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Ross Kemp (born July 21, 1964 in Barking, Essex,
England) is a United Kingdom|British actor, well
known for his portrayal of Grant Mitchell in the
soap, Eastenders.

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|Image:rosskemp.jpg|thumb|200px|Ross Kemp
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==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|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. 

Grant 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
(movie)|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.

==Personal life and Glasgow University
association==
In 1999 he was elected as Rector of Glasgow
University as the candidate of the Glasgow
University Labour Club|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.

==External links==
*imdb name|id=0447360|name=Ross Kemp
*http://www.rosskempfans.com The Unofficial Ross
Kemp Fansite