Favorite Birthday Boy #1 for April 30th

 Paul Gross
From: Favorite Hunks & Other Things

 No nicer guy than Paul Gross with is his great smile and great bod. Paul turns 55 today.

 Paul Michael Gross (born April 30, 1959) is a Canadian actor, producer, director, singer and writer born in Calgary, Alberta. He is known for his lead role as Constable Benton Fraser in the television series Due South as well as his 2008 war film Passchendaele, which he wrote, produced, directed, and starred in. During Due South's final season, Gross acted as executive producer in addition to starring, wrote the season three opener and finale, the two part series finale and wrote and sang songs for the show, some of which can be found on the two Due South soundtracks. He later found success with another Canadian TV series, Slings and Arrows. He also produced one film with Akshay Kumar called Speedy Singhs starring Camilla Belle and Vinay Virmani.

 Gross studied acting at the University of Alberta in Edmonton, but he left during the third year of his study. He went back later to complete the half-credit needed to receive his fine arts degree. He appeared in several stage productions, such as Hamlet and Romeo and Juliet. Other productions in which he appeared include Observe the Sons of Ulster Marching Towards the Somme and As You Like It.

Paul In Men in Trees (Paul is second guy from the left)

 After the play Successful Strangers, Gross starred in his first movie, Turning to Stone. From September 16, 2011, he appeared in a production of Noël Coward's Private Lives in Toronto co-starring Kim Cattrall (the production ended October 30, 2011); the production moved to Broadway where it opened November 6, and closed on December 31, 2011.

Paul In Men in Trees (Paul is second guy from the left)

 Gross married Canadian actress Martha Burns in September 1988; the couple have two children.

 Paul in Aspen Extreme.

 His role as upright Royal Canadian Mounted Police officer Benton Fraser in the Due South television series brought him increased recognition. Like fellow actor David Marciano, he didn't want to do the show at first, and creator Paul Haggis didn't even know if he wanted Gross for the role, but following a meeting, Constable Benton Fraser was cast.

 Paul in Aspen Extreme.

When Due South was resurrected for the third season, Gross returned as Benton Fraser and assumed duties as Executive Producer and writer. He earned an estimated salary of $2–3 million per season, and at the time was the highest paid performer in Canadian entertainment history. He wrote several episodes of the last season of the series. His favorite episodes include "Gift of the Wheelman" and "All the Queen's Horses," and his episodes "Mountie on the Bounty" and "Call of the Wild" are of a similar style.