Ed O'Ross

Rough'n'tumble character actor Ed O'Ross was born as Ed Oross on July 4, 1946 in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania. He was an altar boy as a kid and graduated from Munhall High in 1964. Following graduation O'Ross attended both Point Park College and Carnegie Tech. He was an amateur Golden Gloves boxing champion and minor league baseball player prior to embarking on an acting career. He studied acting in New York with legendary teachers Stella Adler and Uta Hagen. Ed made his film debut in 1982 in "Dear Mr. Wonderful." A strong actor with an often intense and intimidating screen presence, O'Ross gets frequently cast as ramrod army officers, cynical seen-it-all-twice cops, and mean villains. O'Ross was memorably nasty as brutal Russian drug dealer Viktor 'Rosta' Rostavili in Walter Hill's stirring buddy cop action thriller "Red Heat." Other notable parts include slimy dope pusher Mendez in the exciting blockbuster "Lethal Weapon," the rugged Lt. Touchdown in Stanley Kubrick's powerful "Full Metal Jacket," vicious mobster Ralph Capone in "The Verne Miller Story," hard-boiled detective Cliff Willis in the terrific sci-fi/action winner "The Hidden," the antsy Stringer in the enjoyably trashy "Action Jackson," and the tough Col. Perry in "Universal Soldier." Ed was outstanding as lusty Russian florist Nikolai on the acclaimed cable TV series "Six Feet Under." Among the other TV shows O'Ross has done guest spots on are "Curb Your Enthusiasm," "CSI: NY," "NYPD Blue," "Boston Legal," "Chicago Hope," "Seinfeld," "Frasier," "Walker: Texas Ranger," "Moonlighting," and "Scarecrow and Mrs. King." On stage Ed has appeared in Shakespeare's "King Lear," James Thurber's "Story Theater," and City Center children's theater. He has also acted in several TV commercials. Ed O'Ross lives in both New York and Los Angeles.