Linus Roache | |
|---|---|
_Tiff_2022.jpg) Roache with his wifeRosalind Bennett atTiff 2022 | |
| Born | Linus William Roache (1964-02-01)1 February 1964 (age 61) Manchester, England |
| Alma mater | Royal Central School of Speech and Drama |
| Occupation | Actor |
| Years active | 1973–1976, 1985–present |
| Spouse | |
| Parent(s) | William Roache Anna Cropper |
| Relatives | James Roache (half-brother) |
Linus William Roache (born 1 February 1964)[1] is a British actor. He played Executive ADAMichael Cutter in theNBC dramasLaw & Order (2008–2010) andLaw & Order: Special Victims Unit (2011–2012), and also playedEcbert, King of Wessex inVikings from 2014 to 2017.
He was nominated for aGolden Globe Award for playingRobert F. Kennedy inRFK (2002), won aPeabody Award for his role as Senator Wesley Smith inFellow Travelers (2023), and won aSatellite Award for Best Supporting Actor (TV) for his role asRalph Wigram inThe Gathering Storm (2002). His film appearances includePriest (1994),The Wings of the Dove (1997),Pandaemonium (2000),The Chronicles of Riddick (2004),Batman Begins (2005),Non-Stop (2014) andMandy (2018). In 2018 and 2020, he had a recurring role in the final two seasons ofHomeland.
Roache was born inManchester, England, the son ofCoronation Street actorWilliam Roache and actressAnna Cropper.[2] Roache was educated atBishop Luffa School inChichester, West Sussex,[3] and atRydal School inColwyn Bay innorth Wales.[3] He studied acting at theCentral School of Speech and Drama.[4]
In 1975 Roache appeared inCoronation Street playingPeter Barlow, the son of his father's character Ken Barlow.[5] Roache is also a past member of theRoyal Shakespeare Company.[5]
In the 1990s, Roache began a career in films while remaining active in television and on stage. In 1994 he took a leading role inAntonia Bird'sPriest. In 1997, he starred oppositeHelena Bonham Carter in the filmThe Wings of the Dove.[5] In 2001, he won theEvening Standard British Film Award for Best Actor, for his performance asSamuel Taylor Coleridge in theJulien Temple directed filmPandaemonium alongsideSamantha Morton.[6]
In 2005, he playedThomas Wayne, father ofBatman, inBatman Begins.[5] On television he playedExecutive Assistant District AttorneyMichael Cutter in two American series,Law & Order (2008–2010) andLaw & Order: Special Victims Unit (2011–2012).[7]
In June 2010, it was announced that he would return to play Laurence Cunningham alongside his father William Roache inCoronation Street. The following month, he was cast in theHBO pilotThe Miraculous Year.[8]
In April 2011, Roache was cast as the lead in theITV miniseriesTitanic, airing in March and April 2012 to coincide with the 100th anniversary of the sinking ofthe ship.[9]
In February 2014, Roache debuted in season two of the TV seriesVikings asEcbert, King of Wessex.[10]
He starred in seasons seven and eight of the TV seriesHomeland as David Wellington in 2017–2019.[11] Since then, he starred as Senator Wesley Smith on Showtime'sPeabody Award-winning miniseriesFellow Travelers.
After appearing in 1994'sPriest andSeaforth, Roache took a break from acting. He stayed in India for 18 months, where he discovered meditation.[12][1] He married actressRosalind Bennett inMalvern Hills,Worcestershire, in 2002.[3]
| Year | Title | Role | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1985 | No Surrender | Ulster Boy | |
| 1986 | Link | Unknown | Uncredited |
| 1994 | Priest | Father Greg Pilkington | |
| 1997 | The Wings of the Dove | Merton Densher | |
| 1999 | Venice Project | Count Jacko/Count Giaccomo | |
| Siam Sunset | Perry | ||
| 2000 | Best | Denis Law | |
| Pandaemonium | Samuel Taylor Coleridge | Evening Standard British Film Award for Best Actor[6] | |
| 2002 | Hart's War | Capt. Peter A. Ross | |
| 2003 | Beyond Borders | Henry Bauford | |
| Blind Flight | John McCarthy | Nominated—BAFTA Scotland Award for Best Actor in a Scottish Film | |
| 2004 | The Forgotten | Mr. Shineer, A Friendly Man | |
| The Chronicles of Riddick | Purifier | ||
| 2005 | 12 and Holding | Mr. Carges | |
| Batman Begins | Dr. Thomas Wayne | ||
| 2006 | A Through M | The Voice of the Party | |
| Find Me Guilty | Sean Kierney | ||
| The Namesake | Mr. Lawson | ||
| 2007 | Broken Thread | Ram | |
| 2008 | Before the Rains | Henry Moores | |
| Yonkers Joe | Teddy | ||
| 2009 | Out Here in the Fields: The Field on Beach Lane | Narrator | |
| 2012 | $upercapitalist | Mark Patterson | |
| 2013 | Innocence | Miles Warner | |
| 2014 | Non-Stop | Captain David McMillan | |
| 2016 | ID2: Shadwell Army | Vinnie | |
| Barry | Bill Baughman | ||
| 2017 | Division 19 | Charles Lynden | |
| 2018 | Mandy | Jeremiah Sand | |
| 2019 | The Last Full Measure | Whit Peters | |
| A Call to Spy | Maurice Buckmaster | ||
| 2022 | My Policeman[13] | Older Tom Burgess[13] | |
| The Apology | Jack Kingsley | ||
| TBA | The Dresden Sun | Malik | Post-production[14] |
| Year | Title | Role | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1973–1975 | Coronation Street | Peter Barlow | Recurring role |
| 1976 | The Onedin Line | Boy | Episode "Quarantine" |
| 1990 | Omnibus | Vincent van Gogh | Episode: "Van Gogh" |
| 1994 | Seaforth | Bob Longman | 9 episodes |
| 1998 | Shot Through the Heart | Vlado Selimovic | Television film |
| 2002 | RFK | Robert F. Kennedy | Television film Nominated—Golden Globe Award for Best Actor – Miniseries or Television Film |
| The Gathering Storm | Ralph Wigram | Television film Satellite Award for Best Supporting Actor – Series, Miniseries or Television Film | |
| 2006 | The Ten Commandments | Aaron | 2 episodes |
| 2006–2007 | Kidnapped | Andy Archer | 13 episodes |
| 2008–2010 | Law & Order | Executive ADAMichael Cutter | 63 episodes |
| 2010 | Coronation Street | Lawrence Cunningham | 4 episodes |
| 2011–2012 | Law & Order: Special Victims Unit | Bureau Chief ADA Michael Cutter | 4 episodes |
| 2012 | Titanic | Hugh, Earl of Manton | 4 episodes |
| The Making of a Lady | Lord Walderhurst | Television film | |
| 2014 | The Blacklist | The Kingmaker | Episode: "The Kingmaker" |
| 2014–2017 | Vikings | King Ecbert of Wessex | 26 episodes |
| 2017 | Bancroft | Tim Fraser | 2 episodes |
| 2017–2020 | Homeland | David Wellington | 23 episodes |
| 2019 | Summer of Rockets | Richard Shaw MP | 6 episodes |
| 2023 | Fellow Travelers | Senator Wesley Smith[15] | 8 episodes |
| 2025 | Doctor Who | Reginald Pye | Episode "Lux" |
| Year | Award | Category | Nominated work | Result | Ref. |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1996 | Chlotrudis Society for Independent Films | Best Actor | Priest | Nominated | [16] |
| 2001 | Evening Standard British Film Awards | Best Actor | Pandaemonium | Won | [6] |
| 2003 | 60th Golden Globe Awards | Best Performance in a Miniseries or Television Film | RFK | Nominated | [16] |
| 7th Golden Satellite Awards | Satellite Award for Best Supporting Actor – Series, Miniseries or Television Film | The Gathering Storm | Won | [16] | |
| 2004 | BAFTA Awards, Scotland | Best Actor in a Scottish Film | Blind Flight | Nominated | [16] |
| 2018 | Fright Meter Awards | Best Supporting Actor | Mandy | Nominated | [16] |
| 2019 | Fangoria Chainsaw Awards | Nominated | [16] | ||
| CinEuphoria Awards | Best Supporting Actor - International | Won | [16] | ||
| 2023 | Peabody Awards | Chronicling LGBTQ+ History Over 50 Years | Fellow Travelers | Won |
| International | |
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| National | |
| Artists | |
| People | |
| Other | |
