Michael Mando | |
|---|---|
 Mando in 2018 | |
| Born | (1981-07-13)July 13, 1981 (age 44) Quebec City, Quebec, Canada |
| Alma mater | Dawson College |
| Occupation | Actor |
| Years active | 2008–present |
Michael Mando (born July 13, 1981)[1] is a Canadian actor. He playedNacho Varga on theAMC seriesBetter Call Saul (2015–2022),Vaas Montenegro in the video game franchiseFar Cry (2012, 2021), Vic Schmidt in the sci-fi seriesOrphan Black (2013–2014), andMac Gargan/Scorpion in theMarvel Cinematic Universe filmsSpider-Man: Homecoming (2017) and the upcomingSpider-Man: Brand New Day (2026). He is a two-timeCanadian Screen Award andScreen Actors Guild Award nominee.
Mando was born inQuebec City.[2][3] 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.[4][5] Mando's mother hails fromGuinea, and his father was a Doctor of Chemistry fromGermany. Mando spent most of his childhood growing up inAccra,Abidjan, andBeirut, before returning home toCanada as a teen.[6] His native language is French, and he speaks English, Spanish, and Arabic.[4][5] He grew up wanting to be a writer or an athlete.[4][7]
In his mid-20s, he suffered a knee injury and consequently decided to change paths.[4] He was enrolled in many fields, includinginternational relations at theUniversity of Montreal before discovering the performing arts at the Dome Theatre Program atDawson College in 2004.[4] Despite no training he went on to play the male lead in all five productions of the program.[4][5] He graduated in 2007. His Dome credits include Orlando in Shakespeare'sAs You Like It, Professor Katz inDavid Edgar'sPentecost, and Valentine Xavier in Tennessee Williams'Orpheus Descending.[4] 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".[5]
After playing the leading character in two award-winning professional theatre productions inMontreal,[5] Mando founded Red Barlo Productions.[4][5][8] The company's first film,Conditional Affection (which Mando starred in, directed and wrote) was released in 2010 and officially selected toFantasia,[9][10]Bare Bones,[10][11]ACTRA Short Films,[4][10] and the New Hope International Film Festivals.[10][12]
Mando's television debut simultaneously followed with a wide range of contrasting characters. His credits include guest appearances in the crime seriesThe Bridge, the medical drama mini-seriesBloodletting and Miraculous Cures, as anMS-13 gang member inThe Border, and as a close friend of the character Kenzi (played byKsenia Solo) in the fantasy seriesLost Girl.[13]
Mando has had repeated collaborations with directorsJohn Fawcett andÉrik Canuel as well as producer David Barlow. He had a starring role in the 2010 feature filmTerritories.[14] In 2011, he had a recurring role inLes Bleus de Ramville[14][15] and a guest appearance on the seriesKing.[14] He is the voice and likeness ofVaas Montenegro, a major character of the 2012 video gameFar Cry 3.[16] He also starred in a webseries calledFar Cry: The Experience as Vaas,[17] who captures and torturesChristopher Mintz-Plasse as himself. In the 2020s, Mando would reprise his role as Vaas forFar Cry VR: Dive Into Insanity[18] andFar Cry 6.[19]
In 2012, Mando was cast in the first season of thescience fictiontelevision seriesOrphan Black, which began airing in 2013.[20] He played Vic, an abusive drug-dealer and was nominated for aCanadian Screen Award for his work on the series.[21] He reprised his role of Vic in the second season in a recurring role. In 2014, Mando joined the cast ofBetter Call Saul, theBreaking Badspin-off, portrayingNacho Varga, a career criminal.[22]
In 2023, he was set to star in the seriesDope Thief, but was fired due to a physical altercation with another cast member.[23]
In 2025, it was announced that Mando would reprise his role ofMac Gargan / Scorpion forSpider-Man: Brand New Day.[24]
| 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 | |
| 2024 | King Ivory | Ramón Garza | |
| 2026 | Spider-Man: Brand New Day | Mac Gargan / Scorpion | Filming |
| TBA | 72 Hours | Jaze | Filming |
| 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" |
| 2025 | Criminal | Jeff | Upcoming series, recurring role |
| 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 | ||
| Far Cry VR: Dive Into Insanity |
| Year | Title | Role | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2012 | Far Cry: The Experience | Vaas Montenegro | 4 episodes[25] |
| Year | Award | Category | Work | Result | Ref. |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2013 | New York Videogame Critics Circle Awards | Best Overall Acting | Far Cry 3 | Nominated | [26] |
| D.I.C.E. Awards | Outstanding Character Performance - Male or Female | Nominated | [27] | ||
| National Academy of Video Game Trade Reviewers Awards | Lead Performance, Drama | Nominated | [28] | ||
| The 4th Canadian Videogame Awards | Best New Character | Won | [29] | ||
| 2014 | Canadian Screen Award | Best Guest Performance in a Drama Series | Rookie Blue | Nominated | [30] |
| 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 | [31] |
| 2021 | Nominated | [32] | |||
| 2022 | Hollywood Critics Association | Best Supporting Actor in a Broadcast Cable/Drama Series | Nominated | [33] | |
| Saturn Awards | Best Supporting Actor on Television | Nominated | [34] |
I was born July 13, 1981 in Quebec City, Quebec, Canada...
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