Linus William Roache (born 1 February 1964) is a British actor. He is best known to US audiences as 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), (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.

Early life 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.

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.

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.

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

Filmography

Film Year Title Role NotesRef. 1985 No Surrender Ulster Boy 1986 Link Unknown Uncredited 1994 Priest Father Greg Pilkington 1997 The Wings of the Dove Merton Densher 1999 Venice Project Count Jacko/Count Giaccomo Siam Sunset Perry 2000 Best Denis Law Pandaemonium Samuel Taylor Coleridge Evening Standard British Film Award for Best Actor 2002 Hart's War Capt. Peter A. Ross 2003 Beyond Borders Henry Bauford Blind Flight John McCarthy Nominated—BAFTA Scotland Award for Best Actor in a Scottish Film2004 The Forgotten Mr. Shineer, A Friendly Man The Chronicles of Riddick Purifier 2005 12 and Holding Mr. Carges Batman Begins Dr. Thomas Wayne 2006 A Through M The Voice of the Party Find Me Guilty Sean Kierney The Namesake Mr. Lawson 2007 Broken Thread Ram 2008 Before the Rains Henry Moores Yonkers Joe Teddy 2009 Out Here in the Fields: The Field on Beach Lane Narrator 2012 $upercapitalist Mark Patterson 2013 Innocence Miles Warner 2014 Non-Stop Captain David McMillan 2016 ID2: Shadwell Army Vinnie Barry Bill Baughman 2017 Division 19 Charles Lynden 2018 Mandy Jeremiah Sand 2019 The Last Full Measure Whit Peters A Call to Spy Maurice Buckmaster2022 My PolicemanOlder Tom Burgess The Apology Jack Kingsley 2026 The Dresden Sun Malik

Television Year Title Role NotesRef. 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 film2002 RFK Robert F. Kennedy Television filmNominated—Golden Globe Award for Best Actor – Miniseries or Television Film The Gathering Storm Ralph Wigram Television filmSatellite 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 episodes2012 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 episodes2025Doctor WhoReginald PyeEpisode: "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) Henry IV in Owain & Henry. Directed by Steffan Donnelly and Michael Sheen at the Wales Millennium Centre (2026)

Awards and nominations Year Award Category Nominated work Result Ref.1996 Chlotrudis Society for Independent Films Best ActorPriest 2001 Evening Standard British Film Awards Best Actor Pandaemonium 2003 60th Golden Globe Awards Best Performance in a Miniseries or Television Film RFK 7th Golden Satellite Awards Satellite Award for Best Supporting Actor – Series, Miniseries or Television Film The Gathering Storm 2004 BAFTA Awards, Scotland Best Actor in a Scottish FilmBlind Flight 2018 Fright Meter AwardsBest Supporting ActorMandy 2019 Fangoria Chainsaw Awards CinEuphoria Awards Best Supporting Actor - International 2023 Peabody Awards Chronicling LGBTQ+ History Over 50 YearsFellow Travelers

References

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