Alex House
Alexander Charles Albert House (born December 11, 1986) is a Canadian actor recognized for his work in television and voice acting, particularly his lead role as Todd Smith in the horror-comedy series Todd and the Book of Pure Evil (2010–2012).[1][2] Born in Toronto, Ontario, House grew up in a bilingual household; his father, Jeffry House, is an American lawyer who immigrated to Canada as a Vietnam War draft resister, while his mother is Argentine, allowing House to speak fluent Spanish.[3] He began his acting career as a child in 1999, debuting in the science fiction series Total Recall 2070, and continued with early roles such as Lance Stone in the children's mystery show Dark Oracle (2004–2006).[3][4] House gained prominence with his breakout performance in Todd and the Book of Pure Evil, earning a shared Gemini Award in 2011 for Best Ensemble Performance in a Comedy Program or Series for the episode "The Phantom of Crowley High."[5] His other notable television appearances include a recurring guest role as Tim in season 5 of Degrassi: The Next Generation (2005–2006) and Greg Permut in Warehouse 13 (2009).[3] In voice acting, he provided the English voice for Ace Grit in Bakugan: New Vestroia (2009–2010) for the first 47 episodes.[6] More recently, House has appeared in projects such as the short film Cup of Fate (2024), the television series Mistletoe Murders (2024–present), and lent his voice to characters in video games including Avatar: Frontiers of Pandora (2023) and Reverse: 1999 (2023), demonstrating his versatility across live-action and animated media.[3][7]Early life
Family background
Alex House was born on December 11, 1986, in Toronto, Ontario, Canada, to a family with diverse international roots. His father, Jeffry House, is an American-born lawyer who immigrated to Canada in 1970 as a draft resister during the Vietnam War, eventually establishing a legal practice in Toronto focused on immigration and refugee cases.[8] House's mother hails from Argentina, contributing to his bilingual upbringing; he speaks fluent Spanish as a result of her heritage.[8] The family resided in Toronto, where House grew up alongside his younger brother, Patrick.[3] Limited public details exist about his extended family, but his parents' backgrounds shaped a multicultural household.[8]Entry into acting
Alex House entered the acting profession during his childhood in Toronto, Ontario, after a family friend referred him to an agent, marking the beginning of his career in the industry. Born on December 11, 1986, he was around 12 years old when he secured his initial opportunities in Canadian television productions. This early introduction allowed him to gain experience in front of the camera.[3][8] House made his screen debut in 1999, appearing as Taavo Soodor in two episodes of the science fiction series Total Recall 2070. That same year, he took on additional minor roles, including Jessie in an episode of Earth: Final Conflict and a character in Psi Factor: Chronicles of the Paranormal. These initial appearances in genre television helped him build a foundation in episodic storytelling and on-set professionalism at a young age.[9][10] In 2000, House expanded his early portfolio with the role of Buddy Kincaid in the television film Harlan County War, a drama depicting labor struggles in the coal mining industry. This project represented one of his first forays into feature-length narratives, showcasing his versatility as a young performer. By the early 2000s, these experiences positioned him for more prominent recurring roles in youth-oriented series, solidifying his entry into a professional acting trajectory.[10]Career
Early roles (1999–2003)
House began his acting career as a child, making his on-screen debut at age 13 in the science fiction series Total Recall 2070, where he portrayed Taavo Soodor in two episodes.[9] This role introduced him to genre television, appearing alongside actors like Michael Easton and Karl Pruner in a dystopian narrative inspired by Philip K. Dick's works.[11] In the same year, House guest-starred as Jessie in the episode "Defector" of Earth: Final Conflict, a syndicated sci-fi series about human-alien relations, marking another early foray into speculative fiction.[12] He followed this with a guest appearance as Michael Byrne in Psi Factor: Chronicles of the Paranormal, playing a character involved in paranormal investigations in one episode.[13] These television roles established House in Canadian genre programming during the late 1990s. Transitioning to film in 2000, House appeared as Buddy Kincaid in the HBO television movie Harlan County War, a drama directed by Tony Bill depicting labor struggles in 1930s Kentucky coal mines, co-starring Holly Hunter and Stellan Skarsgård.[14] He also had a minor role as a teen in the crime drama Out of Sync, which explored the music industry and starred LL Cool J. By 2001, House took on the supporting role of Jake Train in The Safety of Objects, a dramatic ensemble film directed by Rose Troche, featuring Glenn Close and Patricia Clarkson, where he played the son of a suburban family grappling with personal crises.[15] That year, he also guest-starred as Jeb McFadden in the episode "Blast from the Past" of The Zack Files, a youth-oriented supernatural series.[16] In 2002, House portrayed Kevin in Between Strangers, an indie drama written and directed by Edoardo Ponti, starring Sophia Loren and examining themes of loss and identity among women.[17] He appeared as Slava Virnov in the Screech Owls episode "Kidnapped in Tamarack," a family adventure series based on books about a youth hockey team solving mysteries.[18] Additionally, he began voice acting as Ozuma in the animated series Beyblade, contributing to 38 episodes through 2003.[19] In 2003, House voiced Brent in the animated feature Rescue Heroes: The Movie, a family-oriented story about emergency responders, part of the Fisher-Price toy line adaptation. He played Adam in the TV movie Betrayed, a thriller about a town hit by a mysterious illness, directed by Anne Wheeler.[20] His early television work concluded with the role of Ted in the pilot episode of Wild Card, a crime procedural starring Rae Dawn Chong. These initial roles, primarily in science fiction, drama, and family entertainment, showcased House's versatility as a young actor in Canadian and international productions, laying the foundation for his later breakthrough in series television.Breakthrough and major series (2004–2012)
House's breakthrough came in 2004 with the lead role of Lance Stone in the Canadian fantasy series Dark Oracle, which aired on YTV from 2004 to 2006. In the show, House portrayed one of 15-year-old twins alongside co-star Paula Brancati as his sister Cally; the siblings discover a mysterious comic book titled Dark Oracle that eerily predicts their future and features doppelgangers of themselves who manipulate real-world events to cause chaos.[21] The series blended adventure, mystery, and supernatural elements, earning a strong following among young audiences and showcasing House's ability to handle complex, dual-natured characters like Lance and his comic alter ego Blaze.[22] Following Dark Oracle, House secured a recurring guest role in 2005 on the popular teen drama Degrassi: The Next Generation, playing Tim, the boyfriend of main character Marco Del Rossi across multiple episodes in season 5. His portrayal contributed to the series' exploration of LGBTQ+ relationships and homophobia in a high school setting, adding depth to ongoing storylines about identity and acceptance. That same year, he appeared in the CBS TV movie Jesse Stone: Stone Cold as Kevin Feeney, a young witness in a crime drama starring Tom Selleck. House also took on a minor supporting role as a sidekick in the 2007 teen comedy film Full of It, directed by Christopher Nowak, which satirized high school exaggerations and identity swaps. In 2009, House guest-starred as Greg Permut in an episode of the Syfy sci-fi series Warehouse 13, contributing to its artifact-hunting narrative amid a cast including Eddie McClintock and Joanne Kelly.[23] In voice acting, House provided the English voice of Ace Grit in the animated series Bakugan: New Vestroia (2009–2010) for the first 47 episodes.[24] His most significant role of the period arrived in 2010 as the titular lead in Todd and the Book of Pure Evil, a two-season horror-comedy on Space that ran until 2012. House played Todd Smith, a laid-back, heavy metal-obsessed high schooler who teams up with friends Jenny, Curtis, and Hannah to track down a satanic spellbook unleashing grotesque monsters and mayhem at Crowley High, while evading the schemes of the villainous guidance counselor Atticus.[25] The series garnered cult status for its irreverent humor, practical effects, and genre mash-up, with House's performance as the reluctant hero central to its appeal; the ensemble cast, including House, received the 2011 Gemini Award for Best Performance by an Ensemble – Comedy Program or Series.[5] Closing out the decade, House made a brief appearance in 2012 as a scarred soldier in the NBC psychological thriller Awake, a short-lived series starring Jason Isaacs that delved into parallel realities following a family tragedy. This phase of House's career solidified his presence in Canadian and American genre television, transitioning him from supporting youth roles to starring in acclaimed ensemble projects.Later projects and voice work (2013–present)
Following his breakthrough role in Todd and the Book of Pure Evil, Alex House continued to build his career with a mix of live-action television guest appearances, independent films, and voice acting in animation and video games. In 2013, he voiced the villainous Alejandro Burromuerto and additional character Jose in the animated series Total Drama All-Stars, a season of the satirical reality show parody that drew on his prior voice work experience. That same year, House appeared in the action series Transporter: The Series as the chaotic antagonist The Joker in an episode, showcasing his ability to portray unpredictable characters in high-stakes scenarios. House's live-action film work in the mid-2010s included the comedy Total Frat Movie (2016), where he played Billy Taylor, a fraternity pledge navigating absurd college antics alongside a cast featuring Tom Green. He followed this with a lead role in the romantic drama Sebastian (2017), portraying Sebastian Manrique, an Argentine visitor whose brief romance with a local man explores themes of fleeting connection and identity in Toronto's queer scene. That year also saw House reprise his signature character in the animated feature Todd and the Book of Pure Evil: The End of the End, voicing Todd Smith in a conclusion to the cult horror-comedy series that addressed themes of friendship and redemption amid supernatural chaos. In television, House guest-starred as the criminal Mooney in the 2020 episode "Parker in the Rye" of Murdoch Mysteries, a long-running Canadian period drama, contributing to a storyline involving murder and undercover operations. He appeared in the 2021 sci-fi thriller Awake as the Scarred Soldier, a minor but intense role in a film centered on a global catastrophe affecting human consciousness. Later that year, House played Brandon Miles in an episode of the crime drama Mayor of Kingstown, depicting a tense prison-related confrontation. House expanded into international projects with the 2023 French action thriller AKA on Netflix, where he portrayed Adam Franco, a supporting character in a story of espionage and revenge. His voice work gained prominence in gaming, including additional voices as Brent in Avatar: Frontiers of Pandora (2023), Ubisoft's open-world adventure set in the Avatar universe, emphasizing immersive Na'vi interactions. He also voiced Pedra and provided additional voices in the English version of the mobile RPG Reverse: 1999 (2023), a time-travel narrative blending mystery and strategy elements. More recently, House starred as Alex in the short film Cup of Fate (2024), a dramatic piece exploring personal destiny through everyday encounters. In 2025, he appeared as Hometeamer #1 in the second season premiere of Gen V, the satirical superhero spin-off of The Boys, contributing to its critique of corporate heroism and student rivalries. Throughout this period, House's diverse roles highlight his versatility across genres, from voice performances that leverage his youthful energy to live-action parts in ensemble-driven stories.Filmography
Film
House began his film career as a child actor, appearing in supporting roles in independent films during the early 2000s. His early credits include Jake Train in the drama The Safety of Objects (2001) and Kevin in Between Strangers (2002). He continued with roles in Canadian productions, including Kyle Sidekick #1 in the teen comedy Full of It (2007) and Jacob in the interactive drama Late Fragment (2007).[26] This period also saw him as Kaz in the comedy-drama Nonsense Revolution (2008).[27] House's film work in the 2010s included the lead role of Ray, a Gundam-obsessed engineer, in the Japanese-Canadian drama Toilet (2010), directed by Naoko Ogigami.[28] He later starred as Billy Taylor in the horror-comedy Total Frat Movie (2016), Todd Smith in the animated horror feature Todd and the Book of Pure Evil: The End of the End (2017), which concluded his popular TV series character, and the titular role of Sebastian in the thriller Sebastian (2017).[2][29] More recently, House appeared as Scarred Soldier in the science fiction thriller Awake (2021), a Netflix production directed by Mark Raso,[30] and in the short film Cup of Fate (2024).[3]| Year | Title | Role |
|---|---|---|
| 2001 | The Safety of Objects | Jake Train |
| 2002 | Between Strangers | Kevin |
| 2007 | Full of It | Kyle Sidekick #1 |
| 2007 | Late Fragment | Jacob |
| 2008 | Nonsense Revolution | Kaz |
| 2010 | Toilet | Ray |
| 2016 | Total Frat Movie | Billy Taylor |
| 2017 | Todd and the Book of Pure Evil: The End of the End | Todd Smith |
| 2017 | Sebastian | Sebastian |
| 2021 | Awake | Scarred Soldier |
| 2024 | Cup of Fate |
Television
House began his television career as a child actor, debuting in science fiction series in the late 1990s. His early roles often featured him in supporting parts in Canadian and American productions, gradually leading to more prominent guest spots and lead roles in genre shows during the 2000s and 2010s. House's television work spans drama, sci-fi, and comedy, with notable recurring roles in youth-oriented series.| Year | Title | Role | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1999 | Total Recall 2070 | Taavo Soodor | 2 episodes[9] |
| 1999 | Earth: Final Conflict | Jessie | 1 episode: "Defector"[12] |
| 1999 | Psi Factor: Chronicles of the Paranormal | Michael Byrne | 1 episode[13] |
| 2000 | Harlan County War | Buddy Kincaid | TV movie[31] |
| 2005 | Jesse Stone: Stone Cold | Kevin Feeney | TV movie[32] |
| 2004–2006 | Dark Oracle | Lance Stone | 26 episodes[22] |
| 2005 | Degrassi: The Next Generation | Tim | Recurring role, 4 episodes in season 5[1] |
| 2009 | Warehouse 13 | Greg Permut | 1 episode: "Nevermore"[33] |
| 2010–2012 | Todd and the Book of Pure Evil | Todd Smith | Lead role, 26 episodes[2] |
| 2011 | Breakout Kings | Justin | 1 episode: "Paid in Full"[34] |
| 2012 | Transporter: The Series | The Joker | 1 episode |
| 2013 | Rookie Blue | Bobby Love | 1 episode: "Leap of Faith"[35] |
| 2020 | AKA | Adam Franco | Guest role[13] |
| 2021 | Mayor of Kingstown | Brandon Miles | 1 episode[36] |
| 2025 | Gen V | Hometeamer #1 | 1 episode: "New Year, New U"[37] |