Ross Kemp was born on July 21, 1964 in Barking, Essex, England. 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. Ross 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. He has rarely been out of work since leaving the academy in 1985, appearing on stage, in films, on television and in various adverts. His first credited television appearance was in 1986, playing Graham Lodsworth in "Emmerdale Farm" (now "Emmerdale"). His most famous role to date was his award-winning portrayal of hardman Grant Mitchell in the popular BBC series "EastEnders".

Filmography

• Ross Kemp: Lost Boys, Deadly Men — Presenter
• 2025Ross Kemp Remembers... EastEnders: Sharongate
• Ross Kemp: Mafia and Britain — Presenter, Creator
• Ross Kemp: Mafia & Britain — Presenter
• Blindspot — Tony Warden
• The Big Breakfast
• 2022The Lock-In — Grant Mitchell
• Britain's Tiger Kings - On the Trail with Ross Kemp — executive producer
• Ross Kemp: On the NHS Frontline
• 2019Hatton Garden: The Inside Story
• 2017Snapshot Wedding — Trevor
• Ross Kemp's Britain — Documenter
• Duck Quacks Don't Echo
• Ross Kemp: Extreme World — Himself, Producer
• Ross Kemp: Middle East — Himself, Executive Producer
• 10 Minute Tales — Liam
• Gang Nation — Producer
• Ross Kemp - Behind The Story
• Ross Kemp Return to Afghanistan
• Ross Kemp in Afghanistan
• Comic Relief Does The Apprentice
• 2007Robbie the Reindeer in Close Encounters of the Herd Kind — Trooper #2 (voice)
• Extras — Ross Kemp
• 2004A Line in the Sand — Frank Perry
• 2004Spartacus — Cinna
• Spartacus — Cinna
• 2003Colosseum - Rome's Arena of Death — Verus (UK version) (voice)
• 2003The Crooked Man — Harry Fielding
• 2002The Paper Round — Accused Man
• Ultimate Force — Henry Garvie
• 2000A Christmas Carol — Eddie Scrooge
• 2000Hero of the Hour — Richie Liddle
• In Defence — Sam Lucas
• Without Motive — DC Jack Mowbray
• 1996Skinhead Farewell — Narrator of excerpts from the novels (voice)
• TFI Friday
• 1993Doctor Who: Dimensions in Time — Grant Mitchell
• The Chief — PC Dennis Scovell
• Birds of a Feather — Detective Inspector Monk
• The Manageress
• 1989The Picnic — Police Officer
• 1988The Moneymen — Third Dealer
• 1987Playing Away — Sonny
• London's Burning
• EastEnders — Grant Mitchell
• Screen Two — Police Officer

Appearances as themselves (25)

• 2025EastEnders: 40 Years on the Square — Himself
• The Celebrity Traitors — Self - Contestant
• Bridge of Lies — Self - Host
• Ross Kemp: Shipwreck Treasure Hunter — Himself
• 2022Searching For Michael Jackson’s Zoo With Ross Kemp — Himself
• Paul O'Grady's Saturday Night Line Up — Self - Guest
• Six Nations Sin Bin — Self, Self - Participant
• All Round to Mrs. Brown's — Self
• 2016Ross Kemp: The Fight Against Isis — Self
• 2015Top Gear: From A-Z — Self (archive footage)
• Ross Kemp: Back on the Frontline — Himself
• Children's Champion Awards — Self
• Ross Kemp: Battle for the Amazon — Himself
• Alan Carr: Chatty Man — Self
• Ross Kemp in Search of Pirates — Himself
• The Alan Titchmarsh Show — Self
• The Graham Norton Show — Self
• Ross Kemp on Gangs — Himself
• The One Show — Self, Self - Guest
• The Friday Night Project — Self - Host
• Who Do You Think You Are? — Self
• Top Gear — Self
• Parkinson — Self
• Room 101 — Self
• This Morning — Self