Canadian actor Michael Hogan was born in Kirkland Lake, Ontario. He trained as an actor at the National Theatre School of Canada, and went on to act for several Canadian stage productions. He first made his name with his portrayal of Biff in the play Death of a Salesman. He would later star in productions such as The Taming of the Shrew and Cowboy King. Hogan began his film career in 1978, starring in the action drama High-Ballin’.
Hogan’s became a prominent face in Canadian television and film. His first major television role was in the six-part drama Vanderberg, where he starred alongside his wife, fellow actress Susan Hogan. In 1986, he starred in the Canadian comedy The Little Vampire, alongside luminaries such as Michael Gough and Gert Frobe. He also collected several Genie Award nominations, eventually winning his first in 1991 for the drama Solitaire. Later in the 1990s, he started appearing in American productions such as Hearts Afire and Millenium, while still starring in Canadian series such as Cold Squad. This trend continued into the early 2000s, with a recurring role in The L Word and a spot in the two-hour premiere of Monk.
In 2003, Hogan starred in the science fiction series Battlestar Galactica. He almost rejected the role of Galactica’s executive officer Saul Tigh, but reconsidered after finding out that Edward James Olmos is playing one of the leads, William Adama. His character is gruff and quite unpopular, with alcoholism and an earlier bout with depression affecting him. Nevertheless, he is extremely loyal, and possesses great tactical skills. The three-hour miniseries, which aimed to revise the original 1970s series, became a success, and led to a television being produced and aired in 2004. He reprised his role for that series, and continued until the show ended its run in 2008.