Roger Cross

Nineteen sixty-nine marked the birth of Roger Cross in Christiana, Jamaica, before his eventual relocation to Vancouver at age eleven. A transition from professional aviation to the screen defined his career, characterized by extensive credits in science fiction and crime dramas, spanning from his early guest roles in the 1990s to contemporary series such as Coroner and Sight Unseen.

Formative Years and Aviation

Cross spent his early childhood in Jamaica before his family emigrated to Canada. He attended Burnaby Central Secondary School in British Columbia. Following his secondary education, he pursued higher learning at Trinity Western University, where he earned a degree in Aviation and General Studies. This academic background led to a professional career as a pilot prior to his entry into the entertainment industry.

THE FREE TEST

How high is yours?

Twenty questions, eight minutes on the clock, and a percentile measured against everyone who has taken it. No sign-up.

Take the IQ test →

Television and Sci-Fi Persistence

Throughout the 1990s, Cross established a presence in the television sector with appearances in Street Justice, The X-Files, Sliders, Stargate SG-1, Highlander: The Series, Relic Hunter, The 4400, Higher Ground, Star Trek: Enterprise, and Chuck. While he auditioned for the role of Teal'c on Stargate SG-1, the part went to Christopher Judge. His first sustained lead role came between 1998 and 2001, when he portrayed Joshua Bridges on the science fiction series First Wave. Subsequent television work included playing Travis Verta on Continuum, Staff Sergeant Boyd Bloom in Motive, and Six on the series Dark Matter.

Mainstream Recognition and Voice Acting

Wider recognition arrived for Cross during his tenure as CTU Agent Curtis Manning on the Fox drama 24, a role he maintained from 2005 to 2007. In 2009, he took on the role of drag queen Sonny Benson in the series The L Word. Beyond live action, he provided voice work for the video game Fallout: New Vegas, specifically in the Lonesome Road and Old World Blues expansions. In the DC Animated Movie Universe, he voiced John Stewart and Swamp Thing in Justice League Dark and Justice League Dark: Apokolips War.

Drama and Recent Roles

In the production Coroner, which ran from 2019 to 2022, Cross portrayed Detective Donovan McAvoy. This performance earned him a nomination for a Canadian Screen Award for Best Lead Actor in a drama series, while the program itself received a nomination for Best Drama Series in 2020. His recent television credits include appearances in Murdoch Mysteries from 2023 to 2024, and a role in Sight Unseen beginning in 2024.