John Tench
John Tench (born October 7, 1965, in Madison, Wisconsin) is an American-Canadian actor, director, writer, and poet, 6′ 0″ (183 cm) tall, who grew up in Canada and began working in theatre and film in Toronto, Ottawa, and Montreal. He started his career at the legendary Factory Theatre Lab with Ken Gass, then studied and worked in New York City, London, Paris, and across Continental Europe before returning to Toronto, where he founded the influential theatre company Theatre Kathartic in 1980, touring internationally with works by Sam Shepard, Dario Fo, and Bertolt Brecht. He is a master of accents and dialects, has been nominated for numerous Best Actor awards, and currently teaches directing and scene study at the Toronto Film School and Yorkville University. His most notable film credits include a Knot Top Gang Member in Watchmen (2009, directed by Zack Snyder), Roughneck #2 in Brokeback Mountain (2005, directed by Ang Lee), a Motel Owner in Shooter (2007, directed by Antoine Fuqua), Viktor in The Colony (2013), Hondo in Angel and the Badman (2009), and a Cowboy Pimp in Dead Hooker in a Trunk (2009). On television he is best known as Alexander Graham Bell in Murdoch Mysteries (2012, 5 episodes), with additional credits in American Gods (2017), Schitt's Creek (2019), Alias Grace (2017, 4 episodes), Designated Survivor (2016), Fringe (2009), Stargate SG-1 (2007), The X-Files (1995), Friday the 13th: The Series (1989), and Ginny & Georgia (2021). In video games he voiced T-Bone Grady in Watch Dogs 2 (2016) and Dutch Roosevelt in Far Cry 5 (2018).
Known For
Credits
- 2026 · Lunar Sway as
- 2025 · Happy Face as Ziggy
- 2024 · One More Time as The Hawk
- 2023 · Bones of Crows as Trueman Quinn
- 2023 · Cascade as Grizz
- 2023 · Bones of Crows as Trueman Quinn
- 2021 · Die in a Gunfight as Echo
- 2021 · Hero Dog: The Journey Home as Captain Walker
- 2020 · Kitty Mammas as Mark
- 2017 · Christmas Inheritance as Baxter
- 2016 · Standoff as Roger
- 2015 · 88 as Roy
- 2013 · Against the Wild as Captain Walker
- 2013 · Christmas with Tucker as Tom Turner
- 2012 · Virtual Lies as Walker
- 2011 · Repeaters as Mr. Weeks
- 2011 · Goodnight for Justice as Bartender
- 2010 · The Stranger as Bartender
- 2010 · Icarus as Sergei
- 2009 · Angel and the Badman as Hondo
- 2009 · Dead Hooker in a Trunk as Cowboy Pimp
- 2008 · Blonde and Blonder as Ed Gates
- 2007 · BloodRayne II: Deliverance as Moffat
- 2007 · Love Notes as The Manager
- 2007 · Alien Agent as C.C.
- 2006 · Air Buddies as Biker #1
- 2006 · This Space for Rent as Major Tom
- 2004 · Legend of Earthsea as General Doar
- 2000 · Call of the Wild as Straker
- 1998 · Welcome to Paradox as Director
- 1997 · The Ticket as Chuck
- 1996 · The Prisoner of Zenda, Inc. as Leon
- 1996 · Carpool as Jerry
- 1995 · Cyberjack as Shreck
- 1994 · Deadly Vows as Prisoner #1
- 1993 · Stone Protectors as Max (voice)
- 1992 · Secret Service as Michael Kennedy
- 1992 · Landslide as Dr. Susskind
- 1991 · Christmas on Division Street as Grimes
- 1991 · If Looks Could Kill as Cell Guard
- 1988 · The Understudy: Graveyard Shift II as Transit
- Future · The Haunting in Wicker Park as Ben
- 2024 · A Bluegrass Christmas as Billy Ribbons
- 2024 · The Pradeeps of Pittsburgh as Greg
- 2024 · The Camp Host as Frank
- 2023 · SisterS as Lenny
- 2022 · Here for Blood as Dusty
- 2019 · Dreams as Det. Jack Richards
- 2019 · Hudson & Rex as Kenny Constantine
- 2018 · Robbery as Jim
- 2017 · Frankie Drake Mysteries as Lyle Walsh
- 2017 · Alias Grace as Keeper #1
- 2017 · American Gods as Viking Leader
- 2017 · Imposters as Nate
- 2016 · Designated Survivor as Owner
- 2016 · Joseph and Mary as Surly Publican
- 2016 · Private Eyes as Colin
- 2016 · Degrassi: Next Class as Keith
- 2015 · Let's Rap as Franco St. Clair
- 2015 · Killjoys as Mole Foreman
- 2015 · Gangland Undercover as Green
- 2015 · Schitt's Creek as Hank
- 2014 · Gaybasher as Merrick
- 2013 · Hard Rock Medical as Wolf
- 2013 · The Colony as Viktor
- 2013 · Cracked as PTSD Support Group Member
- 2012 · Copper as Michael Ward
- 2011 · In the Name of the King 2: Two Worlds as Dark One Lord
- 2011 · Comforting Skin as Tattoo Artist
- 2011 · True Justice as Domion
- 2011 · Endgame as Kelly
- 2011 · Matty Hanson and the Invisibility Ray as Eddie Skinner
- 2011 · Blackstone as Ed
- 2010 · Lost Girl as Pharmacist / Sheriff
- 2010 · Tooth Fairy as Inmate
- 2009 · The Zero Sum as Robert
- 2009 · Watchmen as Knot Top Gang Member
- 2008 · Sanctuary as Warehouse Worker Garvin
- 2008 · Fringe as Hickey
- 2008 · Murdoch Mysteries as Alexander Graham Bell
- 2007 · Shooter as Motel Owner
- 2006 · The Perfect Suspect as Curry
- 2006 · The Secrets of Comfort House as Carl
- 2006 · Intelligence as Winston
- 2006 · The Suspect as Doug Zwick
- 2006 · Psych as Tripsy
- 2006 · Blade: The Series as Lord Verdelet (uncredited)
- 2006 · Presumed Dead as Tyson
- 2006 · Augusta, Gone as Ted
- 2005 · Brokeback Mountain as Roughneck #2
- 2005 · Supernatural as Ellsworth
- 2005 · Premonition as Goran
- 2005 · Godiva's as Stew
- 2005 · Within as Travis
- 2004 · The Life as Man
- 2004 · The Collector as Duke
- 2004 · The Winning Season as Cap Clarke
- 2003 · Missing as Mal Oswald
- 2002 · Black Point as Kevin
- 2002 · The Dead Zone as Mort
- 2001 · UC: Undercover as Double-Down
- 2001 · Strange Frequency as Mondo Baines
- 2001 · MythQuest as Eliaures
- 2001 · The Operative as Norvid
- 2000 · Andromeda as Gerentex
- 2000 · Code Name: Eternity as Skerrit
- 2000 · Backroads as Guy Lachaud
- 1999 · Grizzly Falls as Wes
- 1999 · Relic Hunter as Kane
- 1998 · Da Vinci's Inquest as Leon
- 1998 · The Crow: Stairway to Heaven as T-Bird
- 1998 · First Wave as Jim
- 1998 · Cold Squad as Mike Morrison
- 1998 · Cold Squad as Andre
- 1997 · Ninja Turtles: The Next Mutation as Monkey Thief
- 1997 · Stargate SG-1 as Lizan
- 1997 · Dead Man's Gun as Joe Rule
- 1996 · Titanic as Fireman (uncredited)
- 1996 · Psi Factor: Chronicles of the Paranormal as Ludac
- 1996 · Two as Red Sammie
- 1996 · Johnny Shortwave as The Photographer
- 1996 · Dead Ahead as Anthony
- 1996 · The Sentinel as Jack
- 1995 · Power of Attorney as Carlos
- 1995 · The Outer Limits as Collins
- 1995 · The Outer Limits as Alex
- 1995 · The Outer Limits as Scarred Man
- 1994 · Lonesome Dove: The Series as
- 1994 · Beyond Suspicion as Sal
- 1994 · Viper as Harris
- 1994 · Viper as Al King
- 1993 · The X-Files as Steve
- 1993 · Heritage Minutes: Nitro as Cochrane
- 1993 · Kung Fu: The Legend Continues as Dave
- 1992 · Highlander: The Series as Reese
- 1992 · Highlander: The Series as Max Jupe
- 1991 · Palace Guard as Manfredi
- 1991 · Beyond Reality as Stan Ortega
- 1991 · Street Justice as Smith
- 1991 · Street Justice as Thurman
- 1991 · The Commish as Video Vigilante
- 1991 · The Commish as Artie Krause
- 1991 · Tropical Heat as Ricky Menzies
- 1991 · Heritage Minutes as Cochrane
- 1991 · Dead Certain as MacLaughin
- 1990 · Home for Christmas as Mugger
- 1990 · Outcast as Henry
- 1989 · Straight Line as George
- 1988 · War of the Worlds as Worker
- 1988 · War of the Worlds as Gambler
- 1988 · T and T as
- 1988 · T and T as George
- 1987 · Friday the 13th: The Series as Gunsel 1
- 1987 · Friday the 13th: The Series as Romeo Koslow
- 1987 · City in Panic as Tony
- 1987 · The Darkside as Sully
- 1987 · Niagara Strip as Larabee
- Future · The Bounce as Casper
- 1987 · Virgin Paradise as Norbett
- 1986 · Race to Midnight as
- 1986 · The Campbells as Clarence
- 1985 · Night Heat as Wicks