Celebrity Biographies
Kenneth Welch
He was active for six decades in various roles, often in hit movies. Canadian Kenneth Welsh died on May 5, 2022, at the age of 80, in Toronto “surrounded by his loved ones,” according to Pam Winter, his representative. “He was one of Canada’s all-time great performers, with hundreds of memorable roles over the decades. We will miss him so much,” explained a statement from ACTRA Toronto, his country’s actors union.
Born on March 30, 1942, in Edmonton, Alberta, Kenneth Welsh attended the National Theater School in Montreal. After several years focused on working on stage, he made his film debut in 1974, with A Voice Called Edith Piaf , a biopic of the famous singer. He later played a doctor in Falling in Love , alongside Robert De Niro and Meryl Streep .
Woody Allen recruited him for Radio Days , where his voice was heard only as a radio host, and Another Woman . In the ’90s, Kenneth Welsh appeared in titles like Timecop , Legends of Passion, and Absolute Power . With the arrival of the new century, he continued to work at a good pace, giving life to Katharine Hepburn ‘s father , in The Aviator , and with roles in titles such as The Fantastic Four and the Silver Surfer and The Resistance of the Dead .
Roland Emmerich recruited him to play Vice President Becker in the catastrophic film The Day After Tomorrow , due to his physical resemblance to Dick Cheney. “I used Kenneth Welsh to critique President George Bush’s environmental policies,” said the filmmaker.
On television, Kenneth Welsh stood out above all with Twin Peaks , where he played Windom Earle, a crazed FBI agent with a score to settle with Dale Cooper.