Henry Ian Cusick (born 17 April 1967) is a Peruvian-Scottish actor of television, film, and theatre and a television director best known as Desmond Hume in Lost, for which he received a Primetime Emmy Award nomination. He also starred as Jesus in The Gospel of John, Stephen Finch on Scandal, Marcus Kane on The 100, Dr. Jonas Lear in The Passage, and Russell "Russ" Taylor on MacGyver.
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Early life
Cusick was born in Trujillo, Peru, to a Peruvian mother, Esperanza Chávez, and a Scottish father, Henry Joseph Cusick. At the age of two, he moved with his family to Madrid, Spain, before they later relocated to Trinidad and Tobago, where they lived for ten years. During this time, Cusick attended Presentation College, San Fernando. He moved to Scotland with his family at the age of fourteen.
Cusick studied at the Royal Scottish Academy of Music and Drama in Glasgow. Following his studies, he became involved with the Strathclyde Theatre Group, an amateur theatre company, where he appeared in a number of productions. He went on to begin his professional acting career at the Citizens' Theatre in Glasgow, where his first role was as an understudy in the Christmas pantomime, portraying a polar bear.
Cusick is fluent in both English and Spanish.
Career
Cusick began his career as a classical theatre actor, establishing himself through performances in a wide range of stage productions. His early leading roles included Dorian Gray in The Picture of Dorian Gray alongside Rupert Everett, Hamlet in The Marovitz Hamlet, and Horner in The Country Wife.
His performances as Torquato Tasso in the 1994 Edinburgh International Festival production of Torquato Tasso, and as Creon in the Citizens' Theatre production of Oedipus, earned him a commendation at the 1995 Ian Charleson Awards for outstanding performance by a young actor in a classical theatre role.
Cusick transitioned to screen acting with recurring roles in television series including Casualty and The Book Group. In 2003, he portrayed Jesus Christ in the film The Visual Bible: The Gospel of John.
In 2005, Cusick was cast as Desmond Hume in the ABC series Lost. Before joining the series, he appeared as Theo Stoller in the fifth season of 24. Initially introduced as a recurring guest star during the second season, Cusick became a member of the main cast from seasons three through six. His performance earned him a nomination for the Primetime Emmy Award for Outstanding Guest Actor in a Drama Series.
Cusick has credited his casting in Lost to a meeting with executive producer Carlton Cuse, whom he met while staying with his friend, actor Brian Cox. Cuse had been looking for either a Scottish or Irish character, which contributed to Cusick being considered for the role.
Following Lost, Cusick appeared in the 2007 film Hitman and starred in Dead Like Me: Life After Death, a continuation of the television series Dead Like Me. He later appeared as Erik Weber in Law & Order: Special Victims Unit, portrayed Stephen Finch in the ABC drama series Scandal, and played Trent Marsh in Body of Proof.
From 2014 to 2020, Cusick portrayed Marcus Kane in the science fiction drama series The 100.
Alongside his acting career, Cusick has worked as a director. His short film dress, filmed in Kailua, Hawaii, received awards at the Hawaii International Film Festival and the Peace on Earth Film Festival. He later directed the short film Salvador.
Personal life
Cusick is married to Annie Cusick Wood. The couple have three sons and reside in Hawaii.
