Todd Stashwick
With a gift for the morally ambiguous and the sharply witty, he built a career out of unforgettable character roles in cult-favorite genre television.
Born 1968 (age 58)·American actor·Birthday: October 16·Generation X
Biography
Todd Stashwick possesses a face made for character acting and a voice that carries both menace and mirth. He spent years as a that-guy actor, delivering memorable one-off performances on shows like 'Supernatural' and 'Burn Notice,' often as villains with a twisted sense of humor. His breakthrough came with a pair of deeply layered TV roles: the scheming, desperate father Dale Malloy on 'The Riches,' and the complex time-travel operative Deacon on '12 Monkeys.' Stashwick specializes in men who are rough around the edges, deeply flawed, yet compellingly human. This skill culminated in a career-defining performance in 'Star Trek: Picard,' where his portrayal of the cynical, rule-bound Captain Liam Shaw earned him a passionate fanbase and cemented his status as a master of the nuanced supporting turn.
Generation X
1965–1980
The latchkey kids. Raised during divorce, recession, and the end of the Cold War. Skeptical, self-reliant, media-literate. They invented indie culture, grunge, and the early internet — then watched the Boomers take credit.
Todd was born in 1968, placing them squarely in the Generation X. The events that shaped this generation — economic uncertainty, the end of the Cold War, and the rise of personal computing — shaped the world they entered and the choices available to them.
#1 When Todd Was Born
The biggest hits of 1968
#1 Movie
2001: A Space Odyssey
Best Picture
Oliver!
#1 TV Show
The Andy Griffith Show
Todd's Life & Times
The world at every milestone
1968Born
Martin Luther King Jr. and Robert Kennedy assassinated
Gas: $0.34/galHome: $14,950Min wage: $1.60/hrPresident: Lyndon B. Johnson"Hey Jude" — The BeatlesBest Picture: Oliver!
1973Started school
US withdraws from Vietnam; Roe v. Wade decided
Gas: $0.39/galHome: $22,100Min wage: $1.60/hrPresident: Richard Nixon"Tie a Yellow Ribbon Round the Ole Oak Tree" — Tony Orlando & DawnBest Picture: The Sting
1981Became a teenager
MTV launches; first Space Shuttle flight; AIDS identified
Gas: $1.31/galHome: $52,300Min wage: $3.35/hrPresident: Ronald Reagan"Bette Davis Eyes" — Kim CarnesBest Picture: Chariots of Fire
1984Could drive
Apple Macintosh introduced
Gas: $1.13/galHome: $59,800Min wage: $3.35/hrPresident: Ronald Reagan"When Doves Cry" — PrinceBest Picture: Amadeus
1986Could vote
Challenger disaster; Chernobyl nuclear meltdown
Gas: $0.86/galHome: $66,600Min wage: $3.35/hrPresident: Ronald Reagan"That's What Friends Are For" — Dionne & FriendsBest Picture: Platoon
1989Turned 21
Berlin Wall falls; Tiananmen Square protests
Gas: $1.00/galHome: $79,100Min wage: $3.35/hrPresident: George H.W. Bush"Look Away" — ChicagoBest Picture: Driving Miss Daisy
1998Turned 30
Google founded; Clinton impeachment
Gas: $1.06/galHome: $107,300Min wage: $5.15/hrPresident: Bill Clinton"Too Close" — NextBest Picture: Shakespeare in Love
2008Turned 40
Barack Obama elected first Black US president; financial crisis
Gas: $3.27/galHome: $153,100Min wage: $6.55/hrPresident: George W. Bush"Low" — Flo RidaBest Picture: Slumdog Millionaire
2018Turned 50
Royal wedding of Harry and Meghan; Parkland shooting
Gas: $2.72/galHome: $211,800Min wage: $7.25/hrPresident: Donald Trump"God's Plan" — DrakeBest Picture: Green Book
2026Age 58 today
Gas: $3.91/galPresident: Donald Trump
Key Achievements
- He played the series regular role of Theodore 'Deacon' in the critically praised sci-fi series '12 Monkeys' (2015-2018).
- Portrayed Captain Liam Shaw in 'Star Trek: Picard' Season 3 (2023), a role that became a massive fan favorite.
- Was a series regular as Dale Malloy on the FX drama 'The Riches' (2007-2008) opposite Eddie Izzard and Minnie Driver.
- Co-created and wrote the 'Doctor Who' comic book series 'The Forgotten' for IDW Publishing.
- Has voiced characters in major video game franchises including 'Call of Duty' and 'Star Wars: The Old Republic.'
Did You Know?
He is a trained stage actor and a founding member of the Atlantic Theater Company in New York.
Stashwick is also a writer and co-wrote the story for the video game 'The Last of Us' with Neil Druckmann.
He is a self-professed huge 'Star Trek' fan long before being cast in 'Picard.'
He performed with The Ninja Twins, a comedy performance art duo, early in his career.
“I'm drawn to characters who live in the gray areas, who are beautifully broken.”
