King Lear is about a man on the threshold of his twilight years. Many productions chose to cast Lear by an actor who is also at a moment of transition in his career. As they age, handsome men who have enjoyed playing romantic leads graduate from these characters to play their fathers or even grandfathers. Paul Gross, who makes his return after twenty years to the Stratford stage, is a perfect choice to take on the role of Shakespeare’s aged king. After a career playing leading men on television, most notably for his lead role as Constable Benton Fraser in the popular Canadian television series Due South, Gross both has the experience and skills, garnered through a productive and long career, to play the monumental titular role of Shakespeare’s masterpiece.