Kenneth Welsh

Kenneth Clifford Welsh (March 30, 1942 – May 5, 2022) was a Canadian actor, who made over 300 stage, film, and television appearances over a nearly 60-year career.

Educated at the National Theatre School, he was a member of the Stratford Shakespeare Festival for six years, before to New York and appearing in many Off-Broadway and Broadway plays. He studied drama at school, as Alberta was the only province at the time which included drama on the curriculum. before moving to Montreal to attend the National Theatre School.

He made his Off-Broadway debut in the world premiere of Curse of the Starving Class at The Public Theater, and his Broadway debut in The Government Inspector. During the 1980's, he starred in such notable Broadway productions as Piaf, The Real Thing, Social Security, and Frankie and Johnny in the Clair de Lune. He directed and starred in multiple acclaimed stagings of the Dylan Thomas-penned radio drama Under Milk Wood.

Welsh also wrote the book for Standup Shakespeare, a cabaret musical that sets Shakespearean dialogue to contemporary jazz, baroque, samba and gospel-rock music.

In the 2010s, he was a member of Toronto's Soulpepper Theatre Company. and at the 8th Genie Awards in 1987 for his performance as David Sutton in Loyalties, and a two-time Genie nominee for Best Supporting Actor, receiving a nomination at the 5th Genie Awards in 1984 for Tell Me That You Love Me and winning the award at the 16th Genie Awards in 1996 for Margaret's Museum.

Reno and the Doc was 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 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 played Thomas Norval Hepburn, the father of Katharine Hepburn, in Martin Scorsese's The Aviator (2004).

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, the real-life vice-president at the time. 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 George W. Bush administration.

Television Welsh's best-known television role is as Windom Earle, the primary antagonist and cunning foil to Dale Cooper, during the second season of the Twin Peaks (1990–91, 2017). He played Dr. Watson in a series of CTV Sherlock Holmes telefilms, opposite Matt Frewer as Holmes.

Welsh won four Gemini Awards out of six total nominations - Best Actor in a Leading Role in a Dramatic Program or Limited Series for And Then You Die (1987), Love and Hate: The Story of Colin and JoAnn Thatcher (1987), and Hiroshima (1995). He won Best Supporting Actor in a Drama Program or Series for Deadly Betrayal: The Bruce Curtis Story. He was nominated for a Daytime Emmy Award for Outstanding Performer in Children's Programming for his performance in the HBO telefilm Edison: The Wizard of Light.

He made guest appearances on numerous series, including Seeing Things, the 1980s revival of The Twilight Zone, The X-Files, Due South, Law & Order, The Practice, Murdoch Mysteries, Stargate Atlantis, Slings & Arrows, The Expanse, The Blacklist, Lodge 49, and The Kids in the Hall.

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

Personal life Welsh married Lynne Mcilvride in March 2022. He had a son, musician Devon Welsh (b. 1988), from his previous marriage.

Welsh was baptized by Anglican priest Rev. RuthAnne Ward in his house in the last months of his life. He was also a follower of American spiritual teacher Adi Da, who primarily focused on prioritizing spiritual enlightenment, Welsh narrated Da's 2000 audiobook, "What, Where, When, How, Why, and Who to Remember to Be Happy".

Death Welsh died on May 5, 2022, at the age of 80, from cancer. His son Devon announced on Twitter: "My dad passed away on Thursday peacefully at home. I will always love him beyond words. He lived a wonderful life, he was the best father I could have asked for, and he touched so many lives. Please make a toast, watch a film/TV show he was in, celebrate a giant of acting."

Upon his death, the official ACTRA Twitter account eulogized him saying "Ken was one of Canada’s all-time great performers, with hundreds of memorable roles spanning decades."

His ashes were scattered in Lake Ontario following cremation.

Partial stage credits

Television Posthumous release TV films and miniseries Year Title Role 1969 The Three Musketeers D'Artagnan 1995 Choices of the Heart: The Margaret Sanger Story Mr. Higgins Vanished Bill Palmer Hiroshima President Harry S. Truman Kissinger and Nixon James "Scotty" Reston 1996 Escape ClauseOwen Jessop 1997 Dead Silence Sheriff Lenny Budd Joe Torre: Curveballs Along the WayGeorge Steinbrenner The Third TwinPreston Barck 1998 The Taking of Pelham One Two ThreeCaz Hollowitz Thunder Point Armstrong Thanks of a Grateful Nation Sen. Shelby Dead HusbandsChase Woodward Edison: The Wizard of Light Thomas Edison 1999 G-SaviourGeneral Garneaux VendettaMayor Joe Shakspeare2000 Who Killed Atlanta's Children? William Kunstler Deliberate Intent Peder Lund Witchblade Joe Siri The Hound of the Baskervilles Dr. Watson 2001 Haven Harry Truman SanctuarySam Hathaway The Sign of Four Dr. Watson The Royal Scandal Dr. Watson The Day Reagan Was Shot James Baker2002 The Case of the Whitechapel Vampire Dr. Watson The Man Who Saved ChristmasNewton Baker 2003 The Pentagon Papers John McNaughton Ice Bound: A Woman's Survival at the South Pole Dr. Ben Murdoch Eloise at the Plaza Sir Wilkes Eloise at Christmastime Sir Wilkes2005 Karol: A Man Who Became PopeProfessor Wójcik Our Fathers Bishop Murphy Category 7: The End of the World Chief of Staff Alan Horst The Snow Queen King2006 Above and Beyond Lord Beaverbrook2007 SuperstormRichard Hughes Booky and the Secret SantaMr. Eaton2008 A Very Merry Daughter of the BrideJack 2009 Grey GardensMax Gordon The Last TemplarBill Vance2013 RewindPresident2015 The Lizzie Borden ChroniclesLizzie's Lawyer