Linus Roache
{{Short description|British actor (born 1964)}}
{{Use British English|date=May 2012}}
{{Use dmy dates|date=December 2023}}
{{Infobox person
| name = Linus Roache
| image = Linus Roache with his wife Rosalind Bennett (cropped) Tiff 2022.jpg
| image_size =
| caption = Roache with his wife Rosalind Bennett at Tiff 2022
| birth_name = Linus William Roache
| birth_date = {{Birth date and age|df=yes|1964|02|01}}
| birth_place = Manchester, England
| death_date =
| death_place =
| occupation = Actor
| alma_mater = Royal Central School of Speech and Drama
| years_active = 1973–1976, 1985–present
| spouse = {{marriage|Rosalind Bennett|2002}}
| father = William Roache
| mother = Anna Cropper
| relatives = James Roache (half-brother)
}}
Linus William Roache (born 1 February 1964){{Cite web |date=2012-03-20 |title=Roache has that sinking feeling |url=https://www.independent.ie/entertainment/roache-has-that-sinking-feeling/26834149.html |access-date=2025-01-06 |website=Irish Independent |language=en}} is a British actor. He played Executive ADA Michael Cutter in the NBC dramas Law & Order (2008–2010) and Law & Order: Special Victims Unit (2011–2012), and also played Ecbert, King of Wessex in Vikings from 2014 to 2017.
He was nominated for a Golden Globe Award for playing Robert F. Kennedy in RFK (2002), won a Peabody Award for his role as Senator Wesley Smith in Fellow Travelers (2023), and won a Satellite Award for Best Supporting Actor (TV) for his role as Ralph Wigram in The Gathering Storm (2002). His film appearances include Priest (1994), The Wings of the Dove (1997), Pandaemonium (2000), The Chronicles of Riddick (2004), Batman Begins (2005), Non-Stop (2014) and Mandy (2018). In 2018 and 2020, he had a recurring role in the final two seasons of Homeland.
Early life
Roache was born in Manchester, England, the son of Coronation Street actor William Roache and actress Anna Cropper.{{Cite web |last=Simpson |first=John |last2=Gibbons |first2=Katie |date=2014-02-07 |title=Children were constant presence in courtroom |url=https://www.thetimes.com/article/children-were-constant-presence-in-courtroom-rlknk65hb5c |url-status=live |archive-url=https://archive.today/20250106011332/https://www.thetimes.com/article/children-were-constant-presence-in-courtroom-rlknk65hb5c |archive-date=6 January 2025 |access-date=2025-01-06 |website=The Times |language=en}} Roache was educated at Bishop Luffa School in Chichester, West Sussex,{{Cite web|url=https://upcomingseason.com/the-apology-cast-ages-partners-characters/|title=The Apology Cast – Ages, Partners, Characters|work=upcomingseason.com|date=28 December 2022|access-date=5 January 2023|archive-date=9 February 2023|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20230209084132/https://upcomingseason.com/the-apology-cast-ages-partners-characters/|url-status=live}} and at Rydal School in Colwyn Bay in north Wales. He studied acting at the Central School of Speech and Drama.{{Cite web|url=https://www.cssd.ac.uk/alumni/our-alumni/high-profile-alumni|title=Central School of Speech and Drama High Profile Alumni|work=cssd.ac.uk|access-date=5 January 2022|archive-date=6 May 2022|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20220506015319/https://www.cssd.ac.uk/alumni/our-alumni/high-profile-alumni|url-status=live}}
Career
From 1973 to 1975, Roache appeared in Coronation Street as Peter Barlow, the son of his father's character Ken Barlow. Roache is also a past member of the Royal Shakespeare Company.{{cite web|url=https://champions-speakers.co.uk/speaker-agent/linus-roache|title=Linus Roache Law & Order Star & Fantastic British Actor|work=champions-speakers.co.uk|access-date=5 January 2022|archive-date=25 January 2022|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20220125195600/https://champions-speakers.co.uk/speaker-agent/linus-roache|url-status=live}}
In the 1990s, Roache began a career in films while remaining active in television and on stage. In 1994 he took a leading role in Antonia Bird's Priest. In 1997, he starred opposite Helena Bonham Carter in the film The Wings of the Dove. In 2001, he won the Evening Standard British Film Award for Best Actor, for his performance as Samuel Taylor Coleridge in the Julien Temple directed film Pandaemonium alongside Samantha Morton.{{cite web|url=https://www.standard.co.uk/culture/film/evening-standard-british-film-awards-19902001-7222966.html|title=Evening Standard British Film Awards 1990–2001|work=standard.co.uk|date=10 April 2012|access-date=13 January 2023|archive-date=8 March 2021|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210308130636/https://www.standard.co.uk/culture/film/evening-standard-british-film-awards-19902001-7222966.html|url-status=live}}
In 2005, he played Thomas Wayne, father of Batman, in Batman Begins. On television he played Executive Assistant District Attorney Michael Cutter in two American series, Law & Order (2008–2010) and Law & Order: Special Victims Unit (2011–2012).{{cite news |url=http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2007/07/18/AR2007071800437.html |title=Error - washingtonpost.com |date=4 November 2012 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20121104062047/http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2007/07/18/AR2007071800437.html |archive-date=4 November 2012 |newspaper=washingtonpost.com|url-status=dead |access-date=4 May 2019}}
In June 2010, it was announced that he would return to play Lawrence Cunningham, the other son of Ken, in Coronation Street. The following month, Roache was cast in the HBO pilot The Miraculous Year.{{Cite news |url=http://www.tvguide.com/News/Pace-Roache-Miraculous-1020317.aspx |title=Pushing Daisies and Law & Order Alums Join The Miraculous Year |magazine=TVGuide.com |first=Joyce |last=Eng |date=19 July 2010 |access-date=4 May 2019 |publisher=CBS Interactive Inc. |archive-date=31 December 2014 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20141231014332/http://www.tvguide.com/News/Pace-Roache-Miraculous-1020317.aspx |url-status=live }}
In April 2011, Roache was cast as the lead in the ITV miniseries Titanic, airing in March and April 2012 to coincide with the 100th anniversary of the sinking of the ship.{{cite news |last=Love |first=Ryan |title=Linus Roache leads ITV 'Titanic' cast |url=http://www.digitalspy.com/british-tv/news/a313061/linus-roache-leads-itv-titanic-cast.html |access-date=11 April 2011 |work=Digital Spy Television |date=6 April 2011 |publisher=Hearst UK |archive-date=16 January 2014 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20140116181701/http://www.digitalspy.com/british-tv/news/a313061/linus-roache-leads-itv-titanic-cast.html |url-status=live }}
In February 2014, Roache debuted in season two of the TV series Vikings as Ecbert, King of Wessex.{{cite news |last=Roots |first=Kimberly |title=Vikings Adds Law & Order Vet to Season 2 Cast |url=http://tvline.com/2013/06/11/vikings-season-2-cast-linus-roache-ecbert |work=tvline.com |date=11 June 2013 |archive-date=13 August 2018 |access-date=21 May 2014 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20180813072856/https://tvline.com/2013/06/11/vikings-season-2-cast-linus-roache-ecbert/ |url-status=dead }}
He starred in seasons seven and eight of the TV series Homeland as David Wellington in 2017–2019.{{cite news|title=David Wellington Played by Linus Roache |url=https://www.sho.com/homeland/cast/david-wellington|work=sho.com |access-date=5 January 2022}} Since then, he starred as Senator Wesley Smith on Showtime's Peabody Award-winning miniseries Fellow Travelers.
Personal life
After appearing in 1994's Priest and Seaforth, Roache took a break from acting. He stayed in India for 18 months, where he discovered meditation.{{Cite web |title=Linus Roache |url=https://www.theguardian.com/film/Player/Player_Page/0,4159,45424,00.html |access-date=2025-01-06 |website=The Guardian}} He married actress Rosalind Bennett in Malvern Hills, Worcestershire, in 2002.
Filmography
=Film=
=Television=
| class="wikitable sortable" | |||
| Year | Title | Role | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1973–1975
| Recurring role | |||
| 1976
| Boy | Episode "Quarantine" | |||
| 1990
| Omnibus | Episode: "Van Gogh" | |||
| 1994
| Seaforth | Bob Longman | 9 episodes | |||
| 1998
| Vlado Selimovic | Television film | |||
| rowspan="2"|2002
| RFK | Television film | |||
| The Gathering Storm
| Television film | |||
| 2006
| Aaron | 2 episodes | |||
| 2006–2007
| Andy Archer | 13 episodes | |||
| 2008–2010
| Executive ADA Michael Cutter | 63 episodes | |||
| 2010
| 4 episodes | |||
| 2011–2012
| Law & Order: Special Victims Unit | Bureau Chief ADA Michael Cutter | 4 episodes | |||
| rowspan="2"|2012
| Titanic | Hugh, Earl of Manton | 4 episodes | |||
| The Making of a Lady
| Lord Walderhurst | Television film | |||
| 2014
| The Kingmaker | Episode: "The Kingmaker" | |||
| 2014–2017
| Vikings | 26 episodes | |||
| 2017
| Bancroft | Tim Fraser | 2 episodes | |||
| 2017–2020
| Homeland | David Wellington | 23 episodes | |||
| 2019
| Richard Shaw MP | 6 episodes | |||
| 2023
| 8 episodes | |||
| 2025
|Reginald Pye |Episode: "Lux" |
Selected theatre
- Tom Wingfield in The Glass Menagerie by Tennessee Williams. Directed by Ian Hastings at the Royal Exchange, Manchester. (1989)
- The title role in Richard II. Directed by James Macdonald at the Royal Exchange, Manchester. (1993)
Awards and nominations
| width="95%" class="wikitable" |
| width="10" | Year
! width="350" | Award ! width="450" | Category ! width="220" | Nominated work ! width="30" | Result ! width="35" | Ref. |
|---|
| 1996
| Chlotrudis Society for Independent Films | {{nom}} |
| 2001
| Evening Standard British Film Awards | {{won}} |
| rowspan="2"|2003
| Best Performance in a Miniseries or Television Film | RFK | {{nom}} |
| 7th Golden Satellite Awards
| Satellite Award for Best Supporting Actor – Series, Miniseries or Television Film | {{won}} |
| 2004
| Best Actor in a Scottish Film | rowspan="1"|Blind Flight | {{nom}} |
| 2018
| Fright Meter Awards | rowspan="2"|Best Supporting Actor | rowspan="3"|Mandy | {{nom}} |
| rowspan="2"|2019
| {{nom}} |
| CinEuphoria Awards
| Best Supporting Actor - International | {{win}} |
| 2023
| Chronicling LGBTQ+ History Over 50 Years | rowspan="1"|Fellow Travelers | {{won}} |
References
{{reflist|colwidth=30em}}
External links
- {{IMDb name|id=0730070}}
{{Evening Standard British Film Award for Best Actor}}
{{Satellite Award Best Supporting Actor Series Miniseries or Television Film}}
{{Authority control}}
{{DEFAULTSORT:Roache, Linus}}
Category:20th-century English male actors
Category:21st-century English male actors
Category:Alumni of the Royal Central School of Speech and Drama
Category:English male child actors
Category:English male film actors
Category:English male Shakespearean actors
Category:English male soap opera actors
Category:English male stage actors
Category:English male television actors
Category:Male actors from Manchester
Category:People educated at Bishop Luffa School