Pictured: The Shield star Michael Jace in court for the first day of his murder trial - two years after he called 911 to say he had shot his wife

The murder trial has begun for Shield actor Michael Jace who is accused of shooting dead his wife two years ago.

Prosecutors say the 53-year-old killed his wife April at the couple's Los Angeles home - in front of their young children - in May 2014.

The actor then called a police dispatcher to confess he had shot his wife, authorities say. A recording of the call has not been released.

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Michael Jace, pictured in a Los Angeles court on Monday for the first day of his murder trial, is accused of murdering his wife in 2014

The murder trial has begun for Shield actor Michael Jace who is accused of shooting dead his wife April two years ago (pictured together during 'The Shield' Season 6 Premiere and Season 5 DVD Launch Party, Hollywood)

Prosecutors say the 53-year-old (pictured in court on Monday, right, and previously, left) killed his wife April at the couple's Los Angeles home - in front of their young children - in May 2014

Jace, who has been held in jail since his arrest two years ago, has pleaded not guilty to murder. His attorneys have said his state of mind on the day of the killing will be a key element of his defense. 

Jury selection began Monday, with a judge telling 70 prospective jurors about Jace's work as an actor and noting the case has received some publicity. 

Jace, who starred in the FX cop show, appeared in court on Monday wearing a blue shirt and looked wearier and more grey than then last time he was in public.

The trial is expected to last a week.

April Jace, a financial aid counselor at Biola University, was killed at her south Los Angeles home in May 2014.

Police found the 40-year-old, who had three sons, including the two with Michael Jace, dead from multiple gunshot wounds to the upper torso. 

Her family called her death a senseless act of domestic violence.

Actor Michael Jace, pictured in handcuffs outside his Los Angeles home, during his arrest in May 2014 after he allegedly shot dead his wife in front of their young children

A distraught Michael Jace pictured outside his LA home is now facing a murder trial which began this week

His booking sheet shows that he was booked at 3.37am on May 20, 2014

Her husband made the call to 911 at around 8.30pm and then phoned his father-in-law to pick up the children, according to another 911 call released by fire officials.

The couple's two sons, who were both under 10, reportedly witnessed the shooting and were taken in a distraught state to the police station and were put in care.

Few other details have been released about the alleged murder. 

Detectives believe the victim had argued with her husband about their relationship via text message shortly before she was gunned down.

The couple had been fighting over money and had been through a bankruptcy, court papers seen by the LA Times state.

Earlier this month, LAPD investigators reportedly managed to hack into April Jace's iPhone. The hacking occurred during the same period earlier this year when the FBI managed to crack the iPhone of San Bernardino.

According to the Times, LAPD Detective Connie Zynch wrote in the a search warrant that the department found a 'forensic cellphone expert who could override the locked iPhone function'. 

The warrant did not say exactly how the LAPD managed to open the locked phone or reveal the identity of the cellphone expert. There was also no detail on the operating system on the device.

Jace starring as Detective Julian Lowe in the Shield. He also featured in films Boogie Nights, Forrest Gump and Planet of the Apes

On Monday this week, potential jurors were summoned to a downtown Los Angeles courtroom for the trial. 

The judge has said the jury might be told that April Jace was having an affair before her death, although a prosecutor said she would not say that to the jury.

Meanwhile Jace, who played Detective Julian Lowe in the police drama, was described by neighbors as a doting father and said they never saw or heard signs of trouble from the family home in the Hyde Park neighborhood.

A prosecutor has said there was no evidence of previous domestic violence by Michael Jace.

However, it court papers from his divorce to first wife Jennifer Bitterman revealed claims that he had an 'explosive temper' and that he had hit her on 'multiple' occasions.

Divorce papers seen by MailOnline claim that Jace had an alleged fearsome temper. Close friend Maria De La Vega testified on behalf of Bitterman. She said: 'Jordan was six months old. I was in the house and witnessed the first episode of physical abuse.

'Respondent was raging and choked and hit petitioner and slammed her against the wall while Jordan screamed in the crib next to her'.

She claimed that 'there were multiple physical assaults' on Bitterman.

Bitterman petitioned for divorce on the grounds of irreconcilable differences in 1995. The couple separated for good in 1997, but did not have the divorce finalized until 2002.

In the papers, De La Vega claimed she saw the extent of anger and added that the things she saw were 'terrifying'. She added that it was clear that Jace's 'ambition was the most important thing to him and not his son and wife'. 

In 2005, as Bitterman and Jace continued to fight over custody, the actor's ex-wife said in a declaration: 'The Respondent threatens corporal punishment and has spanked (his son) for crying and being afraid. The Respondent's intimidation style of discipline has been a source of great anxiety to (his son)'.

Then in a 2006 declaration, Bitterman claimed Jace screamed at Bitterman in front of (his son), harassed her in phone calls and also sent the 'I will f***ing kill you!' email.

Bitterman was awarded primary custody.

According to TMZ, April astonishingly testified on Jace's behalf. She said he provided a stable home for the boy.

Jace is best known for his role as LAPD Officer Julien Lowe in The Shield. He also appeared on the show Southland and had small roles in the movies Planet of the Apes, Boogie Nights and Forrest Gump. 

Despite his success, Michael Jace filed for bankruptcy protection in 2011 due to mounting debts estimated between $500,000 and $1million.

He had fallen behind on bill payments just months before the shooting.

Jace has been held in custody since 2014 on $2million bail, which his attorney indicated the jailed actor cannot pay.

If convicted, he could face 50 years to life in prison.