The son of British actors William Roache and Anna Cropper, the attractive sandy-haired Roache gained prominence with his strong performance as a clergyman struggling with his vocation and his homosexuality in Antonia Bird's "Priest" (1994). While the film won critical acclaim, it was also the subject of controversy in the USA. Attacked as anti-Catholic by Cardinal John O'Connor of New York and as presenting a biased view of the clergy by the Catholic League for Religious and Civil Rights, "Priest" was far better received in England where it stirred little protest.
Roache began his career as a child, appearing as his father's son on the long-running British soap opera "Coronation Street". After studying at a London drama school, he joined the prestigious Royal Shakespeare Company where he performed the classics for four years. He joined the National Theatre in 1989 where he appeared in Sean O'Casey's "Juno and the Paycock". Roache made his film debut in a small role in "No Surrender" (1986). Director Antonia Bird had spotted Roache in drama school and remembered him when she was casting the title role in "Priest". In 1997, he was teamed with Allison Elliott and Helena Bonham Carter as the journalist caught between the two in Iain Softley's adaptation of Henry James' novel "The Wings of the Dove".
Family
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Father: William Roache. born c. 1933; appeared on British soap "Coronation Street"; divorced from Roache's mother in 1974; made a Member of the Order of the British Empire on New Year's Eve 2000
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Half-brother: William James Roache. born in 1986
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Half-sister: Edwina Roache. born in 1982; died in 1984
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Half-sister: Verity Elizabeth Roache. born in 1981
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Mother: Anna Cropper. divorced from Roache's father in 1974
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Sister: Vanya Roache. younger; born in 1967
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Step-mother: Sara Mottram.
Significant Others
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Companion: Rosalind Bennett. born c. 1964; met in 1989 when they played siblings in "Juno and the Paycock"
Milestones
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1975 Made TV acting debut on "Coronation Street" playing his father's son (date approximate)
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1985 Was member of Royal Shakespeare Company
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1986 Film debut, "No Surrender"
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1989 Spent six months as member of National Theatre (date approximate)
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1994 Starred in the British series "Seaforth", playing a con man and thief
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1995 First starring role in features, "Priest"
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1997 Co-starred in "The Wings of the Dove"
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1998 Appeared opposite Vincent Perez in the HBO movie "Shot Through the Heart"
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2000 Acted on stage opposite Ralph Fiennes in "Coriolanus" and "Richard II"
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2001 Portrayed Romantic poet Samuel Taylor Coleridge to John Hannah's William Wordsworth in the BBC Films production "Pandaemonium"
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2002 Cast as Robert F. Kennedy in the FX biopic "RFK"; received a Golden Globe nomination for Best Actor in Miniseries or TV Movie
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2002 Had co-starring role in the WWII drama "Hart's War"
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2004 Appeared in the Vin Diesel film "The Chronicles of Riddick"
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2004 Cast in the thriller "The Forgotten" starring Julianne Moore
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2006 Cast in Michael Cuesta's sophomore feature "Twelve and Holding"
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2006 Played hard-charging prosecutor Sean Kierney in Sidney Lumet's "Find Me Guilty" starring Vin Diesel