Yannick Bisson

Born May 16, 1969 in Montreal, Quebec, Yannick Bisson got his start as an actor at the age of 13, in the TV movie "Hockey Night" (CBC 1984), starring Rick Moranis. Married and with children at a young age, Bisson continued to work in front of the camera, almost exclusively in his native Canada. His first series was "Learning the Ropes" (CTV, 1988-89), starring ex-NFL player Lyle Alzado as a teacher moonlighting as a professional wrestler. In 1995 Bisson starred in the TV movie, "Young at Heart," notable because he played opposite Academy Award winner Olympia Dukakis; the film also featured the final screen appearance of Frank Sinatra.

After that film, his most widely viewed screen appearances outside of Canada were as a recurring character on the Showtime series "Soul Food" (2000-04), and in the TV move "The Day Reagan Was Shot" (Showtime, 2001). In 2008, he created the role of Detective William Murdoch in "Murdoch Mysteries" (CBC, 2008-). The series, sometimes known as "The Artful Detective," is a period piece featuring Murdoch using improvised forensic techniques to solve crimes in the Victorian/Edwardian era. Bisson also directed several episodes of the show. Between seasons, he had a supporting role in "Casino Jack" (2010), starring Kevin Spacey.