| Ross Kemp | |
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| Born | 21 July 1964 Barking, England |
Ross Kemp (born 21 July 1964) is an English actor who rose to prominence in the role of Grant Mitchell in the BBC soap opera EastEnders. Since 2006 Kemp has received international recognition as an investigative journalist for his critically acclaimed and BAFTA award-winning documentary series Ross Kemp on Gangs.
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Acting career
Advertising
Before he was a well known soap actor in EastEnders, Kemp made a TV commercial for the Kelloggs company for their Bran Flakes breakfast cereal, in which Kemp sings a song.
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 married Tiffany Mitchell played by Martine McCutcheon, fathering a daughter in a rocky and sometimes violent marriage that ended when Tiffany was run over and killed by Grant's stepfather Frank Butcher following an argument. 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. Kemp himself refused to rule out an eventual return to EastEnders, and almost from the beginning there were countless media reports that he would be returning to the series.
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. He also starred as the main character in ITV's Christmas edition of Scrooge. 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. He also presented the Paul O'Grady Show on 9 November 2007.
Brief return to EastEnders
In early 2005, the BBC confirmed that Kemp would be returning to EastEnders later in the year after six years away from his iconic role as Grant Mitchell. His first comeback lasted just a few weeks, with Kemp's absence from the series being covered in a storyline in which Grant returned to Brazil. Kemp's break from EastEnders lasted three months before he returned - this time Grant was joined by his wife Carla and daughter Courtney. His comeback lasted three months before Grant and Courtney fled to Portugal after he fell out with Carla. BBC bosses have left Kemp's role open for a possible future return, but no plans for another comeback were announced at the time of his latest exit, and none have been announced since.
"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. In May 2007 'Ross Kemp on Gangs' was awarded a BAFTA award for factual programming.
Personal life and Glasgow University association
Kemp, who was born in Romford, Essex, is the son of a retired detective chief inspector. 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. On 11 June 2002, Kemp married Rebekah Wade, then editor of News of the World. 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.[1] 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.
External links
- Ross Kemp at the Internet Movie Database
- The Unofficial Ross Kemp Fansite
- Highly Amusing Tribute to Ross Kemp
| Academic offices | ||
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| Preceded by Richard Wilson |
Rector of the University of Glasgow 1999–2000 |
Succeeded by Greg Hemphill |
