Ed Chigliak

Ed Chigliak is a fictional character in the television series "Northern Exposure". He was played by Darren E. Burrows.

Fictional biography

Ed was born in Alaska to a white mother and a native American father, named Smith. He was abandoned shortly after his birth and was raised by an Indian tribe. As the series opens he is eighteen years old, living alone and working for Maurice Minnifield as a gofer; later he also works in Ruth-Anne Miller's general grocery. He is amiable, but somewhat slow at understanding what people want of him. He can be tactless, and has difficulty understanding social conventions such as "knocking before entering". He is, however, intelligent, and has an amazing memory for facts (he enjoys reading the telephone directory).

He loves movies and has an encyclopedic knowledge of them. He took to 16mm film-making early in the series, and likes to film anything. He becomes a shaman-in-training later on, though he periodically receives visits from a "little green man", the embodiment of his low self-esteem, and a guiding spirit named "One Who Waits". Ed is perhaps Joel's closest friend as he frequently serves as a confidant.

Ed has made at least three movies:

*A documentary about Cicely, Alaska. Ed nearly abandons the project altogether, until Dr. Joel Fleischman, and a dream involving Woody Allen's mother, inspire him to finish it. During the same episode, it is revealed that Ed is a pen pal to Allen, Steven Spielberg, and Martin Scorsese.

*A documentary about Ira Wingfeather who produced unique wooden flutes.

*A documentary on rock star Brad Bonner's (played by Adam Ant) attempt at a concert with Indian drummers.