Throwbacks with Matt Leinart & Jerry Ferrara

Episode: Michael Chiklis Puts the Football Pads Back On, Hates the Yankees, and How He Landed The Shield

Date: September 18, 2025

Episode Overview

In this dynamic episode, Matt Leinart and Jerry Ferrara welcome Emmy-winning actor Michael Chiklis. The conversation explores Chiklis' lifelong love of sports—especially Boston teams—his experience portraying real athletes and coaches on film (The Senior, Winning Time), nostalgic football memories, and not only the highlights but also the harder, more personal moments of his acting journey. The discussion also takes fun detours into TV antiheroes, behind-the-scenes Hollywood anecdotes, the camaraderie of sports and acting, and what it means to parent, lose, and keep rooting for redemption, both on and off the field.

Key Discussion Points & Insights

1. Introducing Michael Chiklis — Not Your Usual Podcast Guest

• Jerry notes Chiklis is “not one of those guys that you see on 10 million podcasts all the time,” making this interview especially insightful and personal. (00:42)
• Quick recap of Chiklis’ career: The Shield, Fantastic Four, Winning Time, and his new film The Senior, about 59-year-old linebacker Mike Flynt.

2. Chiklis' Sports Fandom and Boston Roots

• Chiklis is a die-hard Boston sports fan: “Listen man, I named my dog Tom Brady. The dog's name is Tom Brady...I call him Tom Brady.” (13:54)
• Grew up in Lowell and Andover, MA; played high school football, hockey, and baseball; was captain of his football team. (14:25)
• “I played both ways. Fullback and weak side linebacker. Captain. Could have played D2. Look at me, quick off the mark, no speed in the open field.” (15:02)

Notable Quote:

“I hate the Yankees, dude. It’s because they made me cry a lot when I was seven.” — Michael Chiklis (13:13)

3. The Athlete & Actor Mentality — Finding Parallels

• Discusses the similarity between athletes and actors: the drive, the camaraderie, and the way each field idolizes certain legends but also loses intimidation over time.
• Chiklis: “There’s maybe two actors I would freak out about. For me, it was Anthony Hopkins.” (05:20)
• “With athletes it’s the same—you know how the sausage is made.” (05:20)

4. Breaking into (and Surviving) Hollywood

• Early career hardships: after portraying John Belushi in Wired, Chiklis was blacklisted, but Burt Reynolds gave him a lifeline role, drawing parallels to being “traded” in sports. (06:54)
• Emphasizes the importance of pursuing a “body of work” over single roles, inspired by something Gene Hackman once said. (06:54–09:22)

Notable Quote:

“I’ve had to fight for every inch...I had to fight for The Shield. I’ve had to fight.” — Michael Chiklis (36:56)

5. Evolution of TV & Movie Stardom

• The hosts and Chiklis reminisce about the old boundaries between “movie stars” and “TV actors” and how streaming has changed the landscape. (09:51)

6. On Playing Mike Flynt in The Senior: Art Imitates (Older-Age) Life

• Chiklis talks about getting offered the role at age 59—the same age as his character.
• Fascinating connection: the film’s producer bought the rights to the story in 2004 and spent 20+ years getting it to screen. (34:31–35:42)
• Chiklis’s personal connection to the material as a former player and lifelong fan.
• Detailed stories of putting the pads back on after decades—including performing most of his own football stunts, and the physical toll of playing a lineman at 59.
  “We were doing this 12 hours a day...my eyebrows hurt, man.” (22:58)

7. Stunts, Sports Movies, and Real Impacts

• 90% of the football stunts in The Senior were Chiklis himself. The most brutal hits were done by his younger stunt double—one even dislocated hips because of a set miscalculation (24:23).
• “On The Shield, I did almost all my stunts. But my guy once told me: ‘You’re not doing this one. Step down. Off the roof.’” (23:34)

8. The Pain of Almost-Wins—Sports Redemption, and Regret

• Chiklis and Leinart trade stories of “the ones that got away”—iconic losses and mistakes that still haunt former athletes and actors alike (17:10–19:44).
• Discuss the core of The Senior as a redemption story; “We all have those things, those moments we want to redeem, and this is a redemption tale.” (20:23)

9. Texas High School Football and Sports as Community

• The larger-than-life world of Texas high school football: “We shot in Fort Worth. Some high schools have 30,000 seat stadiums—this is Texas, son.” (33:10)

10. Choosing Projects & The Unpredictability of Showbiz

• Chiklis details the importance of story first, then the people involved, when picking a role.
• He explains the real-life stakes of pilot season, cancellations, and the fantasy vs. reality of Hollywood and career stability. (48:15–50:11)

11. Hollywood & Family: Advice on Being a Parent

• On parenting, especially being a “girl dad” after years of raising boys:
  "You hold more sand in an open hand than a closed fist...You have to give them space to make their own mistakes....Let them land on their ass, it’s part of learning." (79:41–81:32)

Notable Quotes & Memorable Moments

• Naming the Family Dog:
  “I named my dog Tom Brady...Part of it is to see people’s faces when I go, ‘Come on, Tom Brady, make a poo poo.’” — Michael Chiklis (00:00 & 13:54)

• Hating the Yankees:
  “However, I don’t...I hate the Yankees, dude. It’s because they made me cry a lot when I was seven.” — Michael Chiklis (13:13)

• Redemption in Sports & Life:
  “There’s always like two or three hidden plays in a game that can decide [the outcome].” — Matt Leinart (19:44)

• The Lightning Stunt Moment:
  “On the shield, I did all but two shots...I had to hop onto a skylight, break through it, fall onto a false floor…my stunt guy says: ‘You’re not doing it. Step down.’” — Michael Chiklis (23:34)

• Greatest Sports Moment — The Super Bowl Comeback:
  “Gotta say, the comeback was the comeback...I was on the 50 yard line, first row behind the Falcons. I would not let it go. I was just going, ‘No, we can do this!’” — Michael Chiklis (70:03–72:39)

• Fatherly Wisdom:
  “You hold more sand in an open hand than a closed fist...Don’t lie to me. Come to me. I’ll help you.” — Michael Chiklis (79:41)

Timestamps for Key Topics

• Chiklis’ Boston fandom & Tom Brady the Dog – 00:00, 13:54
• Chiklis’ sports background (HS football, Boston roots) – 14:25
• Similarity between athletes and actors – 05:20
• Early acting struggles, Burt Reynolds story – 06:54–09:22
• TV/movie actor boundaries & industry changes – 09:51–10:28
• Getting the role in The Senior (offer, connection to story) – 34:14–36:56
• On doing stunts & football scenes at age 59 – 22:41–24:25
• ‘Getting 1 yard in the NFL’ discussion – 15:23–17:10
• Sports losses that haunt, redemption – 17:10–20:23
• Texas high school football as a culture – 33:10
• Picking roles, the unpredictability of Hollywood – 48:15–50:11
• Fathering advice, being a ‘girl dad’ – 79:41–81:32
• Favorite sports memory – living the Pats’ comeback – 70:01–73:38
• The ‘Longest Yard’ joke in The Senior—generational differences – 77:40–78:50

Other Fun & Pop Culture Segments

TV Antiheroes Draft (Wendy's Fresh Take, 28:34)

• Matt’s picks: Logan Roy (Succession), Frank Underwood (House of Cards), and his “fresh take,” Ruth Langmore (Ozark)
• Jerry’s picks: Brody (Homeland), Omar Little (The Wire), and his “fresh take,” Jesse Pinkman (Breaking Bad)

Twisted Trivia (59:36):

• NFL and pop culture trivia game, featuring Annie Agar.
• Running jokes about difficult questions and random NFL facts.

Tone & Style

Conversation is friendly, engaging, and peppered with self-effacing humor, nostalgia, heartfelt moments, and locker room/band-of-brothers energy. Chiklis is effusive and candid, with elements of “old school” sports talk and actorly wisdom that blend perfectly with Matt and Jerry’s blend of jock, fan, and showbiz perspectives.

For Listeners Who Haven’t Heard the Episode

This episode offers not only a rare, intimate look at Michael Chiklis’ Hollywood and sports journey but also a window into how athletics shapes character, resilience, and the lasting bonds people form along the way. Whether you love football, Boston sports, redemption stories, or just great behind-the-scenes Hollywood tales, you’ll come away entertained and inspired—and with several laugh-out-loud moments you’ll retell. Don't miss Chiklis’ stories about putting on pads again at 59, getting the role of Vic Mackey, and why, even decades later, the scars (and glories) of high school football never quite leave you.