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Paul Michael Gross OC (born April 30, 1959)[1][2] is a Canadian actor, film and television director, screenwriter, playwright, and producer. He rose to fame for his lead role as RCMP Constable Benton Fraser on the popular Canadian television series Due South (1994-1997). He won three Gemini Awards for his work on the series, two for acting and one for writing.
Paul Gross | |
|---|---|
 Gross at the 2008 Toronto International Film Festival | |
| Born | Paul Michael Gross April 30, 1959 Calgary, Alberta, Canada |
| Alma mater | University of Alberta |
| Occupation(s) | Actor, director, writer, producer |
| Years active | 1985–present |
| Spouse | |
| Children | 2, including Hannah |
Gross subsequently had success with two other Canadian television series, Slings & Arrows and Republic of Doyle. He made his film directorial debut with the cult comedy Men with Brooms, which spawned a television series of the same name. He wrote, directed, produced, and starred in the 2008 war film Passchendaele, which won the Genie Award for Best Motion Picture.[3]
At the 3rd Canadian Screen Awards in 2015, he received the Earle Grey Award for lifetime achievement.[4] That same year, he was awarded the Order of Canada for “his contributions to Canadian film and television, as an actor, writer and director.”[5]
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Gross was born in Calgary, Alberta, the son of Renie Gross (née Dunne), a writer and art historian of Irish descent, and Robert "Bob" Gross, a career soldier, colonel, and tank commander.[6][7] His family moved to Arlington, Virginia in his adolescence, where Gross attended Yorktown High School. He credits drama teacher Timothy Jecko as his inspiration for becoming an actor: "I'm not sure where I would have ended up otherwise."[8]
Gross studied acting at the University of Alberta in Edmonton, but he left during the third year of his study.[9] He went back later to complete the half-credit needed to receive his fine arts degree.[10] He appeared in several stage productions, such as Hamlet and Romeo and Juliet.[11] Other productions in which he appeared include Observe the Sons of Ulster Marching Towards the Somme and As You Like It.[11] His student work The Deer and the Antelope Play was co-produced by the university's department of drama and Theatre Network, and won both the Clifford E. Lee National Playwriting Award and the Alberta Culture Playwriting Award.[10]
After the play Successful Strangers, Gross starred in his first movie, Turning to Stone.[12][13]
He wrote and directed the curling movie Men with Brooms.[14] Gross starred in the television series Slings & Arrows from 2003 to 2006 alongside his wife Martha Burns, which The A.V. Club called "one of TV's greatest shows".[15]
In 2008, he attracted widespread attention in Canada when he wrote, co-produced, directed, and starred in the Genie Award-winning film Passchendaele, inspired by stories he heard from his grandfather, a First World War soldier.[10] The film had its premiere at the 2008 Toronto International Film Festival on September 4, 2008, when it also had the honour of opening the festival.[16] The film received a mixed reception upon release. [17] Despite this, it won several awards; namely five awards the 29th Genie Awards, including Best Picture,[18] and the Golden Reel Award for Canada's top-grossing film of 2008.[19] On March 2, 2009, Paul Gross was honoured for his film Passchendaele, winning that year's National Arts Centre Award for achievement over the past performance year.[20]
From September 16, 2011, he appeared in a production of Noël Coward's Private Lives in Toronto co-starring Kim Cattrall (the production ended October 30, 2011);[21] the production moved to Broadway where it opened November 6, and closed on December 31, 2011.[22] That year, he also produced a feature film with Akshay Kumar called Breakaway starring Camilla Belle and Vinay Virmani.[23]
Between 2011 and 2014, he appeared in nine episodes as Kevin Crocker on Republic of Doyle.[24][25]
More recently, Gross completed work on the contemporary war drama Hyena Road, released on October 9, 2015.[26][10]
Gross starred in the title role of King Lear during the 2023 season of the Stratford Festival.[27]
Due South
His role as upright Royal Canadian Mounted Police officer Benton Fraser in the Due South television series (1994–1999) brought him increased recognition.[28] Like fellow actor David Marciano, he didn't want to do the show at first, and creator Paul Haggis didn't even know if he wanted Gross for the role, but following a meeting, he was cast as Constable Benton Fraser.[29]
When Due South was revived for the third season, Gross returned in the role of Benton Fraser. He also took on duties as executive producer and writer. He earned an estimated salary of $2–3 million per season, and at the time was the highest-paid performer in Canadian television history.[30] He wrote several episodes of the last season of the series. His favourite episodes include "Gift of the Wheelman" and "All the Queen's Horses" and his episodes "Mountie on the Bounty" and "Call of the Wild" are of a similar style.[29]
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In September 1988, Gross married Canadian actress Martha Burns.[31][27] The couple have two children, Hannah Gross, who is also an actress, and Jack Gross.[32]
| Year | Role | Title | Theatre |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1981 | Sylvius | As You Like It | Northern Light Theatre, Edmonton |
| Lysander | A Midsummer Night's Dream | ||
| 1982–1983 | Frank Gardner | Mrs. Warren's profession | Theatre Calgary |
| Unseen Hand | |||
| Farther West | |||
| Clarence Underhill | Walsh | National Arts Centre, Ottawa | |
| Motherwell | The Kite | Festival Lennoxville | |
| Take Me Where the Water Is Warm | |||
| George Gaga | In the Jungle of Cities | ||
| 1984 | Dorante | Successful Strangers | Centaur Theatre, Montréal |
| Romeo | Romeo and Juliet | Toronto Free Theatre, Toronto | |
| 1988 | Young Kenneth Pyper | Observe the sons of Ulster marching towards the Somme | Centrestage Co., Toronto |
| 1989 | Brick | Cat on a Hot Tin Roof | Manitoba Theatre Centre, Winnipeg |
| 2000 | Hamlet | Hamlet | Stratford Festival of Canada |
| 2011 | Elyot | Private Lives | Royal Alexandra Theatre, Music Box Theatre |
| 2012 | Edmund Gowery | Are you there, McPhee? | McCarter Theatre, New Jersey[33] |
| 2015 | Bill Pulver | Domesticated | Berkeley St. Theatre, co-production between The Company Theatre and Canadian Stage[34] |
| 2020 | James Wallack | Keene | Red Bull Theatre N.Y.[35] |
| 2023 | Lear | King Lear | Stratford Festival |
| 2024 | Lockhart | The Seafarer | Alberta Theatre Projects |
| 2025 | George | Who's afraid of Virginia Woolf? | Bluma Appel Theatre |
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Films
| Year | Title | Role | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1989 | Cold Comfort | Stephen Miller | |
| Divided Loyalties | Walter Butler | ||
| 1991 | Married to It | Jeremy Brimfield | |
| 1992 | Buried on Sunday | Augustus Knickel | |
| 1993 | Aspen Extreme | T.J. Burke | |
| 1994 | Whale Music | Daniel Howl | |
| Paint Cans | Morton Ridgewell | ||
| 2002 | Men with Brooms | Chris Cutter | Also writer and director |
| 2004 | Wilby Wonderful | Buddy French | |
| 2008 | Passchendaele | Michael Dunne | Also writer, producer and director |
| 2010 | Gunless | The Montana Kid | |
| Barney's Version | Constable O'Malley of the North | ||
| 2011 | Speedy Singhs | Producer | |
| 2015 | Hyena Road | Pete Mitchell | Also writer, producer and director |
| Beeba Boys | Jamie | ||
| 2018 | The Parting Glass | Sean | |
| 2020 | Falling | Dr. Solvei | |
| 2021 | The Middle Man | The Sheriff |
Television
| Year | Title | Role | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1986 | Turning to Stone | Billy | Debut; television film |
| Airwaves | Writer | ||
| 1988 | Chasing Rainbows | Jake Kincaid | 14 episodes |
| 1989 | Street Legal | Steven Hines | 2 episodes |
| 1990 | The Ray Bradbury Theater | Skip | 1 episode |
| Getting Married in Buffalo Jump | Alex Bresnyachuk | Television film | |
| 1993 | Gross Misconduct: The Life of Brian Spencer | Writer | |
| Armistead Maupin's Tales of the City | Brian Hawkins | 6 episodes | |
| 1994 | XXX's & OOO's | Bucky Dean | Television film |
| 1994–1999 | Due South | Constable Benton Fraser | 67 episodes |
| 1996–1998 | The Red Green Show | Kevin Black | 5 episodes |
| 1997 | Noel's House Party | Himself | 1 episode[36] |
| 20,000 Leagues Under the Sea | Ned Land | Television film | |
| 1999 | Murder Most Likely | Patrick Kelly | |
| 2003–2005 | The Eleventh Hour | Tony Joel | 2 episodes |
| 2003–2006 | Slings & Arrows | Geoffrey Tennant | 18 episodes |
| 2004 | H2O: The Last Prime Minister | Thomas David McLaughlin | Also writer and executive producer |
| Monday Report | Episode #2.3 | ||
| 2005 | Burnt Toast | Scott | Television film |
| 2006 | Prairie Giant: The Tommy Douglas Story | John Diefenbaker | 2 episodes |
| Hockey: A People's History | Narrator | 10 episodes | |
| 2008 | The Trojan Horse | Thomas David McLaughlin | Also writer and executive producer |
| 2009–2010 | Eastwick | Darryl Van Horne | Regular; 12 episodes |
| 2010 | Men with Brooms | Chris Cutter | 12 episodes |
| 2011–2014 | Republic of Doyle | Kevin Crocker | 9 episodes |
| 2017 | Alias Grace | Thomas Kinnear | 4 episodes |
| 2018 | Caught | Roy Patterson | Miniseries; 5 episodes |
| 2019 | Tales of the City | Brian Hawkins | Main cast; 9 episodes |
| 2021 | Y: The Last Man | President Ted Campbell | 2 episodes |
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| Ribbon | Description | Notes |
| Officer of the Order of Canada (O.C.) |
|
| Queen Elizabeth II Diamond Jubilee Medal for Canada |
|
| Year | Award | Category | Film/Play | Result |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1981 | Alberta Culture competition | New Play | The Deer and the Antelope Play | Won |
| 1982 | Clifford E. Lee Foundation | National Award for Playwrights | The Deer and the Antelope Play | Won |
| Alberta Culture competition | New Play | The Dead of Winter | Won | |
| 1985 | Dora Award | Best Performance | Romeo and Juliet | Nominated |
| 1986 | Gemini Award | Best Writing in a TV Drama | In This Corner | Nominated |
| 1988 | Dora Award | Outstanding Performance by a Male in a Featured Role | Observe the Sons of Ulster Marching Toward the Somme | Won |
| 1994 | Gemini Award | Best Writing in a Dramatic Program or Mini-Series | Gross Misconduct | Nominated |
| 1995 | Gemini Award | Best Performance by an Actor in a Continuing Leading Dramatic Role | Due South | Won |
| 1996 | Gemini Award | Best Performance by an Actor in a Continuing Leading Dramatic Role | Due South | Won |
| 1997 | Gemini Award | Best Writing in a Dramatic Series | Due South | Nominated (with Paul Quarrington, John Krizanc) |
| 1998 | Gemini Award | Best Writing in a Dramatic Series | Due South | Won (with John Krizanc, R.B. Carney – Mountie on the Bounty, part 2) |
| Best Dramatic Series | Due South | Nominated (with Frank Siracusa, Peter Bray, R.B. Carney, George Bloomfield) | ||
| Best Performance by an Actor in a Continuing Leading Dramatic Role | Due South | Nominated | ||
| Best Writing in a Dramatic Series | Due South | Nominated (with R.B. Carney, John Krizanc – Mountie on the Bounty, part 1) | ||
| Best Writing in a Dramatic Series | Due South | Nominated (Burning Down the House) | ||
| 1999 | Gemini Award | Canada's Choice Award | Due South | Won (with Frank Siracusa, David Cole, R.B. Carney) |
| Best Performance by an Actor in a Continuing Leading Dramatic Role | Due South | Nominated | ||
| 2000 | Gemini Award | Best Performance by an Actor in a Leading Role in a Dramatic Program or Mini-Series | Murder Most Likely | Nominated |
| Best TV Movie or Dramatic Mini-Series | Murder Most Likely | Nominated (with R.B. Carney, Frank Siracusa, Robert Forsyth, Anne Marie La Traverse) | ||
| 2003 | Canadian Comedy Award | Pretty Funny Direction | Men With Brooms | Won |
| Pretty Funny Male Performance | Men With Brooms | Nominated | ||
| Pretty Funny Writing | Men With Brooms | Nominated (with John Krizanc) | ||
| Genie Award | Best Original Screenplay | Men With Brooms | Nominated (with John Krizanc) | |
| 2004 | Gemini Award | Best Performance by an Actor in a Continuing Leading Dramatic Role | Slings & Arrows | Won |
| 2005 | ACTRA Toronto | Award Of Excellence | Won | |
| Writers Guild of Canada | Movie of the Week and/or Mini-Series | H2O | Won (with John Krizanc) | |
| Directors Guild of Canada | Outstanding Team Achievement in a Television Movie or Mini-Series | H2O | Won | |
| Gemini Award | Best Dramatic Mini-Series | H2O | Nominated (with Frank Siracusa) | |
| Best Writing in a Dramatic Program or Mini-Series | H2O | Nominated (with John Krizanc) | ||
| Monte Carlo Television Festival | Best Performance by an Actor in a Mini-Series | H2O | Won | |
| 2007 | Gemini Award | Best Actor in a Continuing Leading Dramatic Role | Slings & Arrows | Won |
| 2008 | Gemini Award | Best Writing in a Dramatic Program or Mini-Series | The Trojan Horse | Nominated (with John Krizanc) |
| 2009 | Genie Award | Best Motion Picture | Passchendaele | Won (with Niv Fichman, Francis Damberger and Frank Siracusa) |
| Golden Reel Award | Passchendaele | Won (with Niv Fichman, Francis Damberger and Frank Siracusa) | ||
| Best Performance by an Actor in a Leading Role | Passchendaele | Nominated | ||
| NBC Universal Canada | Award of Distinction | Won | ||
| The Governor General's performing arts awards | National Arts Centre Award: Exceptional Achievement over the Past Performance Year | Won | ||
| Directors Guild of Canada | Team Feature Film | Passchendaele | Won | |
| National History Society | Pierre Berton Award | Passchendaele | Won | |
| (Sources: Paul Gross website) | ||||
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Albums
| Year | Album |
|---|---|
| 1997 | Two Houses (with David Keeley) |
| 2001 | Love and Carnage (with David Keeley)
(first released as Give the Dog a Bone)[39] |
Singles
| Year | Single | CAN Country | Album |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1997 | "Voodoo" | Two Houses (with David Keeley) | |
| 1998 | "32 Down on the Robert MacKenzie" | ||
| 1999 | "Papa's Front Porch" | 61 | |
| 2000 | "Ride Forever" |
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