Roché began his acting career in the made-for-television film
The Murders in the Rue Morgue, appearing opposite
Ian McShane and
Val Kilmer, which aired on
CBS on 7 December 1986. Throughout the late 1980s, he had roles in French television and cinema, including the films ''
Adieu je t'aime (1988), La Queue de la comète (1988), La Révolution française (1989), and A Woman's Revenge (1990), and the television series Bonjour maître (1987) and The Hitchhiker'' (19891991). Roché also has an extensive classical theatre background, notably starring in
Salome (1992) with
Al Pacino at the
Circle in the Square Theatre;
Titus Andronicus (1994) with the Theatre for a New Audience, directed by
Julie Taymor;
Macbeth (1994) at the
Classic Stage Company, directed by
Jack Stehlin; and
Arms and the Man (1995) in
Hartford, Connecticut, directed by
Mark Lamos. He appeared in a supporting role in the
Daniel Day-Lewis-starring historical epic
The Last of the Mohicans, which was released in the United States on 25 September 1992. On American television, he appeared in
Loving (1992),
South Beach (1993),
New York Undercover (1996),
Swift Justice (1996), and
Liberty! (1997). In 1997, Roché was part of the main cast in the
Fox fantasy adventure series
Roar, playing the role of
Saint Longinus. He starred opposite
Heath Ledger and
Vera Farmiga. The series was cancelled due to low ratings later that same year. Roché's many 1990s television credits include recurring and guest starring stints in series such as
Feds (1997),
Dellaventura (1997),
Sex and the City (1998),
Merlin (1998),
Law & Order (1993 & 1999), and
Big Apple (2001). In 1998, he returned to the stage in the Off-Broadway production of
Trainspotting at the Players Theater. In 2000, he portrayed Prince Renzo in the
Broadway production of
The Green Bird at the
Cort Theatre. The play marked his second collaboration with director Julie Taymor. That same year, he appeared in the television film
The Crossing opposite
Jeff Daniels, which aired on
A&E on 10 January 2000. He also had a minor role in the thriller film
15 Minutes starring
Robert De Niro, released on 9 March 2001. In 2002, Roché began portraying Kurt Mendel in the Canadian science fiction series
Odyssey 5 for
Showtime. He remained in the role until the show's cancellation a year later. In the pilot episode, he spoke French. He also guest starred in episodes of
Touching Evil (2004),
Charmed (2005),
Alias (2005),
CSI: Crime Scene Investigation (2005), and
The Unit (2006). Roché then co-starred in the
Mira Nair-directed drama film
The Namesake, released on 9 March 2007, and in the
Darby Crash biopic
What We Do Is Secret, released on 8 August 2008. He subsequently co-starred with
Freddie Prinze, Jr. the comedy-drama
New York City Serenade, which premiered at the
Toronto International Film Festival on 13 September 2007. '' in June 2013 Roché next starred in the motion capture epic fantasy film
Beowulf, alongside
Anthony Hopkins and
Angelina Jolie, which was directed by
Robert Zemeckis and released to cinemas on 16 November 2007. He reprised his role as Wulfgar from the film in the accompanying video game
Beowulf: The Game, released on 13 November 2007. In 2007, Roché began appearing in the
ABC soap opera
General Hospital as terrorist/criminal
Jerry Jacks . Roché returned to the series in a recurring capacity. He starred in a total of 319 episodes, and has spoken
Russian, Spanish, and French in the series. In 2009, Roché guest starred in
The Mentalist as Shirali Arlov, and as John Quinn in both
24: Redemption (2008), and the 2009 season of
24. He then appeared in the comedy-drama film
Happy Tears with
Demi Moore and
Parker Posey, released on 19 February 2010, and lent his voice to the animated film
The Adventures of Tintin, directed by
Steven Spielberg and released on 21 December 2011. In 2010, Roché joined the recurring cast of
The CW's drama series
Supernatural. He starred in six episodes of the sixth season as
Balthazar, a rogue angel and longtime friend of fellow angel
Castiel. He was next cast in the Fox science fiction drama series
Fringe, recurring in the second and third seasons as
Thomas Jerome Newton, the leader of an army of shapeshifters from a
parallel universe and a main antagonist of the series. In 2011, Roché began recurring as
Mikael, the father of the Original Vampires, in The CW's supernatural drama series
The Vampire Diaries. He then recurred as Clyde Easter in the CBS procedural crime drama series
Criminal Minds. Roché next had a supporting role in the action-thriller film
Safe House, starring
Ryan Reynolds and
Denzel Washington, which was released on 10 February 2012. Also in 2012, he made a guest appearance in
NBC's procedural fantasy drama series
Grimm. In 2013, he made a guest appearance on
Burn Notice playing Roger Steele. He then starred in
William Brent Bell's horror film
Wer, released first in Japan on 16 November 2013. at the
Supernatural Convention in May 2014 From 2014 to 2015, and continuing through 2018, Roché reprised his role as Mikael in
The Vampire Diaries spin-off series,
The Originals. Roché then starred in the American crime thriller film
A Walk Among the Tombstones alongside
Liam Neeson, released on 19 September 2014. In March 2014, he joined ABC's political drama series
Scandal in a recurring capacity. In December 2014, it was announced that Roché would guest star in season four of ABC's
fairy tale drama series
Once Upon a Time as
King Stefan. Roché starred as
Pierre Curie in an episode of the documentary miniseries
The Mystery of Matter: Search for the Elements, which aired on
PBS on 19 August 2015. Roché then guest starred in season seven of
CBS' procedural drama series
NCIS: Los Angeles, as Lee Ashman. In 2016, Roché co-starred as Cardinal Michel Marivaux in
Paolo Sorrentino's drama series
The Young Pope, alongside
Jude Law and
James Cromwell. He also had a starring role in the second and third season of
Amazon Video's drama series
The Man in the High Castle as Martin Heusmann, the estranged Nazi father of main character Joe Blake (
Luke Kleintank). Roché co-starred in
Christopher Gorham's directorial debut comedy
We Love You, Sally Carmichael! (2017), portraying film star Perry Quinn, alongside Gorham and
Bitsie Tulloch. He then appeared as Emile Gilot, the father of French painter
Françoise Gilot, in the second season of the
National Geographic anthology series
Genius. Roché performed in a modern-day adaptation of the
Molière play
Tartuffe, making his
West End theatre debut as Orgon. He portrayed Klaus Jager in the war film
Burning at Both Ends, opposite
Cary Elwes and
Judd Hirsch. He appeared in
Tides directed by Tim Felhbaum opposite Iain Glen and Nora Arnezeder as well as the Michael Bay film
6 Underground with Ryan Reynolds for Netflix. He recurred as Dr. Ethan Campbell in the CW series
Batwoman. He also guest starred as Hannibal Teague in the series
MacGyver in 2020. By 2021, he was recurring in both the NBC sci fi drama
Debris as the enigmatic MI6 agent Brill and in the ABC drama
Big Sky as the corrupt Sheriff John Wagy. He appeared in
Heatwave opposite Kat Graham, and the independent film
Lone Star Bull as Chuck Moore. Roché also shot the NBC pilot
Getaway and can also be seen in ''
Guillermo del Toro's Cabinet of Curiosities'' as Roland, opposite Tim Blake-Nelson. In the Paramount+ TV series
1923, the sequel to
Taylor Sheridan's critically acclaimed
1883, he appears as Father Renaud, a French Roman Catholic priest and the abusive headmaster of the Catholic boarding school. Roché appeared opposite
Kim Soo-Hyun and
Kim Ji-Won in the highest rated K-drama of 2024,
Queen of Tears as Dr Liam Braun. Roché was cast as a series regular in the new
Netflix series
Gringo Hunters set in Mexico. ==Personal life==