After playing theater on various stages since 1953, Roche made his Broadway debut in 1961 as a bit player in the play "Blood, Sweat and Stanley Poole" with Darren McGavin and went on to appear in "Mother Courage" with Anne Bancroft in 1963, and in "The White House" with Helen Hayes in 1964. Television comedy became his forte with recurring roles on "Soap", as Christine Sullivan's father on "Night Court", "Webster", and Larry Appleton's abusive boss on "Perfect Strangers". Roche appeared as Pinky Peterson, one of Archie Bunker's buddies, on several episodes of "All in the Family", in mostly comedic episodes. After a memorable performance as a prisoner of war who meets a shocking and sudden end in the film "Slaughterhouse Five" (1972), he had supporting parts in such feature films as "The Late Show" (1977), "Foul Play" (1978), and "Corvette Summer" (1978).