Ron Canada
Ronald Ellis Canada (born May 3, 1949) is an American actor and producer, with a specialty in portraying judges and detectives. He is best known for One on One (2001–2004), The Shield (2003–2004), and Lone Star (1996).
Also recorded as Ronald Ellis Canada
Ron Canada

Chad Restum · The uploader on Wikimedia Commons received this from the author/copyright holder. · CC BY-SA 4.0
- Name
- Ron Canada
- Birth Name
- Ronald Ellis Canada
- Born
- 3 May 1949
- Birthplace
- New York City, U.S.
- Occupation
- Actor
- Nationality
- United States
- Education
- DeWitt Clinton High School
- Languages
- English
VALÉORINE Encyclopedia
VALÉORINE documentary reading
Documentary summary
Ronald Ellis Canada (born May 3, 1949) is an American actor and producer, with a specialty in portraying judges and detectives. He is best known for One on One (2001–2004), The Shield (2003–2004), and Lone Star (1996).
Admitted source layer · organised and presented by VALÉORINE
Note VALÉORINE
No house-authored Note is published until its assertions and sources pass the VALÉORINE evidence contract. The documentary article remains available in full while that enrichment is being consolidated.
Documentary enrichment in progress · no unsupported statement published
Reference Check
Propose documentary evidence for Ron Canada. A contribution is never written directly as fact: identity, source, rights and evidence gates still decide.
Sign in to contribute
World of VALÉORINE
Documentary connections
Only confirmed graph relationships appear here. Images are shown only when their identity and reuse rights both pass the documentary gate.
Documentary evidence
Evidence Panel
not yet certified
- Identity
- resolved
- Independent source families
- 0
- Admitted assertions
- 0
- Open conflicts
- 0
Authority files
wikidata · Q152082 · wikipedia · Ron Canada
In this article
Key facts
Key facts
• Name — Ron Canada • Birth Name — Ronald Ellis Canada • Born — 3 May 1949 • Birthplace — New York City, U.S. • Occupation — Actor • Years Active — 1971–present
Early life
Early life
Canada was born in New York City on May 3, 1949. Following completion of the Michele Clark broadcast journalism program at Columbia University, under the guidance of producer Fred Friendly, Canada commenced his career as a television news reporter in 1971 at WBAL-TV. In 1974, he began his three-year tenure at WJLA-TV in Washington, D.C. For his work in the nation's capital, Canada was nominated twice for Regional Emmy Awards, receiving the award in 1977. The following year he received an A.P. Award for Outstanding Reporting. While making the career transition he worked part-time as a broadcaster for Voice of America. He studied acting at The Folger Theatre Group under the tutelage of Franchelle Stewart Dorn. He moved from D.C. to New York in 1985.
Career
Career
Canada became the second actor to play the role of Troy Maxson in August Wilson's Fences at the GeVa Theatre in Rochester, New York (January 1986). Canada has had a long career in both television and film, known primarily for his work in Cinderella Man, Wedding Crashers, and his recurring role as Under Secretary of State Ted Barrow on The West Wing. In 1996, Canada received the Dallas Film Critics Award and significant national attention for his performance as Otis Payne in John Sayles's film Lone Star. He played the role of Iago in a "photo negative" version of Shakespeare's Othello at the Shakespeare Theatre Company in Washington, D.C. Other notable stage credits include his role as Emmet Tate in Zooman and the Sign at New York's Signature Theatre and originating the role of Duncan Troy in Headstrong at the Ensemble Studio Theatre, which earned him an Audelco Award nomination as Best Supporting Actor. Off Broadway - In Old Age - playing Azell Abernathy, at New York Theatre Workshop, N.Y.C Broadway play - Network - with Bryan Cranston, Tony Goldwyn, and Tatiana Maslany. Canada portrayed UBS network chieftain Edward George Ruddy. • Illustration — Canada in 1997
Television
Television
• Year — Title — Role — Note • 1989 — Dallas — Dave Wallace • 1990 — Cheers — Agent Munson • 1991 — Stat — Anderson "Mary" Roche • 1992 — A — Grover James • Star Trek: The Next Generation — Martin Benbeck — Episode: "The Masterpiece Society" • Doogie Howser, M.D. — Officer Wilbur • L.A. Law — David Ellis • 1993 — NYPD Blue — Zeke Odell • 1994 — Murphy Brown — Sergeant Foley — Episode: "Crime Story" • Babylon 5 — Capt. Ellis Pierce — Episode: "A Voice in the Wilderness, part 2" • 1995 — Living Single — Lanny Freedan • Family Matters — Dave McClure — Episode: "Walking My Baby Back Home" • 1996 — Star Trek: Deep Space Nine — Ch'Pok — Episode: "Rules of Engagement" • Murder One — Judge Orrin Bell • 1996–1997 — Tracey Takes On... — Lawrence — Episodes: "Health" and "Fantasy" • 1997 — Due South — Franco Devlin — Episode: "Mountie and Soul" • 1999 — Star Trek: Voyager — Fesek — Episode: "Juggernaut" • 2000 — City of Angels — Dr. Ethan Carter • 2001–2004 — One on One — Richard Barnes (father of Flex) • 2001 — The — Det. Franklin Potter — Episode: "Empedocles" • 2001-2002 — Philly — Judge Henry Griffin • 2002 — Frasier — Judge Anderson — Episode: "The Ring Cycle" • 2003–2004 — The — LAPD Chief of Police Tom Bankston • 2003–2006 — The — Under Secretary of State Theodore Barrow • 2003 — CSI: Crime Scene Investigation — Gerry Barone — Episode: "Fight Night" • 2004–2005 — Jack & Bobby — Adult Marcus Ride • 2006 — Weeds — Joseph • 7th Heaven — Dr. Sergey Barker • 2006–2007 — Ugly Betty — Senator Slater • 2006–2008 — Boston Legal — Judge Willard Reese • 2007 — Stargate SG-1 — Quartus • 2008 — Law & Order — Mr. Fuller — Episode: "Bottomless" • 2009 — The — Philip Raimey — Episode: "Red Scare" • 2011 — Let's Stay Together — Garrison Lawrence • The — Judge Gerald Blake — Episode: "Fresh Pursuit" • 2013 — The — Mr. Haskins — Episode: "The Farm" • Blue Bloods — Deputy Director Tom Mason • 2014 — Elementary — Mr Rose — Episode: "The Hound of the Cancer Cells" • Grimm — Stan Kingston • 2015 — The — Mayor George Lyle • The — Judge Polk — 2.4 • 2016 — Madam Secretary — Cameroonian Ambassador Jean Aissatou — Episode: "Desperate Remedies" • 2017 — Designated Survivor — Reverend Dale • The — Andrew Hart — Episodes: "Not So Grand Jury" and "The Schtup List" • 2017–2019 — The — Admiral Tucker — Episodes: "Sanctuary", "Majority Rule" and "Command Performance" • 2018 — Bull — Judge Miles Skurnick — Episode: "Survival Instincts" • Seven Seconds — Pastor Adler • Tom Clancy's Jack Ryan — D.N.I. Bobby Vig • House of Cards — Vincent Abruzzo — Episode 67, 68 & 72 • 2022 — Law & Order: Special Victims Unit — Coleman Green — Episode: "Tangled Strands of Justice" • The Best Man: The Final Chapters — Wellington — Episodes: "Paradise", "The Wedding", and "The Invisible Man" • 2022–2023 — East New York — Maurice Haywood — Episodes: "Snapped", "Pound of Flesh", "In the Bag" • 2023 — Girls5eva — Dana Wiggens — Episode: "Clarksville" • Wu-Tang: An American Saga — Uncle Sy — Episodes: "A Better Tomorrow" • 2025 — The Irrational — Eli Mercer — Episode: "Ghost Ship"
Commercials
Commercials
• Year — Title — Role • 2016 — Gold Peak Tea: Home Brew Delivery — Voice • Gold Peak Tea: Take Me Home
Radio
Radio
• Year — Title — Role • 2021 — Marvel's Wastelanders: Hawkeye — Abner Jenkins / Beetle
Video games
Video games
• Title — Year — Role — Note • 2004 — Ground Control II: Operation Exodus — Drahk'Mar Vicath — Voice
Identity
Identity
Ron Canada is recorded as actor.
Film
• Title — Year — Role — Note • 1983 — The — Barker • D.C. Cab — Police Officer #4 • 1986 — Good to Go — Stooper • 1987 — Adventures in Babysitting — Graydon • Heart — Talk Show Guest • 1988 — Arthur 2: On the Rocks — Bartender • 1990 — Downtown — Lowell Harris • The — Cregan • 1992 — Honey, I Blew Up the Kid — U.S. Marshal Preston Brooks • Play Nice — Coroner • Home Alone 2: Lost in New York — Cop in Times Square • 1993 — Barbarians at the Gate — Vernon Jordan • 1994 — Getting Even with Dad — Zinn • Without Warning — Terrence Freeman • 1995 — Man of the House — Bob Younger • Above Suspicion — Captain Lindsay • The — Lloyd • 1996 — Lone Star — Otis "Big O" Payne • Pinocchio's Revenge — Barry • 1998 — Nick Fury: Agent of SHIELD — Gabe Jones — TV movie • Park Day — Mr. Joseph Johnson • 1999 — In Too Deep — Dr. Bratton • 2000 — Death of a Dog — Hassan • 2001 — Thank Heaven — Joseph Johnson • 2003 — The — Elden • The — FBI Special Agent-in-Charge Harry Van Zandt • The — Herb Keble • 2004 — National Treasure — Guard Woodruff • 2005 — Cinderella Man — Joe Jeanette • Wedding Crashers — Randolph, the Clearys' Butler • Just Like Heaven — Dr. Walsh • 2006 — Islander — T. Hardy • Paved with Good Intentions — Garrett Balden • 2007 — Snowglobe — Antonio Moreno • 2008 — Ocean of Pearls — Dr. Wiiliam Ballard • Noble Things — Moses • The — Mr. Bennett • 2009 — Bob Funk — Smiley • 2012 — Lake Effect — Winchester • 2013 — Life Tracker — Uriel Patterson • 2014 — Child of Grace — Doctor • 2015 — Ted 2 — Judge Matheson • Gold Peak Tea: Take Me Home Contest — Voice — Video short • After Words — Nelson • 2017 — The — Cooper • Crown Heights — Judge Marcy • 2018 — Bully — Mr. 'Action' Jackson • 2020 — Frederick Douglass Boulevard aka Food & Drink Boulevard aka FDB — Karl — Short film • The — Detective Villiers • 2021 — The — Gerome — Short film
Citations
References
Each reference names the institution holding it, so a reader may go to the document itself.
reference work
Partially resolvedreference work
Partially resolved
The Encyclopedia exists whether or not anything is for sale. Corrections are recorded rather than overwritten, and every version of this record is kept. Published 14 August 2026.
Elsewhere in Film memorabilia
37,408 published records in this field, each with its sources named.
- Romuald JoubéPerson
- Romy RosemontPerson
- Romy SchneiderPerson
- Ron AshetonPerson
- Ron CareyPerson
- Ron ClementsPerson
- Ron CrawfordPerson
- Ron DonachiePerson
Best supported in this field
For owners
Own a work by Ron Canada?
A specialist will read what you send and tell you what the house can establish, what it cannot, and whether the object is suited to sale. There is no charge and no obligation. The object stays with you throughout; nothing is shipped to us unless it is arranged in writing beforehand.