Ross Kemp
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| Ross Kemp | |
 Kemp playing Grant Mitchell in EastEnders |
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| Born | 21 July 1964 Barking, England |
| Notable roles | Grant Mitchell in EastEnders, SSgt. Henry Garvie in Ultimate Force |
Ross Kemp (born 21 July 1964) is a British actor who rose to prominence in the role of Grant Mitchell in the BBC soap opera EastEnders.
Contents |
[edit] Acting career
[edit] EastEnders
His first credited television appearance was in 1986, playing Graham Lodsworth in Emmerdale Farm (now Emmerdale). But by far his most famous role to date was his award-winning portrayal of hardman Grant Mitchell in the popular BBC series EastEnders. Kemp debuted as hard-man Grant along with Steve McFadden, who played Grant's brother Phil Mitchell, in February 1990. On-screen, Kemp, as Grant, was often at the centre of EastEnders' plots, amongst them marrying Sharon Watts, played by Letitia Dean, daughter of "Dirty" Den Watts, before divorcing, after Sharon had an affair with Phil, and subsequently setting fire to their home. He fathered a child with Sharon's best friend Michelle, and married Tiffany Mitchell played by Martine McCutcheon, fathering a daughter in a rocky and sometimes violent marriage that ended in him chasing Tiffany under the wheels of a car.
Kemp left EastEnders in 1999, on a storyline that had Grant hijacking a drug deal which ended in him crashing his getaway car into the River Thames and presumed dead until a week later when he was seen with daughter Courtney at the airport getting on a plane to Brazil. He then moved from the BBC to ITV for a reported £1.2 million.
[edit] After EastEnders
Kemp's first role for ITV was in Hero Of The Hour. During its filming, on October 27 1999, Kemp required treatment in hospital after being shot in the face when a stunt went wrong. He suffered cuts to his chest and face after safety glass shattered and he was hit in the face by a blank round. He was treated at the scene by paramedics before being taken to Barnet Hospital in north London. Despite the dramatic-sounding incident Kemp recovered quickly and went back to acting.
Kemp was also star of the television series Without Motive and In Defence, in 2000. He continued to play to type in the 2002 series Ultimate Force. He also gained the role of 'Cirra' in the 2004 TV film Spartacus.
In 2005 Kemp starred in an episode of Extras, the second major production by Ricky Gervais and Steve Merchant, creators of The Office, as an exaggerated version of himself. Playing on his reputation for 'hard' roles (such as Grant Mitchell), Kemp starred as a posturing version of himself who had landed a role as Horatio Nelson in a television historical drama, but was in reality timid.
In 2005, he starred in a two-part adaptation of the Gerald Seymour novel A Line In The Sand for ITV.
In 2006, Kemp was the guest host for an episode of the third series of Channel 4's The Friday Night Project.
[edit] "On Gangs"
In 2006 Kemp featured in the series Ross Kemp on Gangs in which he interviewed gang members around the world. In the first series, the show featured gangs and police corruption in Brazil, Maori gangs in New Zealand, neo Nazi skinheads in California and gangsters in London. The second series featured gangs including "MS13" from El Salvador, neo-Nazis in Russia, American "Bloods" and "Crips" in St Louis and the Numbers gang in South Africa.
[edit] Return to EastEnders
In 2005 the BBC finalised a deal with Kemp to facilitate his return to EastEnders for a three week period, which aired in October 2005. His deal with the BBC was rumoured to involve a substantial pay packet as well as the opportunity for him to direct other BBC shows such as Casualty and Holby City. Kemp's return was an instant ratings success and although his return was brief (due to his contractual requirements with ITV's Ultimate Force), he has subsequently been persuaded to reprise the role of Grant for a 3 month period, which went on air in March 2006. He left again three months later and has not yet returned.
Since his return to the BBC in 2005, Ross has taken part in the annual Children in Need fundraising event. He won the 'Best Actor' award at the British Soap Awards in May 2006 for his role as Grant Mitchell. Kemp recently appeared on Comic Relief Does The Apprentice in 2007, in order to raise money for Comic Relief.
[edit] Personal life and Glasgow University association
In 1999 he was elected as Rector of the University of Glasgow as the candidate of the Labour Club. However he resigned in 2001 after the Glasgow University Students' Representative Council passed a motion requesting him to do so, as many students had become dissatisfied with his performance in the role. It was pointed out that, through pressure of work, he had failed for two successive years to deliver the Fresher's Address, perhaps the most important public duty in the rector's calendar. He apparently alleged a vendetta against him by the Glasgow University Scottish Nationalist Association, who he claimed were embittered by the fact that he had beaten their candidate, Ian Hamilton QC. He was succeeded by another actor, Greg Hemphill.
Kemp is a keen rugby player. He is married to the journalist, Rebekah Wade, editor first of the News of the World and later of The Sun tabloid newspapers.
On 3 November 2005, it was reported that Wade had been arrested that morning following an alleged assault on her husband. Wade was later released without charge and no further action is to be taken. Kemp refused medical attention for a thick lip. The bust-up between the two of them made the front page of The Sun, the newspaper Wade edits.
It was reported in Private Eye Issue 1177 (2 February 2007) that Kemp and Wade are now separated and living in different parts of London, he in the Battersea marital home and she in Chelsea.
He is also renowned for pop star Andy Scott Lee having a tattoo of him on his lower back.
[edit] Cereal
Before he was a well known soap actor in EastEnders, Kemp made a TV commercial for the Kelloggs company for their Fruit and Fibre breakfast cereal. In the commercial, Kemp and two other actors are enjoying playing golf in the Mediterranean, but when they realize "they've had some strange ideas about breakfast through the years", they send for their Fruit and Fibre. Kemp sings a jolly upbeat song in the commercial, which climaxes with the line "Apples, hazelnuts, bananas, raisins, coconuts, sultanas, now our breakfast is really going with a swing!". At the time this commercial was slightly amusing to viewers, however since Kemp's role as Grant Mitchell in EastEnders puts him at odds with the image portrayed in the advert and hence it is now seen as very hilarious and has been featured on many TV shows, such as "Before they were famous".
[edit] External links
- Ross Kemp at the Internet Movie Database
- The Unofficial Ross Kemp Fansite
- Highly Amusing Tribute to Ross Kemp
| Preceded by Richard Wilson |
Rector of Glasgow University 1999—2000 |
Succeeded by Greg Hemphill |
