Ross
Kemp (born July 21, 1964 in Barking, Essex, England)
is a British actor, well known for his portrayal of
Grant Mitchell in the popular BBC1 soap opera, EastEnders.
Early life
His mother, Jean, was a hairdresser and his father,
John, was a policeman with the Metropolitan Police
force. He has a brother named Darren who is a documentary
producer for the BBC.
Kemp attended Shenfield High School,
where he is remembered as an excellent athlete. He
wanted to be an actor from a young age and went on
to study drama at the Webber Douglas Academy of Dramatic
Art. He has rarely been out of work since leaving
the academy in 1985, appearing on stage, in films,
on television and in various advertisements
Acting Career
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, and
moved from the BBC to ITV for a reported £1.2
million.
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 movie remake of the film Spartacus.
In 2005 it was rumored the BBC was
finalising a deal that would have Kemp return to EastEnders
as Grant Mitchell, 6 years after leaving. This has
proved to be accurate, and Kemp had started filming
in September 2005, his first appearance in the show
was with his on-screen brother Phil on Monday 24 October
2005. During the run up to his return, BBC1 screened
a promotional advert and was featured in practically
every British television magazine.
Since returing, Ross has also been
involved in the BBC's Children in Need fundraising
event for 2005.
Personal life and Glasgow
University association
In 1999 he was elected as Rector of Glasgow University
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.
He is married to the journalist,
Rebekah Wade, editor first of The News of the World
and later of The Sun tabloid newspapers.
source from http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki
More Articles..
