Michael Jace
Michael Andrew Jace (born July 13, 1962) is an American former character actor and convicted murderer, best known for his role as Los Angeles Police Officer Julien Lowe in the FX drama The Shield. He also played Andre Tibbs, an ex-convict mover accused of murder, in an episode of Cold Case.
Michael Jace | |
|---|---|
| Born | July 13, 1962 Paterson, New Jersey, United States |
| Occupation | Actor |
| Years active | 1992–2014 |
| Height | 6 ft 3 in (1.91 m)[1] |
| Criminal status | Incarcerated[1] |
| Spouse(s) | Jennifer Bitterman
(m. 1996; div. 2002) |
| Children | 3 |
| Motive | Marital problems, financial difficulties |
| Conviction(s) | Second-degree murder |
| Criminal charge | Murder[1] |
| Penalty | 40 years to life in prison[2] |
| Details | |
| Victims | April Jace |
| Country | United States |
| State(s) | California |
| Weapon | Gun |
Date apprehended | May 20, 2014[1] |
| Imprisoned at | Corcoran State Prison |
On May 20, 2014, Jace was arrested after he fatally shot his wife, April Jace. A jury subsequently convicted him of second-degree murder on May 31, 2016[2] and on June 10, 2016, sentenced him to 40 years to life in prison.
Career
Jace began his professional acting career in 1992, appearing in an episode of Law & Order. In 1994, he appeared in several TV shows, including Star Trek: Deep Space Nine, and films including Clear and Present Danger and Forrest Gump, where he portrayed a member of the Black Panthers.
Jace's other film appearances include Strange Days, playing a bodyguard to a corrupt record executive; The Replacements, playing a prison inmate-turned-football player; The Great White Hype, playing antagonist Marvin Shabazz; Boogie Nights, playing Jerome; The Fan, playing an arrogant ticket scalper; and Tim Burton's Planet of the Apes remake, playing Major Frank Santos.
Jace's TV appearances include the 1995 HBO TV movie Tyson (as boxer Mitch Green), Cold Case, and the 1999 Fox TV movie Michael Jordan: An American Hero (as Jordan).
In 2002, Jace was cast as Officer Julien Lowe on FX's hit show The Shield. He was part of the main cast and appeared in 89 episodes through all seven seasons.
After his role on The Shield, Jace appeared, uncredited, in the film State of Play with Russell Crowe. From 2009 to 2013, he had a small recurring role on the television series Southland.
Murder conviction
Jace was arrested by the Los Angeles Police Department on the evening of May 19, 2014, at his Hyde Park, South Los Angeles home, following a domestic violence report as well as Jace's own 9-1-1 call, in which he stated, "I shot my wife."[3] When police arrived, they found Jace's wife, April, dead from gunshot wounds. After being questioned by police regarding his wife's death,[4] Jace confessed to the shooting. On May 20, 2014, Jace was arrested and booked for her murder.[1] On May 22, 2014, he was formally charged with murder by the Los Angeles County District Attorney's Office.[5] On May 31, 2016, Jace was found guilty of second-degree murder.[6] Notably, the LAPD was able to crack the password-protected security on April's iPhone 5C.[7] On June 10, 2016, he was sentenced to 40 years to life in prison.[8] He is incarcerated at the Corcoran State Prison.[9]
Filmography
| Year | Title | Role | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1994 | Forrest Gump | Black Panther #2 | |
| 1994 | Clear and Present Danger | Coast Guardsman #3 | |
| 1995 | Strange Days | Wade Beemer | |
| 1996 | The Great White Hype | Marvin Shabazz | |
| 1996 | The Fan | Scalper | |
| 1997 | Boogie Nights | Jerome | |
| 1997 | Bombshell | Det. Jefferson | |
| 1999 | Thick as Thieves | Malcolm | |
| 2000 | The Replacements | Wilkinson | |
| 2001 | Murder, She Wrote: The Last Free Man | Samuel Pinckney | TV movie |
| 2001 | Planet of the Apes | Major Frank Santos | |
| 2002 | Scorcher | MacVaughn | |
| 2002 | The Shield | Office Julien Lowe | Main Role |
| 2003 | Cradle 2 the Grave | Odion | |
| 2005 | Fair Game | E | |
| 2006 | Gridiron Gang | Mr. Jones | |
| 2009 | State of Play | Officer Brown | |
| 2011 | Division III: Football's Finest | Roy Goodwyn |
References
- "LASD Inmate Information Center - Inmate Search". Los Angeles, CA: Los Angeles County Sheriff's Department (LASD). Archived from the original on May 29, 2016. Retrieved June 1, 2016.
- Digon, Sno-Ann (June 2, 2016). "Michael Jace Guilty Of Wife's Murder; Sentenced To 40 Years". Parent Herald. IQADNET LLC. Retrieved June 4, 2016.
- Longeretta, Emily (May 20, 2014). "Michael Jace Charged For Shooting & Killing Wife In Front Of Kids". Penske Media Corporation. hollywoodlife.com. Retrieved May 22, 2014.
- Staff (May 20, 2014). "Actor Michael Jace held over fatal shooting of wife, April Jace at home in Los Angeles". CBS News. CBS Interactive Inc. Retrieved May 20, 2014.
- McNary, Dave (May 22, 2014). "Prosecutors Charge 'The Shield' Actor With Murder in Wife's Death". Variety. Variety Media, LLC. Retrieved March 21, 2015.
- Lara, Jovana; ABC7.com staff (May 31, 2016). "Former 'Shield' actor Michael Jace found guilty of wife's murder". ABC7 Los Angeles. ABC Inc. Associated Press. Retrieved May 31, 2016.
- "LAPD hacks into locked iPhone of actor Michael Jace's slain wife". May 5, 2016.
- Myers, Amanda Lee (June 11, 2016). "'Shield' actor gets 40 years to life in wife's killing". CTV News. Bell Media. Associated Press.
- https://inmatelocator.cdcr.ca.gov/Details.aspx?ID=BA3055
