Michael Chiklis on his daughter acting and screening her potential boyfriends

The Shield and Fantastic Four star Michael Chiklis stopped by TheTonight Show with Jay Leno and spoke about how his daughter AutumnIsabella, 13, landed the role of Cassidy, daughter of his corrupt copalter ego Vic Mackey, on the violent FX drama. The script had calledfor his character to have an 8-year-old daughter and Michael suggested Autumn, then 7,audition for the part – and she did audition, he stressed.

She was always yumping to me about being an actress. She haddone a bunch of plays. I know this sounds false as all get out, but shedid read for it, only because I was afraid for her. I wanted to makesure she can do it. I didn’t want to put my daughter in that position.I wanted to see, ‘Can she hang? Can she do this?’

With The Shield currently filming its seventh and finalseason, Autumn will soon be done with acting for the time being asMichael wishes for her to experience as much of her adolescence as possible. If and when she does want to pursue acting in the future, hewill fully support her.

Well if she wants to do that, she’ll have 1000 percent of mysupport. But I want her to have a real life in the world. If shedecides, when it’s time to go to college, that she wants to study actingformally and that’s what she wants to do, then okay, great. But in themeantime, she’s gonna go to school, she’s gonna have pep rallies, she’sgonna get her heart broken. She’s gonna do all that stuff she can drawon as an actress.

Speaking of heartbreak, the actor says he knows exactly whathe’s going to do when boys are lined up at his door to ask Autumn out.

Ithink I’m gonna give him the DVD box set of The Shield. There’s anupside to playing Vic Mackey and that’s it. The kid’ll come back andgo, (terrified voice) ‘Hello, Mr. Chiklis. You know what? I’m not gonnapick up Autumn. I’m just gonna go home.’

Michael and his wife Michelle have another daughter, Odessa, 8.