Charles Mesure
A towering, charismatic actor who built a trans-Pacific career playing complex villains and heroes on cult TV hits.
Born 1970 (age 56)·Australian actor·Birthday: August 12·Generation X
Biography
Born in England but raised in New Zealand and Australia, Charles Mesure carved out a distinctive path as a character actor with a commanding physical presence. His early work on New Zealand soap 'Shortland Street' was a springboard to a career defined by genre television. He became a familiar face to international audiences through roles like the charmingly dangerous Kyle on 'Desperate Housewives' and the formidable vampire Varnham in 'True Blood'. Mesure's ability to imbue both antagonistic and heroic roles with depth and wit made him a sought-after presence, leading to significant arcs on shows like 'V' and 'Crossbones'. His career is a testament to building a sustained, respected profile through consistent, memorable performances across multiple entertainment industries without ever becoming a predictable fixture.
Generation X
1965–1980
The latchkey kids. Raised during divorce, recession, and the end of the Cold War. Skeptical, self-reliant, media-literate. They invented indie culture, grunge, and the early internet — then watched the Boomers take credit.
Charles was born in 1970, placing them squarely in the Generation X. The events that shaped this generation — economic uncertainty, the end of the Cold War, and the rise of personal computing — shaped the world they entered and the choices available to them.
#1 When Charles Was Born
The biggest hits of 1970
#1 Movie
Love Story
Best Picture
Patton
#1 TV Show
Rowan & Martin's Laugh-In
Charles's Life & Times
The world at every milestone
1970Born
First Earth Day; The Beatles break up
Gas: $0.36/galHome: $17,000Min wage: $1.60/hrPresident: Richard Nixon"Bridge over Troubled Water" — Simon & GarfunkelBest Picture: Patton
1975Started school
Fall of Saigon ends the Vietnam War
Gas: $0.57/galHome: $27,600Min wage: $2.10/hrPresident: Gerald Ford"Love Will Keep Us Together" — Captain & TennilleBest Picture: One Flew Over the Cuckoo's Nest
1983Became a teenager
Internet adopts TCP/IP, creating the modern internet
Gas: $1.16/galHome: $57,700Min wage: $3.35/hrPresident: Ronald Reagan"Every Breath You Take" — The PoliceBest Picture: Terms of Endearment
1986Could drive
Challenger disaster; Chernobyl nuclear meltdown
Gas: $0.86/galHome: $66,600Min wage: $3.35/hrPresident: Ronald Reagan"That's What Friends Are For" — Dionne & FriendsBest Picture: Platoon
1988Could vote
Pan Am Flight 103 bombed over Lockerbie
Gas: $0.90/galHome: $74,800Min wage: $3.35/hrPresident: Ronald Reagan"Faith" — George MichaelBest Picture: Rain Man
1991Turned 21
Soviet Union dissolves; World Wide Web goes public
Gas: $1.14/galHome: $82,400Min wage: $4.25/hrPresident: George H.W. Bush"(Everything I Do) I Do It for You" — Bryan AdamsBest Picture: The Silence of the Lambs
2000Turned 30
Y2K passes without incident; contested Bush-Gore election
Gas: $1.51/galHome: $119,600Min wage: $5.15/hrPresident: Bill Clinton"Breathe" — Faith HillBest Picture: Gladiator
2010Turned 40
Deepwater Horizon oil spill; iPad launched
Gas: $2.79/galHome: $147,800Min wage: $7.25/hrPresident: Barack Obama"Tik Tok" — KeshaBest Picture: The King's Speech
2020Turned 50
COVID-19 pandemic shuts down the world
Gas: $2.17/galHome: $248,800Min wage: $7.25/hrPresident: Donald Trump"Blinding Lights" — The WeekndBest Picture: Nomadland
2026Age 56 today
Gas: $3.91/galPresident: Donald Trump
Key Achievements
- Played the recurring role of Kyle, Edie Britt's manipulative nephew, on the globally popular series 'Desperate Housewives'.
- Portrayed the ancient vampire Varnham across multiple seasons of the HBO fantasy phenomenon 'True Blood'.
- Landed a lead role as the roguish sailor Billy Bones in the NBC adventure series 'Crossbones' opposite John Malkovich.
- Built a foundational acting career in Australasia with a multi-year role on the hit soap opera 'Shortland Street'.
Did You Know?
He is a qualified lawyer, having earned a law degree from the University of Canterbury in New Zealand.
Mesure is an accomplished stage actor and performed with the prestigious Sydney Theatre Company.
He lived in seven different countries by the time he was eleven years old due to his father's work.
“I've always been drawn to characters who live in the moral gray areas.”
