Charles Mesure

Charles Mesure is the Australian actor who will portray Blackbeard on ABC's Once Upon a Time.

Biography
Charles William David Mesure was born on August 12, 1970 in Somerset, England. At age five, his family relocated to Australia and he grew up in Sydney. While studying law and political science at Sydney University, he became active in the school's drama society and decided to pursue a career in acting; graduating from Australia's National Institute of Dramatic Art with a degree in performing arts.

Charles launched his acting career in New Zealand as a series regular on the television soap drama City Life. This led to more work on hit shows like the action-packed Xena: Warrior Princess and Hercules. He won Best Supporting Actor for his performance as the lead in 2000 television drama Street Legal; a series he also contributed as a writer for three seasons.

In 2004, Charles moved to the United States and landed guest starring roles on Without a Trace, Bones, [[wikipedia:Lost (TV series)|Lost, Cold Case, plus a twelve-episode arc on Crossing Jordan as the love interest of female lead character Jordan Cavanaugh. Coinciding with the financial crisis of 2008, scarce acting opportunities prompted him to return to New Zealand for a recurring role on the 2009 comedy-drama series Outrageous Fortune in order to provide financially for himself and his bankrupt parents. His work on the show earned him a nomination for Best Actor in the TV Guide "Best of the Box" People's Choice Awards. He was also a series regular on the family drama Kaitangata Twitch and starred as the series lead in the 2010 New Zealand complex mystery This Is Not My Life. Charles also earned recurring roles on the 2010 science-fiction centric V and joined the final season of the drama-fueled and long running series Desperate Housewives.