SAN JOSE MERCURY NEWS -- When “Major Crimes” returns next week to TNT, it will mark the 11th season that Michael Paul Chan has played Detective Lieutenant Michael Tao. It is, indeed, the gift that keeps giving.
“I never could have imagined this,” says the El Cerrito native, who assumed the role in 2005 on “The Closer,” which ran for seven seasons before spawning its spin-off. “When you’re an actor — especially an actor of color — anything longer than two weeks is cause for celebration.”
As a teen growing up in the East Bay, Chan’s first love was music. He and his pals formed a rock band that did gigs at high school dances and frat parties. But by the time he reached San Francisco State, he was bitten by the acting bug.
Four decades later, Chan’s résumé features more than 300 episodes of television and 35 feature-film roles.
Photo by Eddy Chen/TNT