Quick Facts
Biography
Henry Ian Cusick (born 17 April 1967) is a Peruvian-Scottish actor of television, film, and theatre and a television director.
He is best known for his role asDesmond Hume in the ABC television series Lost, for which he received a Primetime Emmy Award nomination. He also starred as Jesus in The Gospel of John, as Stephen Finch in the ABC political thriller series Scandal, as Marcus Kane in The CW science fiction series The 100, as Dr. Jonas Lear in The Passage on Fox, and as Russell "Russ" Taylor in the CBS action drama MacGyver.
Early life
Cusick was born in Trujillo, Peru, to a Peruvian mother, Esperanza Chávez, and a Scottish father, Henry Joseph Cusick. When he was two, his family moved to Madrid, Spain, then Glasgow, before moving to Trinidad and Tobago, where they lived for ten years. There Cusick attended Presentation College, San Fernando. He moved to Newton Mearns, a town just outside of Glasgow in Scotland, with his family at the age of fourteen. Cusick attended the Royal Scottish Academy of Music and Drama and was asked to resign in his second year there. He got his first acting role at the Citizens' Theatre as an understudy in the Christmas Panto playing a polar bear. He appeared in various productions for the Strathclyde Theatre Group in Glasgow. He is fluent in both English and Spanish, and was raised Roman Catholic.
Career
Cusick began his career as a classical theatre actor. His first leading roles onstage included Dorian Gray in The Picture of Dorian Gray with Rupert Everett, Hamlet in The Marovitz Hamlet, and Horner in The Country Wife. His 1994 performances as Torquato Tasso in the Edinburgh International Festival production of Torquato Tasso, and Creon in the Citizens' Theatre production of Oedipus, earned him a commendation at the 1995 Ian Charleson Awards for outstanding performance by a young actor in a classical theatre role.
On screen, after appearing in recurring roles in television series such as Casualty and The Book Group, he starred as Jesus Christ in the 2003 film The Visual Bible: The Gospel of John. His largest role to date came in 2005 when he was cast as Desmond Hume in the ABC series Lost. Originally a recurring guest star in the second season (for which he received an Emmy nomination), Cusick became a member of the main cast from seasons three to six. Cusick won the role when, while staying at the home of his friend Brian Cox, he met Cox's next-door neighbor, Carlton Cuse, the executive producer of Lost. Cusick stated he believes "a seed (was) planted, because they had been looking for either a Scottish or Irish character."
He also appeared as Theo Stoller in two episodes of season 5 of 24 and the 2007 film Hitman.He stars in the direct-to-DVD film Dead Like Me: Life After Death, a continuation of the cult classic television show of the same name.
Cusick appeared in two episodes of Law & Order: Special Victims Unit in the twelfth season, playing Erik Weber, a vigilante with a Citizens Organized Against Predators group. He was in ABC's Scandal in 2011, but left the following year.
He also played Trent Marsh in Body of Proof and portrayed Marcus Kane until his character switched bodies with another actor in The 100, which premiered in March 2014.
Cusick also directed a short film called Dress, filmed in his home town, Kailua, Hawaii, winning the best short at HIFF and Peace on Earth Film Festival.
In 2017, Cusick partnered with tech start-up JamBios to promote its reminiscing and memory-sharing social platform. He plays the voice of Monty, the digital biographer, and recorded over 200 questions that Monty asks users to help spur their memories. Cusick's wife Annie is the curator of the JamBios Memory Gallery.
Personal life
Cusick and his wife Annie Cusick Wood are parents to three sons, Eli (born 1994), Lucas (born 1998), and Esau (born 2000) who lives in Edinburgh.
Filmography
Films
| Year | Title | Role | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2002 | Possession | Toby Byng | Uncredited |
| 2003 | The Gospel of John | Jesus Christ | |
| 2006 | Half Light | Brian | |
| 2006 | 9/Tenths | William | |
| 2006 | After the Rain | Adrian | Short film |
| 2007 | Hitman | Udre Belicoff | |
| 2009 | Dead Like Me: Life After Death | Cameron Kane | Direct-to-video release |
| 2013 | Not Another Happy Ending | Willie Scott | |
| 2014 | The Girl On The Train | Danny Hart | |
| 2014 | Frank vs. God | David Frank | |
| 2014 | Dress | Ben Granger | |
| 2014 | 10.0 Earthquake | Jack | |
| 2015 | Pali Road | Tim Young | |
| 2015 | Just Let Go | Christopher "Chris" Williams | |
| 2017 | Rememory | Lawton | |
| 2018 | Chimera | Quint | |
| 2022 | The Wind & the Reckoning | McCabe | |
| 2023 | Jamojaya | Post-production |
Television
| Year | Title | Role | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1993 | Taggart | Ian Gowrie | Episode "Fatal Inheritance" |
| 1997 | Richard II | Henry Green | TV adaptation of William Shakespeare's play |
| 2001 | Murder Rooms: The White Knight Stratagem | Sgt. Michael Clark | |
| 2001–02 | Casualty | Jason | Recurring role |
| 2002 | The Dinosaur Hunters | Gideon Mantell | |
| 2002–03 | Two Thousand Acres of Sky | Dr. Ewan Talbot | Appeared in three episodes |
| 2003 | Happiness | Phillip | Episode "A Nice Person" |
| 2003 | Adventure Inc. | Gavin Merrill | Episode "Echoes of the Past" |
| 2003 | The Book Group | Miles Longmuir | Appeared in every episode of the second series |
| 2003 | Carla | Matt | Television film |
| 2004 | Perfect Romance | Peter Campbell | Television film |
| 2004 | Midsomer Murders | Gareth Heldman | Episode "The Fisher King" |
| 2005 | Waking the Dead | Jeremy Allen | Episode "Towers of Silence: Part 1" |
| 2005–10 | Lost | Desmond Hume | Guest (Season 2) Main cast (Season 3–6): 46 episodes Nominated for Primetime Emmy Award for Outstanding Guest Actor - Drama Series Nominated for Saturn Award for Best Supporting Actor on Television |
| 2006 | 24 | Theo Stoller | Episodes "Day 5: 7:00 p.m.-8:00 p.m." and "Day 5: 8:00 p.m.-9:00 p.m." |
| 2009 | Nova | Charles Darwin | Episode: "Darwin's Darkest Hour" |
| 2010 | Law & Order: Special Victims Unit | Erik Weber | Episodes: "Locum" and "Bullseye" |
| 2012, 2015 | Scandal | Stephen Finch | Main role (season 1); 6 episodes Guest role (season 4), Episode: "No More Blood" |
| 2012 | Fringe | Agent Simon Foster | Episode: Season 4, Episode 19 "Letters of Transit" |
| 2012 | The Mentalist | Tommy Volker | Episodes: "If It Bleeds, It Leads","Days of Wine and Roses","Little Red Corvette" |
| 2013 | Hawaii Five-0 | Ernesto, terrorist group leader | Episode: "We Need Each Another" |
| 2013 | CSI: Crime Scene Investigation | Dr. Jimmy | Episode: "Last Woman Standing" |
| 2013 | Body of Proof | Dr. Trent Marsh | Season 3, Episode 5 "Eye for an Eye" and Episode 13 "Daddy Issues" |
| 2014–19 | The 100 | Marcus Kane | Main role (Seasons 1-6): 58 episodes Also directed two episodes |
| 2016 | Rush Hour | Thomas | Episode: "Pilot" |
| 2017 | Inhumans | Dr. Evan Declan | Recurring role; 6 episodes |
| 2019 | The Passage | Dr. Jonas Lear | Main role |
| 2020–21 | MacGyver | Russell "Russ/Rusty" Taylor | Main role |
| 2022 | Big Sky | Avery | Recurring Role |
Video games
| Year | Title | Role | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2008 | Lost: Via Domus | Desmond Hume (voice) |
Theatre
- Stolzius in The Soldiers - Royal Lyceum Theatre (preview, Edinburgh International Festival)
- Torquato Tasso in Torquato Tasso - Royal Lyceum Theatre, Edinburgh — Commendation, Ian Charleson Awards
- Creon and The Messenger in Oedipus Rex- Glasgow Citizens Theatre — Commendation, Ian Charleson Awards
- Dorian Gray in The Picture of Dorian Gray - Glasgow Citizens Theatre
- Horner in The Country Wife - Glasgow Citizens Theatre
- Hamlet in The Marowitz Hamlet - Glasgow Citizens Theatre
- McCann in The Birthday Party - Glasgow Citizens Theatre
- Jeffrey in The Dying Gaul - Citizens Theatre
- Nick in The LA Plays - Almeida Theatre, London
- The Home Show Pieces for Citizens Theatre
- Cassio in Othello - Royal Shakespeare Company
- Demetrius in A Midsummer Night's Dream - Royal Shakespeare Company
- Pompey in Antony and Cleopatra - Royal Shakespeare Company
- Henry Green in Richard II - Royal National Theatre
- Arthur in The Machine Wreckers - Royal National Theatre
- Dollabella in Antony and Cleopatra - Royal National Theatre
- Le Vicomte De Valmont in Les Liaisons Dangereuses - Liverpool Playhouse
- Louis Ironson in Angels in America for 7:84 Theatre Company
- Title role in Molière's Don Juan for Theatre Babel
- Ross/Witch in Macbeth - Glasgow Citizens Theatre
