Lee Ross (born 1971) is an English actor known for his roles as Kenny Phillips in the CITV dramedy Press Gang and as Owen Turner in the BBC soap opera EastEnders.[1] He is also known for his debut role as Dodger in the drama series Dodger, Bonzo and the Rest, Secrets & Lies, The Catherine Tate Show and BBC sitcom White Gold.

Education

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Lee Ross attended Stockwood High School, Luton.[2]

Career

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Ross first appeared on British television in 1983 as one of the children in a Colgate commercial which featured a parody of the hit Madness song Baggy Trousers.

His first acting role was as Fat Sam in Micky Dolenz' West End production of Bugsy Malone.[3] He went on to play Dodger in the TV series Dodger, Bonzo and the Rest, which was a spin-off from the series Dramarama. The series ran from 1985 till 1986. He next played Kenny Phillips in Press Gang from 1989 to 1991.

Ross had lead roles in two films in 1990, playing Bryan in Amongst Barbarians and Phil in Sweet Nothing. He also had small roles in Buddy's Song in 1990, playing Jason, and in the 1999 film Rogue Trader, playing Danny.

He had another lead role in the movie Hard Men playing the part of a gangster and in 1995 he played Gumbo in the film I.D.

In 1991 he played Justin Parrish, the son of Jim Broadbent's character, in Work!. In 1992 and 1993 he had roles in The Guilty, Between the Lines, Casualty, Westbeach, The Bill and The Upper Hand. He had many more roles in the late 1990s including Trial & Retribution

Ross played Paul, the boyfriend of Roxanne, in the 1996 Mike Leigh film Secrets & Lies. He provided the voice for Hawkbit in all three of the 1999 Watership Down television series.

He has appeared on The Catherine Tate Show in many sketches, working alongside Catherine Tate and Niky Wardley.[3] He has also had many guest roles in a variety of television shows, including Waking the Dead, Hustle, Jericho, M.I.T.: Murder Investigation Team and recurring roles in Mutual Friends and Life on Mars/Ashes to Ashes.[3]

In 2018, Ross starred as retired drag queen Hugo Battersby / Loco Chanelle in the West End musical Everybody's Talking About Jamie.[4] He also appeared in South Pacific in 2022.[5]

Ross has appeared in several productions at the Royal Court Theatre.[6] He appeared in Birdsong at the Comedy Theatre in 2010.[3]

Filmography

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Films

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Year Film Role Notes
1990 Amongst Barbarians Bryan
1991 Buddy's Song Jason
1992 Life's a Gas Short film
1994 The Crane Young Man 2
1995 I.D. Gumbo
The Hurting Bull
1996 Black Eyes Tony
Secrets & Lies Paul
Hard Men Speed
The English Patient Spalding
1997 Metroland Toni Barbarowski
The Island on Bird Street Freddy
1998 Vigo Oscar Levy
1999 Five Seconds to Spare
Dropouts
Rogue Trader Danny Argyropoulos
Dreaming of Joseph Lees Harry
2000 Jump Willy
Secret Society Ken
2004 Billy's Day Out Dave
2005 Goal! Bluto
2009 Origin Jimmy Holmes Post-production
2010 Centurion Septus
2013 Locke PC Davids voice
2014 Dawn of the Planet of the Apes Grey motion capture
2015 Containment Mark
2016 ID2: Shadwell Army Gumbo
Dusty and Me Bill
2017 Bikini Blue Sergeant Daldry
2018 Farming Jack Carpenter
2021 A Castle for Christmas Thomas
Year Show Role Notes
1984 Dramarama Dodger 1 episode: "Dodger, Bonzo and the Rest"
1985–1986 Dodger, Bonzo and the Rest Dodger Series regular
1989–1991 Press Gang Kenny Phillips Series regular
1990 Sweet Nothing Phil
1991 Work! Justin Parrish
The Bill Mace 1 episode: "Stress Rules"
Shrinks Paul Carter 1 episode: "1.6"
1992 The Guilty Tommy
Between the Lines Michael Brandell 1 episode: "Out of the Game"
Casualty Dave 1 episode: "Money Talks"
1993 Westbeach Chris Cromer Recurring
The Bill Neil Simpson 1 episode: "Trust"
The Upper Hand Gary Grant 1 episode: "The Price Is Right"
1995 Shine on Harvey Moon Roy Recurring
1996 Casualty Ray 1 episode: "Land of Hopes"
1997 Trial & Retribution Peter James 2 episodes: "1.1" and "1.2"
1998 Only Love Technician
1999 Playing the Field Ryan Pratt Recurring from Episode "2.1" to "4.3"
Dockers Andy Walton
Tube Tales Male Reveller
Watership Down Hawkbit (voice) 39 episode television series
2001 Waking the Dead Christopher Redford 2 episodes: "Every Breath You Take" (parts 1 & 2)
2003 Where the Heart Is Gary Frasier 1 episode: "The Need of You"
2004 Dunkirk Sgt Moore
Hustle Ray Fordham 1 episode: "The Last Gamble"
2004–2007 The Catherine Tate Show Paul Series regular
2005 M.I.T.: Murder Investigation Team Andy Nash 1 episode: "2.4"
Jericho Louis 4 part series
2006 Life on Mars DCI Litton 2 episodes: "1.3" and "1.6"
The Family Man Gary
Mutual Friends Harry Seed 6 part series; recurring
2009 Moses Jones Mick Mahoney 3 part series; recurring
2007 & 2009 Robin Hood Sir Jasper 2 episodes: "Walkabout" and "Total Eclipse"
2006 & 2009 EastEnders Owen Turner Series regular
2010 The Persuasionists Cockney Jim 1 episode: "Cockney Cheese"
Ashes to Ashes DCI Litton 1 episode: "3.5"
2011 Doctor Who Boatswain 1 episode: "The Curse of the Black Spot"
Coming Up Jim 1 episode: "Geronimo"
Midsomer Murders Sergeant Trevor Gibson 1 episode: "The Sleeper Under the Hill"
2012 Titanic Barnes 4-part series
Flikken Maastricht IRA killer Gerry Utters (better known as Bran Collins) Dutch police drama
2014 The Driver Kev Mitchell 3-part series
2017 Silent Witness Tommy McAteer Episode: "Covenant"
2017 White Gold Ronnie Farrell
2017 STAR Buddy Bruce
2018 Farming Jack
2021 Andor Kloris Episode 4, 5

Video games

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Year Show Role Notes
2020 Watch Dogs: Legion Nigel Cass Voice

References

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  1. ^ Knight, Lewis (31 January 2024). "EastEnders airs unannounced return for iconic character in early BBC iPlayer release". Radio Times. Retrieved 19 June 2024.
  2. ^ "'Dodger' Lee back on TV". Luton News and Bedfordshire Chronicle. 18 December 1986. Retrieved 19 June 2024.
  3. ^ a b c d "Cast Update for Birdsong at the Comedy Theatre". London Theatre. 2010. Retrieved 19 June 2024.
  4. ^ "NEWS: Rebecca McKinnis & Lee Ross are cast in West End's Everybody's Talking About Jamie". My Theatre Mates. 17 July 2018. Retrieved 19 June 2024.
  5. ^ Millward, Tom (16 June 2022). "South Pacific announces complete casting". What's On Stage. Retrieved 19 June 2024.
  6. ^ "Lee Ross". Royal Court Theatre. Retrieved 19 June 2024.
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