Stephen McHattie

Early life

McHattie was born in Antigonish, Nova Scotia, on February 3, 1946 (the year of his birth has also been cited as 1945, 1947, and 1948) and raised in Guysborough County. At 16, he began acting in local amateur plays and at 19 moved to New York City, where he studied at the American Academy of Dramatic Arts.

Career

McHattie began his career on stage in the 1968 Broadway production of The American Dream. Two years later he made his film debut in The People Next Door. He appeared in other Broadway plays, including Mourning Becomes Electra in 1972, The Iceman Cometh in 1973, and Ghetto in 1989, for which he was nominated for a Drama Desk Award for Outstanding Actor in a Play.

McHattie has appeared in many films and television shows including Star Trek: Deep Space Nine, Star Trek: Enterprise, Highlander: The Series, and American Playhouse's Life Under Water (1989). His roles include 300, A History of Violence, The Fountain, Secretary, Shoot 'Em Up, Life with Billy, One Dead Indian, Beverly Hills Cop III. In Canada, he appeared in Canada: A People's History as Canadian hero Major-General Sir Isaac Brock, and in The Rocket as coach Dick Irvin.

He portrayed an extraordinary USMC sniper (based on real life sniper Carlos Hathcock) in the JAG season one episode "High Ground". In 1976, he played iconic American actor James Dean in the television movie James Dean, a television adaptation of the biography written by James Dean's friend and writer Bill Bast. McHattie appeared in several mini-series, including Centennial and Roughnecks.

McHattie appeared in several episodes of Seinfeld (beginning with "The Pitch") as Dr. Reston, Elaine Benes's manipulative psychiatrist boyfriend; he also appeared in two episodes of The X-Files. From 1998 to 2000, he had a recurring role in the Canadian-made TV series Emily of New Moon, based upon the 1923 novel by Lucy Maud Montgomery. From 1999-2001, he portrayed Sgt. Frank Coscarella in the Canadian police procedural drama, Cold Squad. Since 2005, he has appeared as Captain Healy, Massachusetts State Police Homicide Division Commander, in the first eight of the Jesse Stone series TV movies, which are based on the novels of Robert B. Parker. He did not appear in the ninth instalment however. He appeared in the pilot of Sabbatical, voiced the villain The Shade in Justice League, and portrayed Hollis Mason, the first Nite Owl, in the film adaptation of Watchmen.

McHattie had a memorable and well-received appearance in the acclaimed sixth season episode "In the Pale Moonlight" of Star Trek: Deep Space Nine, as the acerbic and skeptical Romulan Senator Vreenak who is the target of a Federation false flag operation to deceive the neutral Romulan Empire into declaring war on the Dominion. The episode has often been cited as one of the best episodes of Star Trek ever produced, and McHattie’s outraged, hissing reading of the line “It’s a Fake!,” upon the discovery of a forged data rod, has been ranked amongst the greatest moments in Star Trek and spawned a popular and enduring online meme.

In 2009, McHattie appeared in the Canadian IFC film Pontypool and in the Canadian thriller Summer's Blood as Gant Hoxey, alongside Twilight actress Ashley Greene, who portrays Summer. He co-starred with Felicia Day and Kavan Smith in the Gothic adaptation of Red Riding Hood, Red: Werewolf Hunter. In 2015, he appeared in the supernatural thriller Pay the Ghost.

Personal life

McHattie is married to actress Lisa Houle, with whom he has three children. He was previously married to actress Meg Foster. His older brother is actor Wendell Smith.

Filmography

Film

Television

Partial stage credits

Awards and nominations

References

References

1. "Stephen McHattie". [[Historica Canada]].
2. Other sources cite 1945, 1946, and 1948.
3. [https://web.archive.org/web/20071121071409/http://movies.nytimes.com/person/47581/Stephen-McHattie Profile], nytimes.com; accessed February 4, 2018.
4. "Stephen McHattie biography and filmography {{!}} Stephen McHattie movies".
5. "Stephen McHattie (Performer)".
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7. [http://www.superherohype.com/news/watchmennews.php?id=6086 Zack Snyder Talks Watchmen! - Superhero Hype!], superherohype.com; accessed February 4, 2018.
8. (2019-07-04). "The 10 Most Important Romulans In The Star Trek Universe".
9. "'Star Trek: Deep Space Nine' — The 20 Greatest Episodes".
10. Yglesias, Matthew. (2013-05-15). "Star Trek Movies, Series, and Characters Ranked".
11. Elizabeth Howell. (20 September 2017). "The 10 Best 'Star Trek' Episodes Ever".
12. "The top 35 moments in Star Trek history".
13. [https://www.imdb.com/title/tt1626201 ''Red: Werewolf Hunter''], imdb.com; accessed February 4, 2018.
14. Lucas, Ralph. (2020-03-25). "Stephen McHattie".
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18. Andrew Tracy, [https://playbackonline.ca/2025/09/15/sktekmujuekatik-little-lorraine-top-award-winners-at-aiff/ "Sk+te’kmujue’katik, Little Lorraine top award winners at AIFF"]. ''[[Playback (magazine). Playback]]'', September 15, 2025.
19. "Stephen McHattie – Broadway Cast & Staff {{!}} IBDB".
20. link. (September 28, 2011)
21. "84".