While still appearing on numerous TV shows, Hogan’s focus returned to feature films by the early to mid 1990s. He starred in “Clearcut,” (1991), “The Cutting Edge” (1992) and “Road to Saddle River” (1994). In 1991, he won the Genie Award – Canada’s version of the Oscar – for Best Supporting Actor for his performance in the film, “Solitaire.” He earned a nomination for the same award the previous year for his work in “Diplomatic Immunity” (1991).
In the mid to late 1990s and beyond, the workhorse actor appeared in several made-for-television films, both in his homeland and America, including: “Dead Man’s Gun” (Showtime, 1997) Shadow Lake,” (Chum Television, 1999) “Scorn,” (CBC, 2002) and “Shadow Realm” (Sci-Fi Channel, 2002). For his work on “Night Below Station Street” (CBC, 1997), he was awarded the Manitoba Motion Picture Association Award for Best Leading Actor. In 2003, he was nominated for a Gemini Award – the Canadian version of an Emmy – for his role in the CBC telefilm, “Betrayed.”
In the U.S., Hogan’s brooding persona and intense acting style found a perfect home on sci-fi TV series such as a 1988 appearance on “The Twilight Zone” (CBS, 1985-89) a 1990 appearance on “War of the Worlds: The Second Invasion” (1998-2000), and other appearances on “Millennium” (Fox, 1996-99) "Andromeda” (Sci-Fi Channel, 2000-05) and “The Outer Limits” (Sci-Fi Channel, 1994-2002). He also appeared on such audience favorites as “The Sopranos,” (HBO, 1999- ), “The L Word” (Showtime, 2004- ) and in the premiere episode of “Monk” (USA Network, 2002- ).
All this sci-fi experience came in handy when Hogan landed the role of Col. Tigh in the 2003 mini-series version of “Battlestar Galactica.” Tackling the role originally played by Terry Carter in the campy 1978 TV series, Hogan’s performance as Col. Tigh effectively shed light on post-traumatic stress brought on by war and the side effects that often come with it, including, paranoia, alcoholism and attempted suicide. Each week Hogan’s deft portrayal effectively balanced both the bad AND the good. His Col. Tigh was dependable and loyal to his good friend and fellow war veteran, Commander Adama, played by Edward James Olmos.