Misha Collins

Dmitri "Misha" Collins "My mom went to Russia when she was in college, and ��she had a boyfriend whose name was Mitya, which she thought was the same as Misha, which it's not. And his real name was Dmitri, so my real name, actually—my birth certificate says Dmitri. But she always calls me Misha, so I have the wrong nickname. But, you know, too late to change it now." (born Dmitri Tippens Krushnic; August 20, 1974) is an American actor best known for his role as the angel Castiel on the CW television series ''Supernatural'' (2008–2020).

Early life

Misha Collins was born in Boston, Massachusetts. His mother is Rebecca Tippens. He was raised in an irreligious family. Growing up, his family was poor and often homeless. He has said that his surname, Krushnic, "goes back six generations in Canada, and we're not sure where they came from." "My mother went to Russia when she was in college. She had a boyfriend named Misha, and much to my father's chagrin she named me after him. And the last name, Krushnic, goes back six generations in Canada, and we're not sure where they came from—could be Russian or Ukrainian or Polish." He is of partial Jewish descent.

Collins attended Greenfield Center School, Northfield Mount Hermon School and the University of Chicago, where he studied social theory.

Career

Interning

Before acting, he interned for four months at the White House during the Clinton Administration in the Office of Presidential Personnel.

Acting

His film work includes an uncredited appearance in the 1999 movie ''Liberty Heights'', as well as roles in '' Girl, Interrupted''; ''Finding Home''; '' Karla''; and '' Loot'' (on which he also served as Associate Producer).

He starred as the angel Castiel on the CW television series ''Supernatural'' from 2008 to 2020. As well as his work on ''Supernatural'', other television shows includes ''Legacy'', ''Charmed'', ''NYPD Blue'', '' 24'', '' CSI: Crime Scene Investigation'', '' ER'', ''Monk'', and '' Timeless''.

He has appeared on several podcasts. He has several guest appearances. For his acting work in podcasts, in 2018, he voiced the role of Adler Harrison in '' The Angel of Vine'' produced by Vox Populi. In 2021, he starred as Jeremy Bradshaw as the main role on ''Bridgewater'' produced by Grim & Mild.

He hosted '' Roadfood: Discovering America One Dish at a Time'' on PBS, a TV show focused on local foods in America.

In 2022, he was cast as Harvey Dent/Two Face in the '' Gotham Knights'' show on the CW.

Writing

Collins is a published poet. His poems, including "Baby Pants" and "Old Bones", can be found in the 2008 edition of ''Columbia Poetry Review'' #21.

Collins has also co-written a cookbook, ''The Adventurous Eaters Club,'' with his wife, Vicki Collins. It is reported that much of the book's sales will go to charitable organizations who specialize in food nutrition.

Collins and Kathryn Leonard, together with several other collaborators, are authors of "The 2D Shape Structure Dataset", an academic research paper on a crowd-sourced database on the structure of shapes.

Collins's poetry book, ''Some Things I Still Can't Tell You'', was published on October 12, 2021 and is a full collection of poems at 144 pages. It reached the NYTimes bestseller list.

Charity work

Collins is the co-founder and board president of Random Acts, a non-profit organization dedicated to funding and inspiring acts of kindness around the world. Collins founded the Greatest International Scavenger Hunt the World Has Ever Seen (GISHWHES) in 2011. Entrance fees for the international competition go towards Random Acts, and in 2012, GISHWHES broke the world record for most pledges to perform an act of kindness.

On May 5, 2023, Collins became an ambassador of the United 24 platform.

On May 21, 2024, Collins visited Kyiv, along with American filmmaker Darius Marder. Collins has started a fundraiser for a pyrotechnic machine for humanitarian demining.

Personal life

On October 6, 2001, Collins married Victoria Vantoch in Maine. They have a son born in 2010 and a daughter born in 2012.

In the acknowledgments of his 2021 poetry book, ''Some Things I Still Can't Tell You'', Collins stated that he and his wife had separated.

In April 2022, Collins clarified that he is straight after a fan convention appearance led to reports he had appeared to come out as bisexual.

Filmography

Film

Television

Podcasts

Acting roles are in bold.

Web

Producer

Director

Awards and nominations

References

External links

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{{DEFAULTSORT:Collins, Misha
1974 births
Living people
Male actors from Boston
American male film actors
American male television actors
People from Greenfield, Massachusetts
Northfield Mount Hermon School alumni
University of Chicago alumni
American people of Canadian descent
American people of Jewish descent
20th-century American male actors
21st-century American male actors
Shorty Award winners