Shanks discusses upcoming 24 role

Actor Michael Shanks will make the first in a series of guest appearances on the hit FOX series 24 next week, Monday, April 30, according to fan site Michael Shanks Online. Shanks — SG-1‘s Dr. Daniel Jackson — will play a Washington lobbyist named Mark Bishop, a new love interest for Lisa Williams (Kari Matchett), assistant to Vice President Noah Daniels (Powers Boothe).

The actor recently discussed his role in an interview with GateWorld.

“There’s a storyline that is going on with the President this year, and an attempted assassination on D.B. Woodside, who plays the President — President Palmer,” he said. “And then taking over for his character is the Vice President. And so there’s an on-going storyline that is involved in the White House that I’m part of.

“My character is a lobbyist, Mark Bishop, who is in a sort of covert relationship with one of Vice President Daniels’ staff. And that will sort of come to fruition in a lot of different ways. And the character also has an ace up his sleeve, as well. So there is a lot more intrigue that goes on than is immediately apparent.”

Shanks will appear in several episodes between now and the end of the season. The opportunity also reunited him with director Brad Turner, who directed several episodes of Stargate SG-1.

“I’m very happy working over there,” he said. “One of my favorite people in the universe, Brad Turner — who directed a few episodes of SG-1 — is a supervising producer over there and has been for a couple of years. And he directed the first two episodes I was in. It’s a wonderful, familiar feeling.”

Turner wasn’t the only familiar face Shanks worked with.

“The gal that plays my love interest is an actress I worked with 13 years ago in Stratford,” he told GateWorld. “And we hadn’t really seen a lot of each other till we showed up on set.”

“It was a very comfortable environment. They have a wonderful crew — it felt very much like home over there, and I’ve enjoyed my time that I’ve spent over there. It’s a lot of fun.”

What’s to come for Shanks beyond Stargate and 24? “Continuing acting, of course,” he told fans at last month’s Official Stargate SG-1/Stargate Atlantis Convention in Vancouver, B.C., hosted by Creation Entertainment. “I plan things as they come. Right now Christopher Judge [“Teal’c”] has written a pilot script that he and I are looking to produce and be executive producers on. That’s something we are working on.”

24 airs Mondays at 9 p.m. Eastern/Pacific on FOX!