Dmitri "Misha" Collins[1] (born Dmitri Tippens Krushnic;[2] August 20, 1974) is an American actor best known for his role as the angel Castiel on the CW television series Supernatural (2008–2020).[3]
Misha Collins | |
|---|---|
 Collins at the 2017 Comic Con in San Diego | |
| Born | Dmitri Tippens Krushnic August 20, 1974 Boston, Massachusetts, U.S. |
| Alma mater | |
| Occupation(s) | Actor, author |
| Years active | 1998–present |
| Spouse |
Victoria Vantoch
(m. 2001; sep. 2021) |
| Children | 2 |
Early life
Misha Collins was born in Boston, Massachusetts. His mother is Rebecca Tippens.[4] He was raised in an irreligious family.[5] Growing up, his family was poor and often homeless.[6][7] He has said that his surname, Krushnic, "goes back six generations in Canada, and we're not sure where they came from."[2] He is of partial Jewish descent.[8]
Collins attended Greenfield Center School, Northfield Mount Hermon School and the University of Chicago, where he studied social theory.[9][10]
Career
Interning
Before acting, he interned for four months at the White House during the Clinton Administration in the Office of Presidential Personnel.[3][11]
Acting
His film work includes an uncredited appearance in the 1999 movie Liberty Heights, as well as roles in Girl, Interrupted; Finding Home; Karla; and Loot (on which he also served as Associate Producer).
He starred as the angel Castiel on the CW television series Supernatural from 2008 to 2020. As well as his work on Supernatural, other television shows includes Legacy, Charmed, NYPD Blue, 24, CSI: Crime Scene Investigation, ER, Monk, and Timeless.
He has appeared on several podcasts. He has several guest appearances. For his acting work in podcasts, in 2018, he voiced the role of Adler Harrison in The Angel of Vine produced by Vox Populi.[12] In 2021, he starred as Jeremy Bradshaw as the main role on Bridgewater produced by Grim & Mild.[13]
He hosted Roadfood: Discovering America One Dish at a Time on PBS, a TV show focused on local foods in America.[14]
In 2022, he was cast as Harvey Dent/Two Face in the Gotham Knights show on the CW.[15][16]
Writing
Collins is a published poet. His poems, including "Baby Pants" and "Old Bones", can be found in the 2008 edition of Columbia Poetry Review #21.
Collins has also co-written a cookbook, The Adventurous Eaters Club, with his wife, Vicki Collins. It is reported that much of the book's sales will go to charitable organizations who specialize in food nutrition.[17]
Collins and Kathryn Leonard, together with several other collaborators, are authors of "The 2D Shape Structure Dataset", an academic research paper on a crowd-sourced database on the structure of shapes.[18]
Collins's poetry book, Some Things I Still Can't Tell You, was published on October 12, 2021 and is a full collection of poems at 144 pages.[19] It reached the NYTimes bestseller list.[20]
Charity work
Collins is the co-founder and board president of Random Acts,[21] a non-profit organization dedicated to funding and inspiring acts of kindness around the world.[22] Collins founded the Greatest International Scavenger Hunt the World Has Ever Seen (GISHWHES) in 2011.[23] Entrance fees for the international competition go towards Random Acts, and in 2012, GISHWHES broke the world record for most pledges to perform an act of kindness.[24]
On May 5, 2023, Collins became an ambassador of the United 24 platform.[25]
On May 21, 2024, Collins visited Kyiv, along with American filmmaker Darius Marder.[26][27] Collins has started a fundraiser for a pyrotechnic machine for humanitarian demining.[28]
Personal life
On October 6, 2001, Collins married Victoria Vantoch in Maine. They have a son born in 2010 and a daughter born in 2012.[29][30]
In the acknowledgments of his 2021 poetry book, Some Things I Still Can't Tell You, Collins stated that he and his wife had separated.[31]
In April 2022, Collins clarified that he is straight after a fan convention appearance led to reports he had appeared to come out as bisexual.[32]
Filmography
Film
| Year | Title | Role | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1999 | Liberty Heights | Guy | Uncredited |
| Girl, Interrupted | Tony | ||
| 2002 | Par 6 | Al Hegelman | |
| 2003 | Moving Alan | Tony Derrick | |
| Finding Home | Dave | ||
| 2004 | The Crux | Man Hanging from the Rope | Short film |
| 2006 | Karla | Paul Bernardo | |
| 2008 | Over Her Dead Body | Brian | |
| The Grift | Buster | ||
| 2013 | TSA America: Just Relax | Officer Franklin | Short films; also producer, director and writer |
| 2014 | TSA America: Suspicious Bulge | ||
| TSA America: Yeah, But Is It Ticking? | |||
| 2021 | Encounter | Dylan |
Television
| Year | Title | Role | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1998 | Legacy | Andrew | Episode: "The Big Fix" |
| 1999 | Charmed | Eric Bragg | Episode: "They're Everywhere" |
| 2000 | NYPD Blue | Blake DeWitt | Episode: "Welcome to New York" |
| 2001 | Seven Days | Sergei Chubais | Episode: "Born in the USSR" |
| 2002 | 24 | Alexis Drazen | Recurring role; 7 episodes |
| 2005 | CSI: Crime Scene Investigation | Vlad | Episode: "Nesting Dolls" |
| 20 Things to Do Before You're 30 | Unknown role | Unaired television series | |
| 2005–2006 | ER | Bret | Recurring role; 3 episodes |
| 2006 | NCIS | Justin Farris | Episode: "Singled Out" |
| Monk | Michael Karapov | Episode: "Mr. Monk and the Captain's Marriage" | |
| Close to Home | Todd Monroe | Episode: "There's Something About Martha" | |
| 2007 | Without a Trace | Chester Lake | Episode: "Run" |
| CSI: NY | Morton Brite | Episode: "Can You Hear Me Now?" | |
| Reinventing the Wheelers | Joey Wheeler | Unaired television pilot | |
| 2008–2020 | Supernatural | Castiel / Jimmy Novak / Himself / Leviathan / Lucifer / Cosmic Entity | Recurring role; (Seasons 4 and 8) Main role; (Seasons 5–6, 9–15) Guest role; (Season 7 and 8); 147 episodes |
| 2009 | Nip/Tuck | Manny Skerritt | Episode: "Manny Skerritt" |
| 2010 | Stonehenge Apocalypse | Jacob | Television film |
| 2012 | Ringer | Dylan | Episode: "Whores Don't Make That Much" |
| 2014 | Whose Line Is It Anyway? | Himself | Episode: "Misha Collins" |
| 2015 | Kittens in a Cage | Porn Director | Episode: "Punch and Lemon Squares" |
| 2015–2018 | The Hillywood Show | Ghostbusters Receptionist / Dancer | Guest role; 2 episodes |
| 2016 | The Venture Bros. | Prisoner 2 / Maestro Wave | Episode: "Red Means Stop"; voice role |
| 2017 | Kings of Con | Doug Walderman | Episode: "Arlington, VA" |
| Timeless | Eliot Ness | Episode: "Public Enemy No. 1" | |
| 2021-2022 | Roadfood: Discovering America One Dish at a Time | Himself | Host |
| 2023 | Gotham Knights | Harvey Dent | Main role |
Podcasts
Acting roles are in bold.
| Year | Title | Role | Air Date | Notes | Episode Title |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2012 | Winchester Radio | Himself | Nov 11, 2012 | Guest Role | Winchester Radio - Special edition with guest Misha Collins |
| 2013 | ID10T with Chris Hardwick | Himself | Jul 1, 2013 | Guest Role | |
| 2014 | girl on guy | Himself | February 4, 2014 | 125: misha collins | |
| 2016 | Hype Podcast | Himself | Jun 17, 2016 | Guest Role | Hype Special #13 – Talking G.I.S.H.W.H.E.S. with Misha Collins |
| Too Beautiful To Live | Himself | Dec 27, 2016 | Guest Role | City of Subdued Podcasting w/ Misha Collins | |
| 2018 | The Angel of Vine | Adler Harrison | Nov 2018 - Jan 2019 | 4 Episodes | |
| 2019 | Inside of You with Michael Rosenbaum | Himself | Oct 2, 2019 | Guest Role | |
| The Art of Fatherhood | Himself | Nov 5, 2019 | Guest Role | ||
| 2020 | The "Doctor Mom" Podcast | Himself | Jan 2020 | Guest Role | Raising Adventurous Eaters with Misha and Vicki Collins |
| Craft Service | Himself | Dec 2020 | Guest Role | The Unpredictability of Life ft Misha Collins | |
| 2021 | Kings of Con: The Podcast | Himself | Jan 27, 2021 | Guest Role | Misha Collins and kitchen decor |
| Alyssa Milano: Sorry Not Sorry | Himself | Jul 12, 2021 | Guest Role | Supernatural's Misha Collins on Acting, Activism, and What's Next | |
| Bridgewater | Jeremy Bradshaw | Aug 5, 2021 - Oct 1, 2021 | Main Role; 10 Episodes | ||
| 2022 | Inside of You with Michael Rosenbaum | Himself | Mar 22, 2022 | Guest Role | Misha Collins On Supernatural End, Jared and Jensen, Standing Out, Cult Fans & More |
Web
| Year | Title | Role | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2011 | Ghostfacers | Castiel | Episode: "Ghostfacers Meet Castiel" |
| Divine: The Series | Father Christopher | Also producer and writer[33] |
Producer
| Year | Title | Notes |
|---|---|---|
| 2008 | Loot | Documentary film; also associate producer[34] |
Director
| Year | Title | Notes |
|---|---|---|
| 2010 | Stranger Danger | Short film; also writer |
Awards and nominations
| Year | Award | Category | Work | Result |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2014 | People's Choice Awards | Favorite TV Bromance (shared with Jared Padalecki and Jensen Ackles) | Supernatural | Won[35][36] |
| 2015 | Favorite Sci-Fi/Fantasy TV Actor | |||
| 2016 | Nominated[37] |
References
- ^ "Misha Collins in LA 09: On his name". YouTube. Archived from the original on December 21, 2021. "My mom went to Russia when she was in college, and […] she had a boyfriend whose name was Mitya, which she thought was the same as Misha, which it's not. And his real name was Dmitri, so my real name, actually—my birth certificate says Dmitri. But she always calls me Misha, so I have the wrong nickname. But, you know, too late to change it now."
- ^ a b "Misha Collins Answers Our Top 3 Q's – EveryJoe". EveryJoe. Archived from the original on December 30, 2013. Retrieved September 24, 2013. "My mother went to Russia when she was in college. She had a boyfriend named Misha, and much to my father's chagrin she named me after him. And the last name, Krushnic, goes back six generations in Canada, and we're not sure where they came from—could be Russian or Ukrainian or Polish."
- ^ a b "Supernatural Cast Bios Misha Collins". The CW. Retrieved May 5, 2011.
- ^ "Misha Collins". TV Guide. CBS Interactive. Retrieved July 11, 2014.
- ^ O'Hare, Kate (November 18, 2008). "Misha Collins is Supernatural's Dark Angel". Screener. Retrieved January 17, 2018.
- ^ Rossow, Andrew (March 5, 2018). "Behind The Cape: Supernatural's Misha Collins, Advocates Against Cyberbullying Through 'Random Acts'". Forbes. Retrieved September 19, 2018.
- ^ Molloy, Parker. "Inspired by his family, Misha Collins is fighting homelessness for a very personal reason". Upworthy. No. 22 November 2017. Retrieved September 19, 2018.
- ^ "Jewish comics stump against Trump". The Times of Israel.
- ^ "Just try to find a stranger scavenger hunt than this". The Recorder. August 16, 2013. Retrieved July 11, 2014.
GISHWHES was created by American actor Misha Collins, who attended Greenfield Center School and graduated from Northfield Mount Hermon School in 1992.
- ^ Hale, Mike (April 18, 2014). "Eternal Life, Thanks to Angels and Abs". The New York Times. Retrieved July 11, 2014.
- ^ Krushnic, Dmitri (January 29, 1998). "Lewinsky wasn't the only infatuated intern". Baltimore Sun. Retrieved July 11, 2014.
- ^ "CREDITS". The Angel of Vine: A Fictional Podcast. Retrieved October 14, 2021.
- ^ "Bridgewater". Grim & Mild. Archived from the original on September 1, 2021. Retrieved September 18, 2021.
- ^ "Roadfood TV: Discovering America one dish at a time with our host Misha Collins". Roadfood. September 29, 2021. Retrieved October 3, 2021.
- ^ Maas, Jennifer (March 23, 2022). "'Supernatural' Alum Misha Collins to Play Harvey Dent in The CW's 'Gotham Knights' Pilot". Variety. Retrieved March 29, 2022.
- ^ Iannucci, Rebecca (March 23, 2022). "Misha Collins Eyes CW Return, Joins Gotham Knights Pilot as Harvey Dent". TVLine. Retrieved March 29, 2022.
- ^ "Cover Released for Misha and Vicki Collins' Cookbook". Nerds and Beyond. June 25, 2019. Retrieved October 28, 2019.
- ^ Carlier, Axel; Leonard, Kathryn; Hahmann, Stefanie; Morin, Geraldine; Collins, Misha (August 2016). "The 2D shape structure dataset: A user annotated open access database". Computers & Graphics. 58: 23–30. doi:10.1016/j.cag.2016.05.009.
- ^ "Some Things I Still Can't Tell You". Andrews McMeel Publishing. Retrieved August 13, 2021.
- ^ "Paperback Trade Fiction Books - Best Sellers - Books - Oct. 31, 2021 - The New York Times". The New York Times. ISSN 0362-4331. Retrieved March 29, 2022.
- ^ "Random Acts – Our Staff". Random Acts.
- ^ "Random Acts – Non-profit dedicated to acts of kindness worldwide". Random Acts. Archived from the original on February 27, 2015.
- ^ Mandy, Chaos (October 11, 2012). "GISHWHES – International Scavenger Hunt". Wired. Retrieved October 22, 2013.
- ^ Hayes, Molly (August 14, 2013). "Wanted: Rooster costume and Russian colonel". The Hamilton Spectator. Retrieved October 22, 2013.
- ^ "Misha Collins". u24.gov.ua. Retrieved May 21, 2024.
- ^ "Misha Collins visits Kyiv: Supernatural star poses amidst destroyed Russian equipment". RBC-Ukraine. Retrieved May 21, 2024.
- ^ "US actor Misha Collins arrives in Kyiv to show support for Ukraine". english.nv.ua. Retrieved May 21, 2024.
- ^ "Misha Collins collecting funds for a demining vehicle". u24.gov.ua. Retrieved May 21, 2024.
- ^ Raftery, Liz (September 28, 2012). "Supernatural's Misha Collins, Wife Have a Baby". TV GUIDE. Archived from the original on September 29, 2012. Retrieved October 5, 2012.
- ^ "We got this on tuesday. No..." September 28, 2012. Retrieved October 5, 2012.
- ^ ""Some Things I Still Can't Tell You" by Misha Collins is an Upcoming Must Read!". August 18, 2021.
- ^ Jackson, Dory; Garner, Glenn (April 25, 2022). "Supernatural's Misha Collins Apologizes for 'Misspeaking' After Appearing to Come Out as Bisexual". PEOPLE.com. Retrieved April 25, 2022.
- ^ Divine the Series Cast Archived September 25, 2011, at the Wayback Machine Retrieved on May 16, 2011.
- ^ Loot: Home. HBO. Retrieved on March 1, 2011.
- ^ "People's Choice Awards: Fan Favorites in Movies, Music & TV - PeoplesChoice.com". www.peopleschoice.com. Retrieved November 5, 2016.
- ^ "People's Choice Awards: Fan Favorites in Movies, Music & TV - PeoplesChoice.com". www.peopleschoice.com. Retrieved November 5, 2016.
- ^ "People's Choice Awards: Fan Favorites in Movies, Music & TV - PeoplesChoice.com". www.peopleschoice.com. Retrieved November 5, 2016.