Paul Gross
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
| Paul Gross | |
Gross at the 2008 Toronto International Film Festival |
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| Born | Paul Michael Gross April 30, 1959 Calgary, Alberta, Canada |
|---|---|
| Occupation | Actor Producer Screenwriter Composer Director |
| Years active | 1985-present |
| Spouse(s) | Martha Burns (1988 - present) |
| Official website | |
Paul Michael Gross (born April 30, 1959),[1] is a Canadian actor, producer, director, singer and writer born in Calgary, Alberta. He is known for his lead role as Constable Benton Fraser in the television series Due South as well as his acting and directing role in the 2008 Canadian war film Passchendaele. During Due South's final season, Gross acted as executive producer in addition to starring, wrote the season three opener and finale, the two part series finale and wrote and sang for the show, some of which can be found on the two Due South soundtracks. He later found success with another Canadian show, Slings and Arrows.
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[edit] Early career
Gross studied acting at the University of Alberta in Edmonton, but he left during the third year of his study.[2] He went back later to complete the half-credit needed to receive his fine arts degree. He appeared in several stage productions, such as Hamlet and Romeo and Juliet.[3] Other productions in which he appeared include Observe the Sons of Ulster Marching Towards the Somme and As You Like It.[3]
After the play Successful Strangers, Gross starred in his first movie, Turning to Stone.
[edit] Due South
His role as upright Mountie Benton Fraser in the Due South television series brought him increased recognition. 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, Constable Benton Fraser was cast.[4]
When Due South was resurrected for the third season, Gross returned as Benton Fraser and assumed 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 entertainment history.[citation needed] He wrote several episodes of the last season of the series. His favorite 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[4].
[edit] Personal life
Gross married actress Martha Burns in 1987. The couple have two children, Jack and Hannah. Paul is involved with many groups and charities dealing with childhood poverty[citation needed].
[edit] Filmography
[edit] Films
| Year | Title | Role | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1985 | Turning to Stone | Billy | Debut |
| 1989 | Cold Comfort | Stephen Miller | |
| Divided Loyalties | Walter Butler | ||
| 1990 | Getting Married in Buffalo Jump | Alex Bresnyachuk | |
| 1991 | Married to It | Jeremy Brimfield | |
| 1992 | Buried on Sunday | Augustus Knickel | |
| 1993 | Aspen Extreme | T.J. Burke | |
| Tales of the City | Brian Hawkins | ||
| 1994 | Whale Music | Daniel Howl | |
| XXX's & OOO's | 'Bucky Dean | ||
| Paint Cans | Morton Ridgewell | ||
| 1997 | 20,000 Leagues Under the Sea | Ned | |
| 1999 | Murder Most Likely | Patrick Kelly | |
| 2002 | Men with Brooms | Chris Cutter | also Writer and Director |
| 2004 | Wilby Wonderful | Buddy French | |
| H2O: The Last Prime Minister (TV) | Thomas David Mclaughlin | also Writer and Executive Producer | |
| 2005 | Burnt Toast | Scott | |
| 2007 | The Trojan Horse (TV) | Thomas David McLaughlin | also Writer and Executive Producer and it's Continuation or Part Two of H2O (film) |
| 2008 | Passchendaele | Michael Dunne | also Writer, Producer and Director |
[edit] Television
| Year | Title | Role | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1988 | Chasing Rainbows | Jake Kincaid | 14 episodes |
| 1989 | Street Legal | Steven Hines | 2 episodes |
| 1990 | The Ray Bradbury Theater | Skip | 1 episode |
| 1996-1998 | The Red Green Show | Kevin Black | 5 episodes |
| 1994-1999 | Due South | Constable Benton Fraser | |
| 2004 | Monday Report | Prime Minister Thomas David McLaughlin | One Episode |
| 2003-2005 | The Eleventh Hour | Tony Joel | 2 Episodes |
| 2003-2006 | Slings and Arrows | Geoffrey Tennant | 18 Episodes |
| 2006 | Prairie Giant: The Tommy Douglas Story | John Diefenbaker | |
| Hockey: A People's History | Narrator | 10 episodes | |
| 2009 | Eastwick | The Devil | Regular |
[edit] Discography
[edit] Albums
| Year | Album | |
|---|---|---|
| 1997 | Two Houses (with David Keeley) | |
| 2001 | Love and Carnage (with David Keeley) |
[edit] Singles
| Year | Single | CAN Country | Album |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1997 | "Voodoo" | Two Houses (with David Keeley) |
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| 1998 | "32 Down on the Robert MacKenzie" | ||
| 1999 | "Papa's Front Porch" | 61 | |
| 2000 | "Ride Forever" |
[edit] References
- ^ "filmreference.com". Paul Gross. http://www.filmreference.com/film/8/Paul-Gross.html. Retrieved on 2007-11-30.
- ^ "TV.com". Paul Gross Biography. http://www.tv.com/paul-gross/person/80578/biography.html. Retrieved on 2007-11-30.
- ^ a b "Paul's stage roles". Paul Gross website. http://www.paulgross.org/stage.htm. Retrieved on 2007-11-30.
- ^ a b Due South. Retrieved on 2007-11-30.
[edit] External links
- Paul Gross at the The Canadian Encyclopedia
- Paul Gross at the Internet Movie Database
- Paul Gross at Allmovie
- Paul Gross at Tv.com
- PaulGross.org
- Paul Gross at Northern Stars

