Linus Roache

His film appearances include Priest (1994), The Wings of the Dove (1997), (1990 BBC Omnibus film) Van Gogh 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.

• Name — Linus Roache • Birth Name — Linus William Roache • Born — 1 February 1964 • Birthplace — Manchester, England • Occupation — Actor • Education — Royal Central School of Speech and Drama • Years Active — 1973–1976, 1985–present • Father — William Roache • Mother — Anna Cropper • Relatives — James Roache (half-brother)

Roache was born in Manchester, England, the son of Coronation Street actor William Roache and actress Anna Cropper. Roache was educated at Bishop Luffa School in Chichester, West Sussex, and at Rydal School in Colwyn Bay in north Wales. He studied acting at the Central School of Speech and Drama.

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. 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. 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). 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. 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. In February 2014, Roache debuted in season two of the TV series Vikings as Ecbert, King of Wessex. He starred in seasons seven and eight of the TV series Homeland as David Wellington in 2017–2019. Since then, he starred as Senator Wesley Smith on Showtime's Peabody Award-winning miniseries Fellow Travelers.

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. He married actress Rosalind Bennett in Malvern Hills, Worcestershire, in 2002.

• Year — Title — Role — Notes — Ref. • 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 ADA Michael Cutter — Main role (seasons 18–20); 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 — 8 episodes • 2025 — Doctor Who — Reginald Pye — Episode: "Lux"

• 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) • Henry IV in Owain & Henry. Directed by Steffan Donnelly and Michael Sheen at the Wales Millennium Centre (2026)