Paul Gross

Born in 1959, Paul Gross lived all around the world as a boy because his father was a member of the Canadian military. He began acting as a teen and attended the University of Alberta in Edmonton, leaving school before graduating, but eventually he returning to get his degree. After finding success on the stage, Gross made his onscreen debut with a couple of small roles on the Canadian series "Hangin' In" (CBC, 1981-1987). He landed his first series lead role on "Chasing Rainbows" (CBC, 1988), playing a WWI veteran who opens a jazz club/brothel in Montreal. His turn in the Canadian thriller "Cold Comfort" (1989) cemented his status as a leading man. Ironically, Gross' first real exposure in the US came on the British mini-series adaptation of "Armistead Maupin's Tales of the City" (Channel 4, 1993), which was broadcast to much acclaim and popularity in the US on PBS. In 1994, Gross premiered in what would be his signature role, playing Constable Benton Fraser on the hit Canadian series "Due South" (CTV, 1994-1999). The show follows the attempts at cross border collaboration between the US and Canadian police forces. After taking some writing and directing duties on "Due South," Gross put those skills to use in the curling comedy feature "Men with Brooms" (2002) in which he starred, wrote, and directed. Next came the highly acclaimed "Slings and Arrows" (The Movie Network, 2003-06) a series that follows a troubled theatre troupe. Gross' first US network series was a recurring role on "Eastwick" (ABC, 2009), a TV adaptation of the John Updike book The Witches of Eastwick. In 2010 Gross reprised his role for the series adaptation of "Men With Brooms" (CBC, 2010-11). In 2017, he took a lead role in the mini-series "Alias Grace" (CBC, 2017) adapted from the novel by Margaret Atwood.