Contents

Linus Roache

Linus Roache
Roache with his wife Rosalind BennettatTiff 2022
Born	Linus William Roache (1964-02-01) 1 February 1964 (age 60) Manchester, England
Alma mater	Royal Central School of Speech and Drama
Occupation	Actor
Years active	1973–1976, 1985–present
Spouse	Rosalind Bennett ​ (m. 2002)​
Parent(s)	William Roache Anna Cropper
Relatives	James Roache (half-brother)

Linus William Roache (born 1 February 1964) is a British actor. He is known for playing Executive ADA Michael Cutter in the NBC dramas Law & Order (2008–2010) and Law & Order: Special Victims Unit (2011–2012). More recently, Roache played Ecbert, King of WessexinVikings from 2014 to 2017.

He was nominated for a Golden Globe Award for playing Robert F. KennedyinRFK (2002) and won a Satellite Award for Best Supporting Actor (TV) for his role as Ralph WigraminThe 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. In 2023, he played the role of Senator Wesley Smith in Showtime's Fellow Travelers.

Early life[edit]

Roache was born in Manchester, England, the son of Coronation Street actor William Roache and actress Anna Cropper.^[1] Roache was educated at Bishop Luffa SchoolinChichester, West Sussex,^[2] and at Rydal SchoolinColwyn Bayinnorth Wales.^[2] He studied acting at the Central School of Speech and Drama.^[3] He married actress Rosalind BennettinMalvern Hills, Worcestershire, in 2002.^[2]

Career[edit]

In 1975 Roache appeared in Coronation Street playing Peter Barlow, the son of his father's character Ken Barlow.^[4] Roache is also a past member of the Royal Shakespeare Company.^[4]

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.^[4] 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.^[5]

In 2005, he played Thomas Wayne, father of Batman, in Batman Begins.^[4] 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).^[6]

In June 2010, it was announced that he would return to play Laurence Cunningham alongside his father William Roache in Coronation Street. The following month, he was cast in the HBO pilot The Miraculous Year.^[7]

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.^[8]

In February 2014, Roache debuted in season two of the TV series VikingsasEcbert, King of Wessex.^[9]

He starred in seasons seven and eight of the TV series Homeland as David Wellington in 2017–2019.^[10]

Filmography[edit]

Film[edit]

Television[edit]

Selected theatre[edit]

• Tom Wingfield in The Glass MenageriebyTennessee 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[edit]

References[edit]

External links[edit]

• Linus RoacheatIMDb