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Kenneth Welsh

Kenneth Welsh

Kenneth Welsh, CM (March 30, 1942- May 5, 2022) was a Canadian film and television actor (sometimes credited as Ken Welsh). He was known to Twin Peaks fans as the multi-faceted villain Windom Earle, and had more recently played the father of Katharine Hepburn (Cate Blanchett) in Martin Scorsese's The Aviator.

In 1984 he was nominated for a Genie Award as Best Actor for his portrayal of Reno Colt in the film "Reno and the Doc", written and directed by Charles Dennis. In 1997 Welsh directed Dennis in the latter's play "SoHo Duo" at the West Bank Theatre in New York City.

Welsh was born in Edmonton, Alberta to a father who worked for the Canadian National Railway. He grew up in Alberta and studied drama at school. He later moved to Montreal and attended the National Theatre School. Following graduation, he auditioned for the Stratford Festival in Ontario and then spent the first seven years of his career on stage.

Welsh has portrayed historical figures including Thomas E. Dewey, Colin Thatcher, Harry S. Truman (twice), Thomas Edison, James "Scotty" Reston, General Harry Crerar and James Baker.

He has made guest appearances on the acclaimed TV series Due South and Slings and Arrows.

In 2003, he was made a Member of the Order of Canada.

His role as the Vice-President of the United States in the 2004 environmental disaster film The Day After Tomorrow sparked some controversy due to his physical resemblance to Dick Cheney, who at the time was the real Vice President. Director Roland Emmerich later confirmed that he deliberately chose Welsh for that very reason. Emmerich stated that the character of the Vice-President in the film was intended to be a not-so-subtle criticism of the environmental policies of the Presidency of George W. Bush.

Description above from the Wikipedia article Kenneth Welsh, licensed under CC-BY-SA, full list of contributors on Wikipedia.

  • BIRTH 30/03/1942
  • DEATH 06/05/2022
  • Country Canada
  • SHOWS 14
  • MOVIES 67

Shows (14)

The Blacklist
The Blacklist
Werner von Hauser
The Expanse
The Expanse
Franklin Degraaf
The X-Files
The X-Files
Simon Gates
Smallville
Smallville
Drunk Santa
Twin Peaks
Twin Peaks
Windom Earle
Star Trek: Discovery
Star Trek: Discovery
Senna Tal / Senna Tal (voice)
Law & Order
Law & Order
Ben O'Dell
XIII (2011)
XIII (2011)
Dr. Westlund
The Last Templar
The Last Templar
Bill Vance
Twitch City
Twitch City
Mr. Surdjic
Soul Food
Soul Food
Dr. Jackson Pruit
The Ray Bradbury Theater
The Ray Bradbury Theater
Captain Wilder / Crane
Dead Man's Gun
Dead Man's Gun
Dean Marley
Due South
Due South
Cyrus Bolt / Randal K. Bolt

Movies (67)

The Day After Tomorrow
The Day After Tomorrow
Vice President Becker
Fantastic Four: Rise of the Silver Surfer
Fantastic Four: Rise of the Silver Surfer
Dr. Jeff Wagner
The Aviator
The Aviator
Dr. Hepburn
Legends of the Fall
Legends of the Fall
Sheriff Tynert
Timecop
Timecop
Utley
Four Brothers
Four Brothers
Robert Bradford
Crocodile Dundee II
Crocodile Dundee II
Brannigan
Absolute Power
Absolute Power
Sandy Lord
The Exorcism of Emily Rose
The Exorcism of Emily Rose
Dr. Mueller
Cottage Country
Cottage Country
Earl
The Void
The Void
Dr. Richard Powell
The Fog
The Fog
Tom Malone
The Covenant
The Covenant
Provost Higgins
Perfect
Perfect
Joe McKenzie
The Art of the Steal
The Art of the Steal
'Uncle' Paddy MacCarthy
Psycho Goreman
Psycho Goreman
Narrator & Judicator (voice)
Miracle
Miracle
Doc Nagobads
The Pentagon Papers
The Pentagon Papers
John McNaughon
Awakening the Zodiac
Awakening the Zodiac
Ben
Category 7: The End of the World
Category 7: The End of the World
Alan Horst
Death Wish V: The Face of Death
Death Wish V: The Face of Death
Lt. Mickey King
Il pleuvait des oiseaux
Il pleuvait des oiseaux
Boychuck
Vendetta
Vendetta
Mayor Joe Shakspeare
Grey Gardens
Grey Gardens
Max Gordon
Adoration
Adoration
Morris
Silk
Silk
Mayor Joncour
Heartburn
Heartburn
Dr. Appel
Eloise at the Plaza
Eloise at the Plaza
Sir Wilkes
The Case of the Whitechapel Vampire
The Case of the Whitechapel Vampire
Dr. Watson
The Middle Man
The Middle Man
Mr. Miller
Eloise at Christmastime
Eloise at Christmastime
Sir Wilkes
Another Woman
Another Woman
Donald
The Freshman
The Freshman
Dwight Armstrong
Dead Silence
Dead Silence
Sheriff Lenny Budd
The Hound of the Baskervilles
The Hound of the Baskervilles
Dr. Watson
The Sign of Four
The Sign of Four
Dr. Watson
Undercover Grandpa
Undercover Grandpa
Harry
One Way
One Way
William Henderson
The Wrong Guy
The Wrong Guy
Mr. Nagel
The Big Slice
The Big Slice
Lieutenant Bernard
The Day Reagan Was Shot
The Day Reagan Was Shot
James Baker
Margaret's Museum
Margaret's Museum
Angus MacNeil
Bailey's Billion$
Bailey's Billion$
Mouse Delaney
A Very Merry Daughter of the Bride
A Very Merry Daughter of the Bride
Jack
Loose Ends
Loose Ends
Elder Seth
Vanished
Vanished
Bill Palmer
The Wild Guys
The Wild Guys
Andy
Rewind
Rewind
President
Karol, un uomo diventato Papa
Karol, un uomo diventato Papa
professor Wójcik
The Taking of Pelham One Two Three
The Taking of Pelham One Two Three
Caz Hollowitz
Kit Kittredge: An American Girl
Kit Kittredge: An American Girl
Uncle Hendrick
Sanctuary
Sanctuary
Sam Hathaway
Of Unknown Origin
Of Unknown Origin
James Hall
Hideaway
Hideaway
Detective Breech
Survival of the Dead
Survival of the Dead
Patrick O'Flynn
Woman on Trial: The Lawrencia Bembenek Story
Woman on Trial: The Lawrencia Bembenek Story
Don Eisenberg
The Royal Scandal
The Royal Scandal
Dr. Watson
G-Saviour
G-Saviour
General Garneaux
The Man Who Saved Christmas
The Man Who Saved Christmas
Newton Baker
The January Man
The January Man
Roger Culver
F.D.R.: The Last Year
F.D.R.: The Last Year
Thomas E. Dewey
The Story of Luke
The Story of Luke
Jonas
A Nutcracker Christmas
A Nutcracker Christmas
Dimitri
Phobia
Phobia
Sergeant Wheeler
Falling in Love
Falling in Love
Doctor
The House on Carroll Street
The House on Carroll Street
Hackett
The Snow Queen
The Snow Queen
King