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Michael Mando

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Michael Mando
Mando in 2018
Born (1981-07-13) July 13, 1981 (age 43)[1]
Quebec City, Quebec, Canada
Alma materDawson College
Occupation(s)Actor, writer, director, singer
Years active2000–present

Michael Mando (born July 13, 1981)[1][2] is a Canadian actor. He played Nacho Varga on the AMC series Better Call Saul (2015–2022), Vaas Montenegro in the video game franchise Far Cry (2012, 2021), Vic Schmidt in the sci-fi series Orphan Black (2013–2014), and Mac Gargan in Spider-Man: Homecoming (2017). He is a two-time Canadian Screen Award and Screen Actors Guild Award nominee.

Early life

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Mando was born in Quebec City.[3][4] He was raised by his father and is the second of three brothers. The family moved around a lot, living in more than 35 homes in 10 cities across four continents before he was in his mid-20s.[5][6] Mando's mother hails from Guinea, and his father was a Doctor of Chemistry from Germany. Mando spent most of his childhood growing up in Accra (Ghana), Abidjan (Ivory Coast) and Beirut (Lebanon) before returning home to Canada as a teen.[7] His native language is French, and he speaks English, Spanish, and Arabic.[5][6] He grew up wanting to be a writer or an athlete.[5][8]

In his mid-20s he suffered a knee injury and consequently decided to change paths.[5] He was enrolled in many fields, including international relations at the University of Montreal before discovering the performing arts at the Dome Theatre Program (Dawson College) in 2004.[5] Despite no training he went on to play the male lead in all five productions of the program.[5][6] He graduated in 2007. His Dome credits included Orlando in Shakespeare's As You Like It, Professor Katz in David Edgar's Pentecost, and Valentine Xavier in Tennessee Williams' Orpheus Descending.[5] Steven W. Lecky, the chair of the program, called Mando "one of the finest talents to emerge from the program in the past 25 years."[6]

Career

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After playing the leading character in two award-winning professional theatre productions in Montreal,[6] Mando founded Red Barlo Productions.[5][6][9] The company’s first film, Conditional Affection (which Mando starred in, directed and wrote) was released in 2010 and officially selected to Fantasia,[10][11] Bare Bones,[11][12] ACTRA Short Films,[5][11] and the New Hope International Film Festivals.[11][13]

Mando’s television debut simultaneously followed with a wide range of contrasting characters. His credits include guest appearances in the crime series The Bridge, the medical drama mini-series Bloodletting and Miraculous Cures, as an MS-13 gang member in The Border, and as a close friend of the character Kenzi (played by Ksenia Solo) in the fantasy series Lost Girl.[14]

Mando has had repeated collaborations with directors John Fawcett and Érik Canuel as well as producer David Barlow. He had a starring role in the 2010 feature film Territories.[15] In 2011, he had a recurring role in Les Bleus de Ramville[15][16] and a guest appearance on the series King.[15] He is the voice and likeness of Vaas Montenegro, a major character of the 2012 video game Far Cry 3.[17] He also starred in a webseries called The Far Cry Experience as Vaas,[18] who captures and tortures Christopher Mintz-Plasse as himself. In the 2020s, Mando would reprise his role as Vaas for Far Cry VR: Dive Into Insanity[19] and Far Cry 6.[20]

In 2012, Mando was cast in the first season of the science fiction television series Orphan Black, which began airing in 2013.[21] He played Vic, an abusive drug-dealer and was nominated for a Canadian Screen Award for his work on the series.[22] He reprised his role of Vic in the second season in a recurring role. In 2014, Mando joined the cast of Better Call Saul, the Breaking Bad spin-off, portraying Nacho Varga, a career criminal.[23]

In 2023, he was set to star in the series Dope Thief, but was fired due to a physical altercation with another cast member.[24]

Filmography

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Film

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Year Title Role Notes
2010 Conditional Affection Jack Short film
Also director, writer and producer
Territories Jalii Adel Kahlid
2011 Abyss of the Mind Johnny H.
2012 The Good Lie Orville
2013 The Colony Cooper
Elysium Rico Uncredited
Make Your Move Raphael
2016 Wake Up Johnny H. / Alter Ego Short film
Also director, writer and producer
2017 Spider-Man: Homecoming Mac Gargan
2018 The Hummingbird Project Mark Vega

Television

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Year Title Role Notes
2008; 2010 The Border Mirza / Marco 2 episodes
2009 The Last Templar Necia First Mate 2 episodes
Web of Lies Danny Wilcox Television film
Flashpoint Felipe Episode: "Eagle Two"
2010 Bloodletting and Miraculous Cures Dr. Manolas 2 episodes
The Bridge K9 Episode: "Voices Carry"
Lost Girl Neville Episode: "(Dis)Members Only"
2011 King Esteban Demarco Episode: "T-Bone"
Michael: Tuesdays & Thursdays Alain Episode: "Unscripted Conversation"
2012 The Pregnancy Project Javier Rodriguez Television film
Les Bleus de Ramville Marc-Andre David 8 episodes
Psych Chuy Episode: "Let's Doo-Wop It Again"
The Killing Vasquez Episode: "Off the Reservation"
2013 The Listener Len Gazicki Episode: "Buckle Up"
Rookie Blue Cesar Medina Episode: "The Kids Are Not Alright"
Covert Affairs Eduardo Episode: "Into the White"
2013–14 Orphan Black Victor "Vic" Schmidt 9 episodes
2014 La marraine Alvaro Pessoa 5 episodes
2015–22 Better Call Saul Nacho Varga 33 episodes
2016 The Crossroads of History Gaum Episode: "Columbus"

Video games

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Year Title Voice role Notes
2010 Shaun White Skateboarding Francisco Crystobal
2012 Far Cry 3 Vaas Montenegro Also likeness & motion capture
2021 Far Cry 6

Web

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Year Title Role Notes
2012 FarCry Experience Vaas Montenegro 5 episodes

Accolades

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Year Award Category Work Result
2012 NAVGTR Award Lead Performance, Drama Far Cry 3 Nominated
2013 D.I.C.E. Awards Outstanding Character Performance - Male or Female Nominated
2014 Canadian Screen Award Best Guest Performance in a Drama Series Rookie Blue Nominated
Best Supporting Actor in a Drama Program or Series Orphan Black Nominated
2019 Screen Actors Guild Awards Outstanding Performance by an Ensemble in a Drama Series Better Call Saul Nominated
2021 Nominated
2022 Hollywood Critics Association Best Supporting Actor in a Broadcast Cable/Drama Series Nominated
Saturn Awards Best Supporting Actor on Television Nominated

References

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  1. ^ a b "Michael Mando". Rotten Tomatoes.
  2. ^ Yeo, Debra (September 21, 2018). "Better Call Saul has been a master class for actor Michael Mando". The Toronto Star. Retrieved July 13, 2021. The Quebec City-born Mando, 37, shared an anecdote...
  3. ^ "Michael Mando didn't stick to the script". montrealgazette. Retrieved May 10, 2022.
  4. ^ "Why the Scorpion in Spider-Man: Homecoming Looks So Familiar". July 10, 2017.
  5. ^ a b c d e f g h i "GUEST: Michael Mando". Friday Night Live!. October 29, 2010. Archived from the original on July 6, 2011. Retrieved December 30, 2010.
  6. ^ a b c d e f "Trivia". Michael Mando Official Site. Archived from the original on July 14, 2011.
  7. ^ MichaelMando (June 19, 2022). "Michael Mando, Nacho from Better Call Saul AMA 06/19 10:30am EST". r/IAmA. Retrieved August 5, 2023.
  8. ^ "Interview with Michael Mando – The Voice of Vaas". Unfinished Man. Retrieved September 17, 2014.
  9. ^ "Team". Red Barlo Productions Official Site. Archived from the original on May 12, 2014. Retrieved December 30, 2010.
  10. ^ "2010 Fantasia Film Festival". Archived from the original on February 16, 2015. Retrieved December 30, 2010.
  11. ^ a b c d "Conditional Affection". Red Barlo Productions Official Site. Archived from the original on March 5, 2016. Retrieved December 30, 2010.
  12. ^ Bare Bones Film Festival Archived 2011-07-17 at the Wayback Machine
  13. ^ "Profile: Michael Mando". Kim Vaincourt Site. Archived from the original on February 16, 2015. Retrieved December 30, 2010.
  14. ^ Gilang, Rafly (August 31, 2022). "What Michael Mando's Life And Career Are Like Outside Better Call Saul". TheThings. Retrieved February 25, 2023.
  15. ^ a b c "Filmography". Michael Mando Official Site. Archived from the original on March 5, 2016. Retrieved December 30, 2010.
  16. ^ "Backstage help needed on Francophone TV Series", Northern Life, August 20, 2010. Accessed December 30, 2010.
  17. ^ Kuhnke, Oisin (June 20, 2022). "Iconic Vaas Actor Admits To Never Actually Playing Far Cry 3". GameByte. Retrieved February 25, 2023.
  18. ^ Wasserman, Ben (November 17, 2021). "Far Cry 3's Michael Mando Would Love a Live-Action Vaas Adaptation". CBR. Retrieved February 25, 2023.
  19. ^ Walters, Michael (September 11, 2020). "Get Face-To-Face With Vaas In New Far Cry VR Experience". TheGamer. Retrieved February 25, 2023.
  20. ^ "Michael Mando Interview: The Future Is Bright For Vaas Montenegro". GAMINGbible. Retrieved February 25, 2023.
  21. ^ "SPACE, BBC America, and Temple Street Productions Announce Canadian-Born Actor Tatiana Maslany as the Lead in New Original Series ORPHAN BLACK" (Press release). Bell Media. September 17, 2012. Archived from the original on February 20, 2014. Retrieved March 29, 2013.
  22. ^ "2014 CANADIAN SCREEN AWARDS Television Nominations". Canadian Screen Awards. January 13, 2014. pp. 1, 17, 20, 27, 28, 33, 40, 41, 44. Archived from the original on February 1, 2016. Retrieved January 16, 2014.
  23. ^ Andreeva, Nellie (May 8, 2014). "Patrick Fabian, Rhea Seehorn & Michael Mando Cast In 'Breaking Bad' Prequel Series 'Better Call Saul'". Deadline Hollywood. Retrieved May 9, 2014.
  24. ^ Andreeva, Nellie (February 25, 2023). "'Sinking Spring': Michael Mando Exits Apple Series; Wagner Moura To Replace Him". Deadline. Retrieved February 25, 2023.
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