Daniel Jackson is a fictional character in both the science fiction feature film Stargate an the subsequent television series Stargate SG-1. The role was played by James Spader in the film version and is played by Michael Shanks in the TV series. Shanks also played the character in the Stargate Atlantis pilot "Rising" and in "The Ark of Truth". Jackson has PhDs in Archaeology, Anthropology and Philology.