Ross Kemp | |
---|---|
Born | Ross James Kemp 21 July 1964 |
Occupations |
|
Years active | 1985–present |
Spouses |
|
Children | 4 |
Ross James Kemp (born 21 July 1964) is an English actor, author, and television presenter. He rose to prominence in the role of Grant Mitchell in the BBC soap opera EastEnders . He is also known for his other roles in Emmerdale as Graham Lodsworth and in Birds of a Feather as Detective Inspector Monk. Kemp has received international recognition as a reporter for presenting the BAFTA Award-winning documentary television series Ross Kemp on Gangs (2004–2009).
Kemp was born on 21 July 1964 in Barking, Essex. [1] His mother Jean was a hairdresser and his father John was a detective superintendent in the Metropolitan Police. His maternal great-grandfather was a sub-organist at Chichester Cathedral for many years. He has one brother, Darren, who is a filmmaker for the BBC. Kemp attended Shenfield High School and the Webber Douglas Academy. [2]
After training at Webber Douglas Academy of Dramatic Art, Kemp received his Equity card when appearing alongside John Thaw and Richard Wilson at the Palace Theatre, Westcliff-on-Sea.
Kemp went on to feature in training films for the Ministry of Defence and the ITV soap opera Emmerdale Farm (now Emmerdale ) as Graham Lodsworth. Guest appearances in London's Burning and Birds of a Feather followed, before he had a minor role in the 1987 film Playing Away alongside Neil Morrissey. [3]
In 1990, Kemp appeared in an edition of the Anglia Television police drama The Chief. The episode, entitled Call Sign Bravo , saw Kemp play the role of Police Constable Dennis Scovell. Around the same time he also starred in a golf themed advert for Kellogg's Fruit & Fibre cereal. [4]
Kemp's best-known role is that of hard man Grant Mitchell in the BBC soap opera EastEnders . Making his debut in February 1990, his character quickly became part of the soap’s key storylines during the 1990s, particularly troubled marriages to Sharon Watts (Letitia Dean) and then Tiffany Mitchell (Martine McCutcheon), as well as the "Sharongate" storyline, which saw brother Phil Mitchell (Steve McFadden) having an affair with Grant's wife, which was uncovered two years after it began.
Kemp announced on 24 March 1999 that he would be leaving the soap later that year after nearly 10 years. His exit was aired in October 1999 when his character moved to Brazil after surviving a car crash. Kemp refused to rule out an eventual return to EastEnders, and various media reports over the next few years speculated that he would return to the series at some stage. In early 2005, the BBC confirmed that Kemp would be returning to EastEnders in the autumn of that year after six years away. It was co-star Barbara Windsor who convinced him to return, even though his comeback would only be a relatively brief one. [5] His first comeback lasted just a few weeks from October 2005, but he returned again in March 2006, before departing once again in June that year.
In January 2016, it was confirmed that Kemp would make a brief return to the show for the death of Grant's on-screen mother, Peggy Mitchell (played by Windsor), appearing in three episodes during May of that year. [6] He later filmed a further three weeks and returned again for brief stints from 4 July to 9 September 2016.
Following his initial departure from EastEnders, Kemp moved from the BBC to ITV for a reported £1.2 million two-year deal. [7] Kemp's first role for ITV was in Hero of the Hour. During its filming, on 27 October 1999, Kemp required hospital treatment after being shot in the face when a stunt went wrong. He suffered cuts to his chest and face after safety glass shattered, and was also hit in the face by the discharge from a blank round. He was treated at the scene by paramedics and made a full recovery.
In 2000, Kemp starred in ITV's A Christmas Carol . He took the lead roles in the television series Without Motive and In Defence in 2000, and in 2002's Ultimate Force , where he played Army Staff sergeant Henry Garvie from the British Special Air Service. He continued to appear in this role until 2006. He also played "Cirra" in the 2004 TV film, Spartacus .
In 2005, Kemp appeared in an episode of BBC's Extras and in a two-part adaptation of the Gerald Seymour novel A Line in the Sand for ITV. He has also presented on The Friday Night Project and appeared as a stand in host on The Paul O'Grady Show (2007, 2008).
Kemp appeared in the 4th episode of Series 14 of BBC's motoring show Top Gear . He was the "Man in Boot" of a Renault Twingo Sport being tested by Jeremy Clarkson. The test ended with Clarkson driving the car off the quayside of Belfast Harbour, after which Clarkson joked that Kemp had been killed. [8] Kemp also appeared in Series 1, where he did a 1 minute 54 seconds (wet) in the "Star in a Reasonably Priced Car" segment.
In 2022, Kemp began presenting the game show Bridge of Lies , airing on weekdays on BBC One, [9] [10] as well as a series of celebrity specials broadcast on Saturday evenings. [11] Kemp told The Sunday Post : "I am the last person that should be hosting a game show, but it seems to work [...] the landscape of TV has changed significantly in the last six, seven years. Actors once upon a time didn’t do commercials, now A-listers do them. If you worked in television, you couldn’t be in movies or if you were in movies you’d never touch TV [...] that snobbery I would suggest is dissolving. And that’s got to be a good thing I guess." [12]
In 2004, Kemp filmed Ross Kemp on Gangs . [13] He followed this up with the documentaries Ross Kemp in Afghanistan , Ross Kemp in Search of Pirates , Ross Kemp: Battle for the Amazon and Ross Kemp: Extreme World .
In 2022 Kemp, who had previously taken part in deep sea dives for the television channel Sky History, had planned to mark the 110th anniversary of the sinking of the Titanic by recording a documentary in which he would undertake a dive to the wreckage using the submersible Titan . The project was shelved after production company Atlantic Productions deemed the submersible to be unsafe and not "fit for purpose". [14]
On September 2024 Kemp launched a new documentary series "Mafia and Britain". [15]
Kemp has written several books. Initially focusing on tie-ins to his various TV documentaries, 2011 saw the publication of his first fictional story, Devil to Pay. A novel, Moving Target, was released in summer 2012.[ citation needed ] In September 2023, Kemp released Take Nothing For Granted: Tales from an Unexpected Life; a retrospective look back at his career. [16]
In 1999, Kemp was elected as Rector of the University of Glasgow as the candidate of the Glasgow University Labour Club [17] but did not attend local meetings. [18] In October 2000 the Glasgow University Students' Representative Council passed a motion requesting him to resign, [19] and within weeks he did. [20] Kemp was the first rector in 50 years to leave the position prematurely and was succeeded by Scottish actor Greg Hemphill. [18] [21]
In August 2014, Kemp was one of 200 public figures who were signatories to a letter to The Guardian opposing Scottish independence in the run-up to September's referendum on that issue. [22]
In June 2017, Kemp endorsed the Labour Party at the 2017 UK general election, and took part in campaigning for Labour candidates. [23] [24] [25]
In 2022, Kemp declared his support for a "National Thank You Day" to celebrate the Platinum Jubilee of Elizabeth II. [26]
In 2023, Kemp publicly endorsed Keir Mather of the Labour Party in the 2023 Selby and Ainsty by-election, of where he is a former resident. Mather subsequently won the by-election and was elected to Parliament.
In the 2024 general election, Kemp publicly endorsed Mark Francois of the Conservative party. He described Francois as a "fantastic MP". Mark Francois kept his seat. [27]
On 11 June 2002, Kemp married Rebekah Wade, the then editor of The Sun . In November 2005, Wade was arrested following an alleged assault on her husband. [28] Kemp refused medical attention for a swollen lip and no action was taken. [29] In March 2009 Kemp and Wade divorced, [30] and in October 2010, Kemp fathered a boy with his partner, Nicola Coleman, who was his make-up artist. [31]
Kemp married the Australian Renee O'Brien in 2012. [32] They have three children. [33] [34]
Year | Show | Role | Notes |
---|---|---|---|
1986–1987 | Emmerdale | Graham Lodsworth | 32 episodes |
1987 | The Moneymen | Dealer | Television film |
Playing Away | Sonny | ||
1988 | London's Burning | Liver Salts | Episode: "Series 1, Episode 3" |
1989 | Birds of a Feather | Detective Inspector Monk | Episode: "Shift" |
Screen Two | Police Officer | Episode: "The Picnic" | |
1990 | The Chief | PC Dennis Scovell | Episodes: "Daydreamer" & "Call Sign Bravo" |
The Manageress | Defender | Episode: "A Match for Anyone" | |
1990–1999, 2005–2006, 2016 | EastEnders | Grant Mitchell | 1,090 episodes |
1993 | Doctor Who: Dimensions in Time | Part Two | |
1998 | EastEnders: The Mitchells – Naked Truths | VHS special | |
City Central | Dilly Dally | Episode: "Nothing Like a Dame" | |
1999 | Ross Kemp: Alive in Alaska | Presenter | |
2000 | Hero of the Hour | Richie Liddle | Television film |
In Defence | Sam Lucas | 4 episodes | |
A Christmas Carol | Eddie Scrooge | Television film | |
2000–2001 | Without Motive | DC Jack Mowbray | 12 episodes |
2002–2006 | Ultimate Force | Staff Sgt. Henry 'Henno' Garvie | 21 episodes |
2003 | The Crooked Man | Harry Fielding | Television film |
2004 | Spartacus | Cinna | |
A Line in the Sand | Gavin Hughes / Frank Parry | 2 episodes | |
2004–2009 | Ross Kemp on Gangs | Presenter | 20 episodes |
2005 | Extras | Himself | Episode: "Ross Kemp & Vinnie Jones" |
2007 | Robbie the Reindeer | Trooper No. 2 | Episode: "Close Encounters of the Herd Kind" |
2008–2012 | Ross Kemp in Afghanistan | Presenter | 18 episodes |
2009 | 10 Minute Tales | Liam | Episode: "The Running of the Deer" |
Top Gear | Man in Boot | Episode: "Series 14, Episode 4" | |
Ross Kemp in Search of Pirates | Presenter | 3 episodes | |
Ross Kemp: Behind the Story | |||
2010 | Ross Kemp: Battle for the Amazon | 2 episodes | |
2011 | Quick Slip Me a Bride | Trevor | |
That Sunday Night Show | Himself | ||
2011–2017 | Ross Kemp: Extreme World | Presenter | 37 episodes |
2016 | Ross Kemp's Britain | Presenter | 3 episodes |
Ross Kemp: The Fight Against ISIS | |||
2017 | All Round to Mrs Brown's | Himself | |
Ross Kemp Behind Bars: Inside Barlinnie | Presenter | ||
2018 | Ross Kemp & the Armed Police | ||
2019 | Welcome to HMP Belmarsh with Ross Kemp | 2 episodes | |
2020 | Ross Kemp: On the NHS Frontline | 2 episodes | |
The Millennium Dome Heist with Ross Kemp | |||
2021 | Britain's Tiger Kings - On The Trail With Ross Kemp | 2 episodes [35] | |
2022 | Searching for Michael Jackson’s Zoo with Ross Kemp | Documentary [36] | |
2022–present | Ross Kemp: Shipwreck Treasure Hunter | 2 series [37] | |
2022–present | Bridge of Lies | Host | BBC quiz show [38] |
2023 | Blindspot | Tony | Four-part series [39] |
Year | Title | Role | Notes |
---|---|---|---|
2018 | Ross Kemp Extreme Tales Live | Himself | Dates: 6, 10 and 14 February |
Year | Group | Award | Won | Film/television series |
---|---|---|---|---|
1996 | National Television Awards | Most Popular Actor | Nominated | EastEnders |
1997 | National Television Awards | Most Popular Actor | Nominated | EastEnders |
1999 | British Soap Awards | Best Actor | Won | EastEnders |
British Soap Awards | Villain of the Year | Nominated | ||
British Soap Awards | Best Storyline (for Tiffany discovers Grants affair with her mum) | Won | ||
Inside Soap Awards | Best Actor | Won | ||
Inside Soap Awards | Villain of the Year | Nominated | ||
TV Quick and Choice Awards | Best Soap Actor | Won | ||
National Television Awards | Most Popular Actor | Nominated | ||
2006 | British Soap Awards | Best Actor | Won | EastEnders |
British Soap Awards | Best Storyline (for The Mitchells' Return) | Nominated | ||
British Soap Awards | Spectacular Scene of the year (for Phil's Close Shave) | Nominated | ||
Inside Soap Awards | Best Actor | Nominated | ||
Inside Soap Awards | Sexiest Male | Nominated | ||
Inside Soap Awards | Best Storyline (for The Mitchells' Return) | Nominated | ||
TV Quick and Choice Awards | Best Soap Actor | Nominated | ||
TV Quick and Choice Awards | Best Soap Storyline (for The Mitchells' Return) | Nominated | ||
National Television Awards | Most Popular Actor | Nominated | ||
2006 | BAFTA Awards | Best Factual Series | Won | Ross Kemp on Gangs |
2008 | AIB Media Excellence Awards | International TV Personality | Won | Ross Kemp in Afghanistan |
2009 | BAFTA Awards | Best Factual Series | Nominated | Ross Kemp in Afghanistan |
2009 | BAFTA Awards | Current Affairs | Nominated | Ross Kemp: A Kenya Special |
2014 | Asian Media Awards | Best Investigation [40] | Won | Extreme World: India |
Patricia Jude Kensit is an English actress and singer. Beginning her career as a child actor, including in the Rod Steiger film Hennessy (1975), Kensit gained attention when she acted in a string of commercials for Birds Eye frozen peas. She went on to appear in films such as The Great Gatsby (1974), Gold (1974), Alfie Darling (1975), The Blue Bird (1976) and Hanover Street (1979). Balancing a dual career as both an actress and a singer, in 1983 Kensit formed and became the lead singer of the pop band Eighth Wonder. The group released several singles, including the top 20 hits "I'm Not Scared" and "Cross My Heart", before disbanding in 1989.
Samantha Zoe Womack is an English actress, singer, model and director who has worked in film, television and stage. Womack initially planned a career in singing and she represented the United Kingdom in the 1991 Eurovision Song Contest. Her song for the contest, "A Message to Your Heart", was released as her first single in April 1991 and reached number 30 in the UK Singles Chart.
Gillian Louise Kearney is an English actress best known for her early role as Debbie McGrath in Channel 4's Liverpool-based soap opera Brookside and the spin-off mini-series Damon and Debbie, and for playing Jessica Harrison in the long-running BBC television medical drama series Casualty, as well as Emma Barton in the ITV Yorkshire-based soap opera Emmerdale. The role of Emma gained her recognition because of character's involvement in Emmerdale’s most high-profile storylines during her three-year stint.
Steve Robert McFadden is an English actor whose career has spanned three decades. He rose to prominence for his role as Phil Mitchell in the BBC One soap opera EastEnders, which he has played since 1990. Regarded as one of the show's most popular characters, he has received numerous accolades including the British Soap Award for Outstanding Achievement. McFadden was also the presenter of the game show Britain's Hardest (2004).
Adele Silva is an English actress. She played the role of Kelly Windsor in the ITV soap opera Emmerdale on and off from 1993 to 2011. In 1989, she had a minor role in the final classic series Doctor Who story Survival, playing Squeak.
Tamzin Maria Outhwaite is an English actress, presenter and narrator. Since playing the role of Mel Owen in the BBC soap opera EastEnders, she has starred in a number of theatre and television productions, including army series Red Cap and crime drama New Tricks.
Grant Mitchell is a fictional character from the British soap opera EastEnders, played by Ross Kemp. He was introduced by producer Michael Ferguson to revamp the show, and originally served as one of the show's leading protagonists throughout the 1990s; with the character first appearing in 22 February 1990 and then departing on 25 October 1999 after Kemp had opted to leave the show. He then returned to the show on 24 October 2005 for a few weeks and returned again between March and June 2006. Kemp was persuaded to return to the role for brief stints during a period of heavy media criticism aimed at EastEnders. The return proved to be a ratings success. Kemp reprised the role of Grant for various guest stints in 2016, appearing in twelve episodes between 13 May and 9 September. An archived recording of his voice was heard on 25 January 2022. On 26 July 2022, it was announced that Grant would feature in a flashback episode focusing on the Mitchell family in 1979. Teddy Jay played the role of Grant for this special episode, which aired on 5 September 2022.
Gillian Taylforth is an English actress. She is known for her role as Kathy Beale on the BBC soap opera EastEnders, as well as appearing as Jackie Pascoe on ITV's Footballers' Wives (2002–2006) and Sgt. Nikki Wright in ITV's The Bill (2006–2008). She has also appeared in film during her early career, has presented on ITV's Loose Women and appeared as a celebrity contestant on Strictly Come Dancing in 2008.
Karl Davies is an English actor who portrayed Lyle Anderson in the TV series Kingdom. Previously, he had portrayed Robert Sugden in the ITV soap opera Emmerdale.
Nicola Kathleen Stapleton is an English actress. She is best known for her roles in EastEnders as Mandy Salter and Emmerdale as Danielle Hutch. A graduate of the Sylvia Young Theatre School, Stapleton began her career at an early age, appearing in films such as Hansel and Gretel and on television in the children's show Simon and the Witch in 1987.
Joseph William Gilgun is an English actor and producer known for several roles, including that of Vinnie O'Neill in the Sky Max series Brassic, which he also co-created, Marcus in Hollyoaks, Eli Dingle in the ITV soap opera Emmerdale, Jamie Armstrong in the long-running ITV soap opera Coronation Street, Woody in the film This Is England (2006) and its subsequent spin-off series, and Rudy Wade in E4's Misfits. From 2016 to 2019, he starred in the AMC television adaptation of the Vertigo comic Preacher as the Irish vampire Cassidy.
Alan McKenna is a British actor, known for his role as Patrick McGuire in the BBC soap opera Doctors. He has also portrayed Tony Andrews in the BBC soap opera EastEnders and Gus Malcolm in the ITV soap opera Emmerdale.
Emma-Kate Davies is an English actress. She is the daughter of actor Geoffrey Davies, of the television comedy series Doctor in the House. She is notably recognised for her role of Anna De Souza in the ITV soap Emmerdale and for her portrayal of Diana Mitford-Guinness in the Channel 4 mini series Mosley. She currently resides in South-West London with her husband Ross Allen, a garden designer, and their daughter Camille.
Micah Balfour is an English actor. He is known for his roles as PC Benjamin Gayle in the ITV police drama The Bill, Jermaine Bailey in the ITV soap opera Emmerdale, and Junior Knight in the BBC soap opera EastEnders.
Dominic Treadwell-Collins is a British television producer, known for his work on the soap operas Family Affairs and EastEnders, creating the EastEnders spin-off series Kat & Alfie: Redwater and Executive Producing the award-winning A Very English Scandal for the BBC and Amazon. In 2019, he set up his own television company, Happy Prince under ITV Studios.
The 2009 British Academy Television Awards were held on 26 April at the Royal Festival Hall in London. The event was broadcast live on BBC One and was hosted by Graham Norton. The nominations were announced on 24 March. Winners in bold.
Martin John Kemp is an English musician and actor, best known as the bassist in the new wave band Spandau Ballet and for his role as Steve Owen in EastEnders.
Danny Walters is an English actor, known for his roles as Tiger Dyke in the ITV sitcom Benidorm (2014–2017) and Keanu Taylor in the BBC soap opera EastEnders.
Michael Parr is an English actor, known for playing the part of Ross Barton in the ITV soap opera Emmerdale. and Billy Parker in Channel 4 soap opera, Hollyoaks.
Kate Oates is a British television producer, who was born in Nottingham and graduated from Warwick University. She began her career working as a researcher and editorial assistant for Germaine Greer, before becoming a script editor for the soap opera Crossroads. In 2003, she joined the radio soap The Archers as a producer, a position which Oates credits as the majority of her training. After resigning from this job, Oates began working on the ITV soap opera Emmerdale as a script editor, during which time she assisted with the soap's fortieth anniversary celebrations and worked on British Soap Award-winning storylines. She remained in the position until 2012 when she joined Coronation Street as the assistant producer.