Michael Paul Chan
Character actor Michael Paul Chan spent the first half of his career accumulating small roles in numerous films and television series, particularly of the crime variety. Building up a résumé playing officers, criminals, and civilians alike in "CHiPs" (NBC 1977-1983), "Falling Down" (1993), and even superhero films like "Batman Forever" (1995), the talented actor was a prime candidate for a crime series of his very own, or perhaps two: In 2005, Chan signed on to play Lt. Mike Tao in "The Closer" (TBS 2005-2012), carrying the character forth into the series' spinoff "Major Crimes" (TBS 2012-). Michael Paul Chan was born on June 26, 1950 in San Francisco, California to second generation Chinese-American parents. Before taking to the screen as a professional actor, Chan contributed to the founding of San Francisco's Asian American Theater Company in 1973. Two years later, he married his wife, Christina Ann Chan, and began working in both film and television, including parts in series like "Police Story" (NBC 1973-78) and films like the screwball comedy "Up Yours" (1979). The decade to follow landed Chan a number of one-off appearances on dramatic television series, including "CHiPs" (NBC 1977-1983) and "T.J. Hooker" (ABC/CBS 1982-86), as well as a few bit parts in high profile movies including "Runaway" (1984) and "The Goonies" (1985). Both trends continued into the 1990s, including "Jake and the Fatman" (CBS 1987-1992), "The Wonder Years" (ABC 1988-1993), and "The Joy Luck Club" (1993), in which he played the overbearing husband to Laura Tom's character Lena. That same year, Chan also appeared in the Joel Schumacher film "Falling Down" (1993) and the Dolph Lundgren-starring action drama "Army of One" (1993). After a starring turn on "Valley of the Dolls" (Fox 1994), a short-lived soap opera series that only wound up broadcasting in select American cities, Chan reunited with "Goonies" director Richard Donner for the western reboot "Maverick" (1994), and with Schumacher for the comic book movies "Batman Forever" (1995) and "Batman & Robin" (1997). The decade to come would grant Chan a wealth of small screen work, beginning with a regular role on the animated comedy "The PJs" (Fox/The WB 1999-2002). In the realm of live action, Chan starred on the crime procedural "Robbery Homicide Division" (CBS 2002-03) and played a recurring role as Judge Lionel Ping on the acclaimed sitcom "Arrested Development" (Fox 2003-06 / Netflix 2013-). In 2005, he began playing the character of Lt. Mike Tao in the crime series "The Closer" (TBS 2005-2012). Chan sustained his relationship with Mike Tao upon joining several of his fellow "The Closer" cast members in spinoff series "Major Crimes" (TBS 2012-).
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Michael Paul Chan
Filmography
Movies
Credit | |||||
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No Score Yet | No Score Yet | Between Borders | Unknown (Character) | - | 2025 |
No Score Yet | No Score Yet | Ba | Sonny (Character) | - | 2024 |
No Score Yet | No Score Yet | Boy Genius | Sam (Character) | - | 2019 |
67% | No Score Yet | Americanese | Jimmy (Character) | - | 2006 |
25% |
|
Masked and Anonymous | Guard (Character) | $533.3K | 2003 |
11% |
|
Megiddo | Chinese Premier (Character) | $6.0M | 2001 |
64% |
|
Spy Game | Vincent Vy Ngo (Character) | $62.3M | 2001 |
28% |
|
Once in the Life | Buddha (Character) | $53.5K | 2000 |
96% |
|
The Insider | Norman (Character) | $29.0M | 1999 |
14% |
|
Molly | Domingo (Character) | $17.4K | 1999 |
30% |
|
U.S. Marshals | Xian Chen, U.N. Cultural Attaché to the Peoples Republic of China (Character) | $57.8M | 1998 |
No Score Yet | No Score Yet | Sudden Terror: The Hijacking of School Bus No. 17 | Harry Kee (Character) | - | 1996 |
No Score Yet |
|
Galaxis | Manny Hopkins (Character) | - | 1995 |
No Score Yet |
|
A Friend to Die For | Mr. Kwan (Character) | - | 1994 |
No Score Yet |
|
Army of One | Jimmy Shoeshine (Character) | - | 1994 |
No Score Yet | No Score Yet | Dangerous Heart | Capt. Lin (Character) | - | 1994 |
45% |
|
Heaven and Earth | Interrogator (Character) | - | 1993 |
45% |
|
Rapid Fire | Carl Chang (Character) | $13.6M | 1992 |
88% |
|
Thousand Pieces of Gold | Hong King (Character) | - | 1990 |
46% |
|
Runaway | Wilson (Character) | - | 1984 |
No Score Yet | No Score Yet | Cardiac Arrest | Wylie Wong (Character) | - | 1980 |
TV
Credit | ||||
---|---|---|---|---|
No Score Yet | 75% | The Resident | Yee Austin (Guest Star) | 2019 2021 |
No Score Yet | 71% | MacGyver | Dahn (Guest Star) | 2021 |
No Score Yet | 75% | Major Crimes | Detective Lt. Mike Tao (Character) | 2012-2018 |
No Score Yet | 69% | Hawaii Five-0 | Captain Tanaka (Guest Star) | 2017 |
83% | 84% | The Closer | Mike Tao (Character) | 2005-2012 |
85% | 76% | The Simpsons | Chinese Agent (Guest Voice) | 2011 |
90% | 83% | Bones | Professor Shi Jon Chen (Guest Star) | 2007 |
75% | 85% | Arrested Development | Judge Lionel Ping (Guest Star) | 2004-2005 |
No Score Yet | No Score Yet | Las Vegas | Unknown (Guest Star) | 2003 |
57% | No Score Yet | Robbery Homicide Division | Det. Ron Lu (Character) | 2002-2003 |
No Score Yet | No Score Yet | The PJs | Jimmy Ho (Voice) | 1999-2001 |
No Score Yet | No Score Yet | Brooklyn South | Unknown (Guest Star) | 1998 |
88% | No Score Yet | Michael Hayes | Unknown (Guest Star) | 1997 |
86% | 88% | Lois & Clark: The New Adventures of Superman | Unknown (Guest Star) | 1997 |
No Score Yet | No Score Yet | Nash Bridges | Unknown (Guest Star) | 1996 |
100% | No Score Yet | Strange Luck | Unknown (Guest Star) | 1995 |
No Score Yet | No Score Yet | JAG | Unknown (Guest Star) | 1995 |
No Score Yet | No Score Yet | The Marshal | Unknown (Guest Star) | 1995 |
No Score Yet | 89% | Murder, She Wrote | Trevor Han (Guest Star) | 1995 |
No Score Yet | 92% | Babylon 5 | Unknown (Guest Star) | 1994 |
No Score Yet | 88% | The Wonder Years | Chinese Chef (Guest Star) | 1992 |
No Score Yet | No Score Yet | Knots Landing | Unknown (Guest Star) | 1991 |
No Score Yet | No Score Yet | Tour of Duty | Victor Charles (Guest Star) | 1989 |
No Score Yet | No Score Yet | Jake and the Fatman | Unknown (Guest Star) | 1988 |
No Score Yet | No Score Yet | Trapper John, M.D. | Unknown (Guest Star) | 1984 1986 |
No Score Yet | No Score Yet | Alfred Hitchcock Presents | Unknown (Character) | 1986 |
No Score Yet | No Score Yet | The Blue Knight | Unknown (Guest Star) | 1976 |