Kenneth Welsh (born March 30, 1942) is a Canadian film and television actor (sometimes credited as Ken Welsh). He is known to Twin Peaks fans as the multi-faced villain Windom Earle, and has more recently played the father of Katharine Hepburn (Cate Blanchett) in Martin Scorsese's The Aviator.
Welsh was born in Edmonton, Alberta to a father who worked for the Canadian National Railway. He grew up in Alberta and studied drama at school. He later moved to Montreal and attended the National Theatre School. Following graduation, he auditioned for the Stratford Festival in Ontario and then spent the first seven years of his career on stage.
Welsh has portrayed historical figures including Thomas E. Dewey, Colin Thatcher, Harry S. Truman (twice), Thomas Edison, James "Scotty" Reston, and James Baker.
In 2003, he was made a Member of the Order of Canada.
Received an Honorary Doctorate from the University of Alberta in 1999.
He was awarded the C.M. (Member of the Order of Canada) on October 30, 2004 for his services to Performing Arts in Canada.
