Nicholas Lea


Nicholas Lea is a Canadian actor known for his portrayal of Alex Krycek on The X-Files and of Tom Foss on Kyle XY. He is the partner of actress Crystal Balint.

Life and career

Lea was born in New Westminster, British Columbia. He attended Prince of Wales Secondary School where he graduated in 1980.
Lea's first major role was on the TV series The Commish where he played Officer Enrico Caruso from 1991 to 1994. It was during this time that he had a minor guest role in a first-season episode of The X-Files called "Gender Bender". The producers were impressed by his performance and when, in the second season, he auditioned for the role of turncoat FBI agent Alex Krycek, he was successful.
Lea guest starred in eleven episodes from 1994 to 1996 and became a popular character amongst fans. Because of his character's willingness to switch sides, he was known as the 'ratboy'. In the season three episode "Apocrypha," Krycek was left to die in an abandoned missile silo with an alien ship. This allowed Lea to take a starring role in the series Once a Thief—which followed on from the 1996 John Woo film—alongside Ivan Sergei. The series was cancelled after one season. Lea continued to play Krycek, who became a nemesis not just of Mulder and Scully but particularly of A.D. Skinner.
Lea co-starred with Lau Ching-Wan, Theresa Lee and Bif Naked in the Hong Kong-Canadian film Lunch with Charles in 2001.
In 2006, Lea had a role on ABC Family's Kyle XY playing Tom Foss, Kyle's tutor, and was one of the lead actors on the Canadian TV series Whistler. He was also that series' associate producer. He did not return to Whistler for its second season in 2007.
He has guest starred in shows such as NYPD Blue, Andromeda, Burn Notice, Sliders, Highlander: The Series, Judging Amy, CSI and Men in Trees . Nicholas has also guest starred in the ABC remake of the sci-fi series V. He is also a member of the board of directors for the Lyric School of Acting in Vancouver.
Lea appeared in the film Guido Superstar: The Rise of Guido, starring, produced, and directed by Silvio Pollio, including Lea, John Cassini, Terry Chen, and Michael Eklund. The film screened at the 2010 Vancouver International Film Festival. In 2012 he portrayed Eliot Ness who formed the law enforcement group The Untouchables in the Supernatural episode "Time after Time". Also in 2012, Lea starred in the movie The Philadelphia Experiment as Bill Gardner in the lead role. Lea had a minor role on Arrow as Mark Francis, who was Moira Queen's campaign manager. He appeared in three episodes.

Filmography

Film

YearTitleRoleNotes
1989American BoyfriendsRon
1990Xtro II: The Second EncounterBaines
1993From Pig to OblivionShort
1994The RaffleDavid Lake
1995Bad CompanyJake
2000Vertical LimitTom McLaren
2001Lunch with CharlesMatthew
2001The Impossible ElephantSteven Harris
2001A Shot in the FaceThe Robber
2002IgnitionPeter Scanlon
2003ThresholdDr. Jerome 'Geronimo' Horne
2003Moving MalcolmHerbert
2003See Grace FlyGrace - maleVoice
2005ChaosDet. Vincent Durano
2007Butterfly on a WheelJerry Crane
2007American VenusDougie
2007Hastings StreetCharlieVoice, short
2008ViceJenkins
2008CrimeVarsity Coach
2008Mothers & DaughtersDinner Party Guest Nicholas
2009Dancing TreesDetective Velez
2009Unspoken RulesNarrator
2009ExcitedSkidder
2010Guido Superstar: The Rise of GuidoMr. Other Guy
2012Crimes of Mike RecketMike Recket
2017Before I FallDan Kingston
2018The Bletchley Circle: San FranciscoGeorge Mason
2018The LieDetective Rodney Barnes

Television

YearTitleRoleNotes
1991–1994The CommishRicky Caruso33 episodes
1993MadisonJack1 episode
1993The Hat SquadBrett Halsey1 episode
1993North of 602nd Lt. Lloyd Hillard1 episode
1994Robin's HoodsLoren Faber1 episode
1994–1996Highlander: The SeriesCory Raines / Rodney Lange2 episodes
1994–2002The X FilesMichel / Alex Krycek24 episodes
1995The MarshalRay TurnerPilot
1995Jake and the KidTony Edwards / Mack Smith1 episode
1995–1996SlidersRyan Simms2 episodes
1996Lonesome Dove: The Outlaw YearsTom Andrews1 episode
1996Once a ThiefVictor MansfieldTV movie
1996The Burning ZonePhilip Padgett1 episode
1996–1998Once a ThiefVictor MansfieldMain role
1997Once a Thief: Brother Against BrotherVictor MansfieldTV movie
1997MoloneyAnson Greene1 episode
1997Their Second ChanceRoyTV movie
1998Once a Thief: Family BusinessVictor MansfieldTV movie
1998–1999The Outer LimitsJacob Hardy / Mac 272 episodes
2000Kiss Tomorrow GoodbyeDustin YarmaTV movie
2001Earth AngelsMaximillianTV movie
2002NYPD BlueFrank Colohan3 episodes
2002The InvestigationLes ForsytheTV movie
2003–2004AndromedaTri-Lorn4 episodes
2004Judging AmyVincent Canello1 episode
2004CSI: Crime Scene InvestigationChris Bezich4 episodes
2005Deadly IsolationPatrick Carlson / Jeff WatkinsTV movie
2005Category 7: The End of the WorldMontyTV movie
2006WhistlerEthan McKaye13 episodes
2006–2009Kyle XYTom Foss26 episodes
2007DriveMr. BrightUnaired pilot
2007–2008Men in TreesEric10 episodes
2009Burn NoticeQuinn Luna1 episode
2009Without a TraceRaymond Walsh1 episode
2010CSI: MiamiDonald Newhouse1 episode
2010–2011VJoe Evans5 episodes
2011ObsessionSebastian CraigTV movie
2012Once Upon a TimeThe Woodcutter / Michael Tillman1 episode
2012The Philadelphia ExperimentBill GardnerTV movie
2012SupernaturalEliot Ness1 episode
2012–2013ContinuumAgent Gardiner8 episodes
2013King & MaxwellTheo Bancroft1 episode
2013The KillingDale Daniel Shannon5 episodes
2014ArrowMark Francis3 episodes
2015UnveiledBillTV movie
2019The Twilight ZoneCaptain DonnerEpisode: "Nightmare at 30,000 Feet"
2019The InBetweenJace GrayEpisode: "While The Song Remains The Same"
2020–2021The StandNorris5 episodes
2023The Fall of the House of UsherJudge John Neal4 episodes
2025TrackerNoah DarviewEpisode: "The Disciple"

Video games

The X-Files: Resist or Serve as Alex KrycekGuido Superstar: The Rise of Guido as Mr. Other Guy