Torrance Coombs (born June 14, 1983) is a Canadian-American actor. He is perhaps best known for his roles as Thomas Culpepper in ''

The Tudors ''The Tudors'' is a historical fiction television series set primarily in 16th-century England, created and written by Michael Hirst and produced for the American premium cable television channel Showtime. The series was a collaboration among ...

'' (2007–2010) and as Sebastian "Bash" de Poitiers, the illegitimate son of King Henry II of France and his chief mistress

Diane de Poitiers Diane de Poitiers (9 January 1500 – 25 April 1566) was a French noblewoman and prominent courtier. She wielded much power and influence as King Henry II's royal mistress and adviser until his death. Her position increased her wealth and famil ...

in ''

Reign A reign is the period of a person's or dynasty's occupation of the office of monarch of a nation (e.g., Saudi Arabia, Belgium, Andorra), of a people (e.g., the Franks, the Zulus) or of a spiritual community (e.g., Catholicism, Tibetan Buddhism ...

'' (2013–2017) and Declan in '' The Originals''.

Early life and education

Coombs was born and raised in

Vancouver, British Columbia Vancouver ( ) is a major city in western Canada, located in the Lower Mainland region of British Columbia. As the most populous city in the province, the 2021 Canadian census recorded 662,248 people in the city, up from 631,486 in 2016. The ...

, Canada. He joined the school

choir A choir ( ; also known as a chorale or chorus) is a musical ensemble of singers. Choral music, in turn, is the music written specifically for such an ensemble to perform. Choirs may perform music from the classical music repertoire, which sp ...

to better express himself and was soon cast in the role of

Rum Tum Tugger Rum Tum Tugger is one of the many feline characters in the 1939 poetry book ''Old Possum's Book of Practical Cats'' by T. S. Eliot, and in the 1981 musical ''Cats'' which is based on Eliot's book. Rum Tum Tugger is a rebellious Jellicle cat who ...

in the musical play ''

Cats The cat (''Felis catus'') is a domestic species of small carnivorous mammal. It is the only domesticated species in the family Felidae and is commonly referred to as the domestic cat or house cat to distinguish it from the wild members o ...

''. He rented a video of

Elvis Presley Elvis Aaron Presley (January 8, 1935 – August 16, 1977), or simply Elvis, was an American singer and actor. Dubbed the " King of Rock and Roll", he is regarded as one of the most significant cultural figures of the 20th century. His ener ...

in concert to help prepare for the role. Coombs holds a dual citizenship to both Canada and the United States. He continued to do theatre roles throughout high school at

University Hill Secondary School University Hill Secondary School (generally known as U-Hill or Uhill) is a public secondary school in the neighbourhood of Wesbrook Place in Point Grey Campus, just west of the University Endowment Lands and the city limits of Vancouver, British ...

and eventually enrolled in the acting program at the

University of British Columbia The University of British Columbia (UBC) is a public research university with campuses near Vancouver and in Kelowna, British Columbia. Established in 1908, it is British Columbia's oldest university. The university ranks among the top thr ...

in Vancouver.

Career

Theatre

Coombs has appeared in productions at

Bard on the Beach Bard on the Beach is Western Canada's largest professional Shakespeare festival. The theatre Festival runs annually from early June through September in Vancouver, British Columbia, Canada. The Festival is produced by Bard on the Beach Theatre Soc ...

, an annual professional

Shakespeare William Shakespeare ( 26 April 1564 – 23 April 1616) was an English playwright, poet and actor. He is widely regarded as the greatest writer in the English language and the world's pre-eminent dramatist. He is often called England's nation ...

festival held in Vancouver; he has also appeared in the musical '' A Little Night Music''.

Television

His first starring role on television was as John Doe in the 2008 CBC comedy series '' jPod'', based on the novel of the same name by Douglas Coupland. Coombs also appeared as Lance Corporal C. Sellers in a 2009 episode of the television series ''

Battlestar Galactica ''Battlestar Galactica'' is an American science fiction media franchise created by Glen A. Larson. The franchise began with the original television series in 1978, and was followed by a short-run sequel series (''Galactica 1980''), a line of ...

''. In 2010, Coombs appeared in a recurring role as Thomas Culpeper in the television series ''

'', and in CBC's ''

Heartland Heartland or Heartlands may refer to: Businesses and organisations * Heartland Bank, a New Zealand-based financial institution * Heartland Inn, a chain of hotels based in Iowa, United States * Heartland Alliance, an anti-poverty organization ...

'' as Chase Powers. In 2011, he co-starred as Sam Besht as in the

Hulu Hulu () is an American subscription streaming service majority-owned by The Walt Disney Company, with Comcast's NBCUniversal holding a minority stake. It was launched on October 29, 2007 and it offers a library of films and television series ...

drama series '' Endgame''. On March 11, 2013, it was announced that Coombs had been cast in a lead role as Sebastian in the CW period drama series ''

''. He was nominated for Outstanding Actor in a Drama TV Series at the 2014

Monte-Carlo Television Festival The Monte-Carlo Television Festival is held every year in June in the Principality of Monaco at the Grimaldi Forum, under the Honorary Presidency of H.S.H. Prince Albert II of Monaco. The opening ceremony inaugurates each new edition, introdu ...

for his role in ''Reign''. In early 2016, Coombs chose to depart from ''Reign'' as a series regular at the end of the third season, with the possibility to return as a guest star in future episodes. In March 2016, it was announced that Coombs would star as a series regular for

Shonda Rimes Shonda Lynn Rhimes (born January 13, 1970) is an American television screenwriter, producer, and author. She is best known as the showrunner—creator, head writer, and executive producer—of the television medical drama '' Grey's Anatomy'', ...

' new series ''

Still Star-Crossed ''Still Star-Crossed'' is an American period drama television series developed by Heather Mitchell and based on the 2013 novel of the same name by Melinda Taub. The series is produced by Shonda Rhimes's Shondaland and ABC Studios, and aired on A ...

'' on ABC. In August 2017, it was announced that Coombs would star in a recurring role in the final season of '' The Originals''.

Film

In 2009 he starred as Sam Matheson in the short film '' The Familiar'', and appeared as PJ in the short film ''Good Image Media''. In 2012, he starred in the psychological thriller ''

Liars All ''Liars All'' is a 2013 American psychological thriller film. It was directed and written by Brian Brightly, and stars Matt Lanter, Sara Paxton, Gillian Zinser, and Torrance Coombs. Plot This psychological thriller finds a college group of frien ...

''.

Personal life

Coombs began dating Miss USA 2011

Alyssa Campanella Alyssa Marie Campanella (born March 21, 1990) is an American model, blogger, and beauty pageant titleholder who was crowned Miss USA 2011. Having previously been crowned Miss California USA 2011, Campanella was the sixth woman representing Calif ...

in 2010. On June 12, 2015 it was announced that they were engaged. On 2 April 2016, the couple got married in

Santa Ynez, California Santa Ynez (; Spanish for "St. Agnes") is a census-designated place (CDP) in the Santa Ynez Valley of Santa Barbara County, California. The town of Santa Ynez is one of the communities of the Santa Ynez Valley. It features the Santa Ynez Airp ...

. In April 2019, the couple announced their separation and got divorced that same year. Since 2020, he has been in a relationship with

actress An actor or actress is a person who portrays a character in a performance. The actor performs "in the flesh" in the traditional medium of the theatre or in modern media such as film, radio, and television. The analogous Greek term is (), li ...

Sloane Avery.

Filmography

References

External links

* * {{DEFAULTSORT:Coombs, Torrance 1983 births 21st-century Canadian male actors Canadian male film actors Canadian male Shakespearean actors Canadian male stage actors Canadian male television actors Living people Male actors from Vancouver University of British Columbia alumni