1. Overview
Henry Ian Cusick (born 17 April 1967) is a Peruvian-Scottish actor and television director. He is widely recognized for his extensive career in television, film, and theatre. Cusick gained significant international prominence for his role as Desmond Hume in the ABC television series Lost, for which he received a Primetime Emmy Award nomination. His other notable television performances include Stephen Finch in Scandal, Marcus Kane in The 100, Dr. Jonas Lear in The Passage, and Russell "Russ" Taylor in MacGyver. In film, he is well-known for portraying Jesus in The Gospel of John.
2. Life
Henry Ian Cusick's life journey began in Peru, marked by international moves during his childhood, which shaped his diverse background before he embarked on a distinguished acting career in Scotland and beyond.
2.1. Early Life and Background
Cusick was born on 17 April 1967, in Trujillo, Peru. His heritage is mixed, with a Peruvian mother named Esperanza Chávez and a Scottish father, Henry Joseph Cusick. When he was two years old, his family relocated to Madrid, Spain. They later moved to Trinidad and Tobago, where they resided for ten years. Cusick is fluent in both English and Spanish, and he was raised Roman Catholic.
2.2. Childhood and Education
During his upbringing in Trinidad and Tobago, Cusick attended Presentation College, San Fernando. At the age of fourteen, his family moved to Newton Mearns, a town located just outside of Glasgow in Scotland. He pursued formal education at the Royal Scottish Academy of Music and Drama. However, he was asked to resign in his second year from the academy due to issues with attendance.
2.3. Early Career
Cusick began his professional acting career in theatre. His first acting role was at the Citizens' Theatre in Glasgow, where he served as an understudy in a Christmas Panto, notably playing a polar bear. Following this, he appeared in various productions for the Strathclyde Theatre Group in Glasgow, establishing himself as a classical theatre actor.
3. Major Activities and Achievements
Henry Ian Cusick has built a comprehensive career across various entertainment mediums, from his foundational work in classical theatre to his prominent roles in television and film, alongside his ventures into directing and voice acting for video games. His contributions have earned him significant recognition and accolades throughout his career.
3.1. Theatre
Cusick commenced his career as a classical theatre actor, undertaking several leading roles on stage. These included portraying Dorian Gray in The Picture of Dorian Gray alongside Rupert Everett, the titular role of Hamlet in The Marovitz Hamlet, and Horner in The Country Wife.
In 1994, his performances garnered significant acclaim. He played Torquato Tasso in the Edinburgh International Festival production of Torquato Tasso, and also took on the role of Creon and The Messenger in the Citizens' Theatre production of Oedipus Rex. These roles earned him a commendation at the 1995 Ian Charleson Awards, recognizing his outstanding performance as a young actor in a classical theatre role.
His extensive theatre work also includes:
- Stolzius in The Soldiers at the Royal Lyceum Theatre (preview, Edinburgh International Festival)
- McCann in The Birthday Party at the Glasgow Citizens Theatre
- Jeffrey in The Dying Gaul at the Citizens Theatre
- Nick in The LA Plays at the Almeida Theatre, London
- The Home Show Pieces for Citizens Theatre
- Cassio in Othello for the Royal Shakespeare Company
- Demetrius in A Midsummer Night's Dream for the Royal Shakespeare Company
- Pompey in Antony and Cleopatra for the Royal Shakespeare Company
- Henry Green in Richard II for the Royal National Theatre
- Arthur in The Machine Wreckers for the Royal National Theatre
- Dollabella in Antony and Cleopatra for the Royal National Theatre
- Le Vicomte De Valmont in Les Liaisons Dangereuses at the Liverpool Playhouse
- Louis Ironson in Angels in America for 7:84 Theatre Company
- The title role in Molière's Don Juan for Theatre Babel
- Ross/Witch in Macbeth at the Glasgow Citizens Theatre
3.2. Television
Cusick has had a prolific career in television, appearing in numerous series in both recurring and main cast roles, as well as notable guest appearances.
His early television work included recurring roles such as Jason in Casualty (2001-2002) and Miles Longmuir in the second series of The Book Group (2003). He also appeared as Theo Stoller in two episodes of season 5 of 24 (2006) and Erik Weber in two episodes of Law & Order: Special Victims Unit (2010). Other guest roles include Agent Simon Foster in Fringe (2012), Tommy Volker in The Mentalist (2012), Ernesto in Hawaii Five-0 (2013), Dr. Jimmy in CSI: Crime Scene Investigation (2013), and Dr. Trent Marsh in Body of Proof (2013). He also played Thomas in the pilot episode of Rush Hour (2016). More recently, he had recurring roles as Dr. Evan Declan in Inhumans (2017) and Avery McCallister in Big Sky (2022-2023). He also lent his voice to Artham Wingfeather/Peet the Sockman in The Wingfeather Saga (2022-2023) and appeared as OSP Supervisory Special Agent John Swift in two episodes of NCIS: Hawaiʻi (2023-2024), and Enzo De La Costa in 9-1-1: Lone Star (2024).
Other television appearances include:
- Ian Gowrie in Taggart (1993, episode "Fatal Inheritance")
- Henry Green in Richard II (1997, TV adaptation of William Shakespeare's play)
- Sgt. Michael Clark in Murder Rooms: The White Knight Stratagem (2001)
- Gideon Mantell in The Dinosaur Hunters (2002)
- Dr. Ewan Talbot in Two Thousand Acres of Sky (2002-2003, three episodes)
- Phillip in Happiness (2003, episode "A Nice Person")
- Gavin Merrill in Adventure Inc. (2003, episode "Echoes of the Past")
- Matt in the television film Carla (2003)
- Peter Campbell in the television film Perfect Romance (2004)
- Gareth Heldman in Midsomer Murders (2004, episode "The Fisher King")
- Jeremy Allen in Waking the Dead (2005, episode "Towers of Silence: Part 2")
- Charles Darwin in Nova (2009, episode "Darwin's Darkest Hour")
3.2.1. Major Television Roles
Cusick is most widely recognized for several prominent roles in American television series:
- Desmond Hume in Lost (2005-2010): Originally a recurring guest star in the second season, he became a main cast member from seasons three to six, appearing in 46 episodes. For his performance, he received a Primetime Emmy Award nomination and a Saturn Award nomination. He secured the role after meeting Carlton Cuse, an executive producer of Lost, through his friend and neighbor, actor Brian Cox. Cusick noted that he believed "a seed [was] planted" because the producers had been looking for a Scottish or Irish character.
- Stephen Finch in Scandal (2012, 2015): He played a main role in the first season, appearing in 6 episodes, before leaving the series. He later returned as a guest star in season four for the episode "No More Blood".
- Marcus Kane in The 100 (2014-2019): Cusick was a main cast member for seasons 1 through 6, appearing in 58 episodes. His character's storyline involved a body switch with another actor.
- Dr. Jonas Lear in The Passage (2019): He held a main role in this Fox science fiction series.
- Russell "Russ" Taylor in MacGyver (2020-2021): He portrayed a main role in the CBS action drama.
3.3. Film
Cusick's filmography includes a variety of feature films, short films, and television films.
3.3.1. Notable Film Roles
Among his significant film roles are:
- Jesus Christ in The Visual Bible: The Gospel of John (2003).
- Udre Belicoff in the action film Hitman (2007).
- Cameron Kane in Dead Like Me: Life After Death (2009), a direct-to-video continuation of the television series.
- Willie Scott in Not Another Happy Ending (2013).
- Danny Hart in The Girl On The Train (2014).
- David Frank in Frank vs. God (2014).
- Ben Granger in the short film Dress (2014).
- Jack in 10.0 Earthquake (2014).
- Tim Young in Pali Road (2015).
- Christopher "Chris" Williams in Just Let Go (2015).
- Lawton in Rememory (2017).
- Quint in Chimera Strain (2018).
- McCabe in The Wind & the Reckoning (2022).
- Michael in Jamojaya (2023).
- Appearing as Himself in Getting Lost (2024).
Other film credits include:
- Toby Byng in Possession (2002, uncredited)
- Brian in Half Light (2006)
- William in 9/Tenths (2006)
- Adrian in the short film After the Rain (2006)
- Guy in the short film Visible (2016)
- Scott in Everglades (2016)
- A short film titled Hae Hawai'i (2018)
3.4. Video Games
Cusick has also contributed his voice acting talents to the video game industry. He provided the voice for his character Desmond Hume in the 2008 video game Lost: Via Domus, which is based on the television series Lost.
3.5. Directing
Beyond his acting roles, Cusick has ventured into directing. He directed two episodes of the television series The 100, where he also held a main acting role. Additionally, he directed a short film titled Dress, which was filmed in his home town of Kailua, Hawaii. Dress received critical acclaim, winning the award for best short film at both the HIFF and the Peace on Earth Film Festival.
In 2017, Cusick partnered with the tech start-up JamBios to promote its social platform for reminiscing and memory-sharing. He provides the voice for Monty, the digital biographer, and recorded over 200 questions designed to help users recall their memories. His wife, Annie Cusick Wood, serves as the curator of the JamBios Memory Gallery.
3.6. Awards and Nominations
Henry Ian Cusick has received several awards and nominations throughout his career:
- 1995 Ian Charleson Awards:** Received a commendation for his outstanding performances as Torquato Tasso in Torquato Tasso and Creon in Oedipus.
- Primetime Emmy Award:** Nominated for Outstanding Guest Actor - Drama Series for his role as Desmond Hume in Lost.
- Saturn Award:** Nominated for Best Supporting Actor on Television for his work in Lost.
- Hawaii International Film Festival (HIFF):** Won Best Short for his directorial work on the film Dress.
- Peace on Earth Film Festival:** Won Best Short for his directorial work on the film Dress.
4. Personal Life
Henry Ian Cusick is married to Annie Cusick Wood. Together, they have three sons: Eli, born in 1994; Lucas, born in 1998; and Esau, born in 2000. The family resides in Kailua, Hawaii.