Kenneth Welsh, ‘The Day After Tomorrow’ and ‘Twin Peaks’ Actor, Dies at 80

Ryan Gajewski
·2 min read
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Kenneth Welsh, a Canadian actor known for his memorable villain in Twin Peaks in addition to roles in such hit films as The Day After Tomorrow and The Aviator, has died. He was 80.

The prolific performer passed away peacefully at his home outside of Toronto while surrounded by loved ones on May 5, his agent Pam Winter confirmed to The Hollywood Reporter. A cause of death was not shared.

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ACTRA, the union for Canadian actors, posted a tribute message Friday to social media that read, in part, “Ken was one of Canada’s all-time great performers, with hundreds of memorable roles spanning decades. He will be greatly missed.”

Born March 30, 1942, in Edmonton, Alberta, Welsh relocated to Montreal to attend the National Theatre School. He began his career as a member of Ontario’s acclaimed Stratford Festival, heralded for its performances of Shakespearean plays.

Welsh went on to star in numerous TV and film projects, many shot in his native Canada. He portrayed a number of historical figures over the course of his career and was nominated for a Daytime Emmy for his performance as Thomas Edison in the 1998 TV movie Edison: The Wizard of Light.

Among his key roles was his part as Windom Earle in Twin Peaks, featured prominently in the series’ second season. Welsh played the vice president in Roland Emmerich’s 2004 blockbuster The Day After Tomorrow and was the father of Katharine Hepburn, as played by Cate Blanchett, in Martin Scorsese’s 2004 Oscar-winning Howard Hughes biopic The Aviator.

He has also appeared in films such as Legends of the Fall (1994), Miracle (2004), The Exorcism of Emily Rose (2005) and Fantastic Four: Rise of the Silver Surfer (2007), and on such popular series as The X-Files, Law & Order and The Practice. The performer had stayed busy with work in recent years, notching recurring roles on Lodge 49, Star Trek: Discovery and The CW’s rebooted Charmed.

Welsh had a number of projects in postproduction at the time of his death, including his appearance on an episode of Amazon’s revival of Canadian sketch series The Kids in the Hall, launching later this month.

Accolades from throughout his career include a Canadian Genie Award for his role in the 1995 film Margaret’s Museum, set in Nova Scotia and starring Helena Bonham Carter. In 2003, he was named a member of the prestigious Order of Canada.

Welsh is survived by his son, musician Devon Welsh.

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