Michael Ironside

The voice of Sam Fisher and a master of villains.

via Wikipedia: Michael Ironside · see source

Michael Ironside is a Canadian actor known for playing villains and antiheroes, with a breakthrough performance in the 1981 David Cronenberg film Scanners. He is best known for his roles in action and science fiction films, and has voiced Sam Fisher in the Tom Clancy's Splinter Cell video game franchise.

Quick Facts

Birth name: Frederick Reginald Ironside
Born: 12 February 1950
Birthplace: Toronto, Ontario, Canada
Occupation: Actor
Years active: 1977–present
Spouse: Karen Dinwiddie (1986)
Children: 2

Lore & Background

Frederick Reginald Ironside was born in Toronto on February 12, 1950, the son of housewife Patricia June and street lighting technician Robert Walter Ironside. He has four siblings and is of English, Irish, Scottish and Welsh descent. He attended the Ontario College of Art in Toronto. At age 15, he wrote a play called The Shelter, which won first prize in a university contest. He also won the senior year writing award at Riverdale Collegiate Institute in 1968. He gained his love of science fiction as a child from his grandfather, who was an engineer and member of a sci-fi club. Ironside married Karen Dinwiddie in 1986; they have one daughter together (born 1998) and he has another daughter from a previous marriage. He has lived in Los Angeles County, California since 1982. He is a fan of the Toronto Maple Leafs in the NHL. Ironside has survived cancer of the bowel, prostate, and thyroid.

Reader's Guide

Ironside's notable roles include Overdog in Spacehunter: Adventures in the Forbidden Zone (1983), 'Jester' in Top Gun (1986), Richter in Total Recall (1990), and Rasczak in Starship Troopers (1997). He voiced Sam Fisher in the Tom Clancy's Splinter Cell franchise and Darkseid in the DC Animated Universe. He is a four-time Gemini Award, a Genie Award, and a Canadian Film Award nominee.

Did You Know?

Ironside's breakthrough role was as cynical antihero Ham Tyler in the television miniseries V: The Final Battle and its following 19-episode series (1984).
He voiced comic book villain Darkseid in the DC Animated Universe, including Superman: The Animated Series, Justice League and Justice League Unlimited.
Ironside signed a five-year deal to portray Captain Jonas Trager in the SpaceWorks Television science-fiction series Ice Planet, but the show was not produced.