Deep Roy
Encyclopedia
Gurdeep Roy sometimes credited as Roy Deep, Gordeep Roy, or just Deep Roy, is a Kenyan-born English
actor
, stuntman
and puppeteer
of Indian descent.
, Kenya
to India
n parents, Roy is 4 ft 4 in (132 centimetres) tall.
, as the Italian Assassin. Another notable early role was as Mr. Sin, the "pig-brained Peking Homonculus", a villain with a distinct appetite for homicide, in the acclaimed Doctor Who
story The Talons of Weng-Chiang
. In 1979, Roy also played a genetically engineered life form 'Decima' in the 1st season Blake's 7
episode "The Web" as well as the diminutive chess genius, 'The Klute', in the 2nd season Blake's 7
episode "Gambit".
He has played apes in two movies: Greystoke - The Legend of Tarzan, Lord of the Apes
and again in the 2001 remake of Planet of the Apes
(Two roles: one as a young gorilla boy and as Thade's niece). His most notable role is playing the Oompa-Loompas in Tim Burton
's 2005 adaptation of Charlie and the Chocolate Factory
. Deep had extensive training for the role in dance, yoga, and even some minor instrument playing. He is noted for his frequent collaborations with Tim Burton, appearing in Planet of the Apes
, Big Fish
, Charlie and the Chocolate Factory
and Corpse Bride
where he supplied General Bonesapart's voice.
He has done many other roles in movies and on television, including The X-Files
, Flash Gordon
, Return to Oz
(as the Tin Woodsman), Jim Henson's
The Dark Crystal
as a puppeteer extra, The NeverEnding Story as Teeny Weeny, the rider of the "racing snail", Alien From L.A.
, Howling VI: The Freaks
as Mr Toones and Return of the Jedi as Droopy McCool and in The Haunted Mansion
.
Most recently, he appeared in Transformers: Revenge of the Fallen
as an Egyptian guard and in the 2009 film Star Trek as "Keenser", Montgomery Scott's assistant on the ice planet Delta Vega. Deep played a green man while doing a commercial shoot for Ozocleanse.
English people
The English are a nation and ethnic group native to England, who speak English. The English identity is of early mediaeval origin, when they were known in Old English as the Anglecynn. England is now a country of the United Kingdom, and the majority of English people in England are British Citizens...
actor
Actor
An actor is a person who acts in a dramatic production and who works in film, television, theatre, or radio in that capacity...
, stuntman
Stuntman
A stuntman or stunt performer is someone who performs dangerous stunts.Stuntman may also refer to:*The Stunt Man, a 1980 film starring Peter O'Toole*Stuntman , a 2002 video game**Stuntman: Ignition, its sequel...
and puppeteer
Puppeteer
A puppeteer is a person who manipulates an inanimate object, such as a puppet, in real time to create the illusion of life. The puppeteer may be visible to or hidden from the audience. A puppeteer can operate a puppet indirectly by the use of strings, rods, wires, electronics or directly by his or...
of Indian descent.
Early life
Born Mohinder Purba in NairobiNairobi
Nairobi is the capital and largest city of Kenya. The city and its surrounding area also forms the Nairobi County. The name "Nairobi" comes from the Maasai phrase Enkare Nyirobi, which translates to "the place of cool waters". However, it is popularly known as the "Green City in the Sun" and is...
, Kenya
Kenya
Kenya , officially known as the Republic of Kenya, is a country in East Africa that lies on the equator, with the Indian Ocean to its south-east...
to India
India
India , officially the Republic of India , is a country in South Asia. It is the seventh-largest country by geographical area, the second-most populous country with over 1.2 billion people, and the most populous democracy in the world...
n parents, Roy is 4 ft 4 in (132 centimetres) tall.
Career
Because of his short stature, he has played a variety of unusual characters in his acting career. Roy made his professional screen acting debut in a 1976 episode of The New Avengers entitled "Target!" as character named Klokoe. He would later make his film debut that same year, in The Pink Panther Strikes AgainThe Pink Panther Strikes Again
The Pink Panther Strikes Again is the fifth film in the Pink Panther series and picks up where The Return of the Pink Panther leaves off...
, as the Italian Assassin. Another notable early role was as Mr. Sin, the "pig-brained Peking Homonculus", a villain with a distinct appetite for homicide, in the acclaimed Doctor Who
Doctor Who
Doctor Who is a British science fiction television programme produced by the BBC. The programme depicts the adventures of a time-travelling humanoid alien known as the Doctor who explores the universe in a sentient time machine called the TARDIS that flies through time and space, whose exterior...
story The Talons of Weng-Chiang
The Talons of Weng-Chiang
The Talons of Weng-Chiang is a serial in the British science fiction television series Doctor Who, which was first broadcast in six weekly parts from 26 February to 2 April 1977.-Synopsis:...
. In 1979, Roy also played a genetically engineered life form 'Decima' in the 1st season Blake's 7
Blake's 7
Blake's 7 is a British science fiction television series produced by the BBC for its BBC1 channel. The series was created by Terry Nation, a prolific television writer and creator of the Daleks for the television series Doctor Who. Four series of Blake's 7 were produced and broadcast between 1978...
episode "The Web" as well as the diminutive chess genius, 'The Klute', in the 2nd season Blake's 7
Blake's 7
Blake's 7 is a British science fiction television series produced by the BBC for its BBC1 channel. The series was created by Terry Nation, a prolific television writer and creator of the Daleks for the television series Doctor Who. Four series of Blake's 7 were produced and broadcast between 1978...
episode "Gambit".
He has played apes in two movies: Greystoke - The Legend of Tarzan, Lord of the Apes
Greystoke - The Legend of Tarzan, Lord of the Apes
Greystoke: The Legend of Tarzan, Lord of the Apes is a 1984 British film directed by Hugh Hudson and based on Edgar Rice Burroughs' novel Tarzan of the Apes...
and again in the 2001 remake of Planet of the Apes
Planet of the Apes (2001 film)
Planet of the Apes is a 2001 American science fiction film, based on Pierre Boulle's novel and a remake of the 1968 film of the same name. Tim Burton directed the film, which stars Mark Wahlberg, Tim Roth, Helena Bonham Carter, Michael Clarke Duncan, Paul Giamatti, and Estella Warren. It tells the...
(Two roles: one as a young gorilla boy and as Thade's niece). His most notable role is playing the Oompa-Loompas in Tim Burton
Tim Burton
Timothy William "Tim" Burton is an American film director, film producer, writer and artist. He is famous for dark, quirky-themed movies such as Beetlejuice, Edward Scissorhands, The Nightmare Before Christmas, Ed Wood, Sleepy Hollow, Corpse Bride and Sweeney Todd: The Demon Barber of Fleet...
's 2005 adaptation of Charlie and the Chocolate Factory
Charlie and the Chocolate Factory (film)
Charlie and the Chocolate Factory is a 2005 film adaptation of the 1964 book of the same name by Roald Dahl. The film was directed by Tim Burton. The film stars Freddie Highmore as Charlie Bucket and Johnny Depp as Willy Wonka...
. Deep had extensive training for the role in dance, yoga, and even some minor instrument playing. He is noted for his frequent collaborations with Tim Burton, appearing in Planet of the Apes
Planet of the Apes (2001 film)
Planet of the Apes is a 2001 American science fiction film, based on Pierre Boulle's novel and a remake of the 1968 film of the same name. Tim Burton directed the film, which stars Mark Wahlberg, Tim Roth, Helena Bonham Carter, Michael Clarke Duncan, Paul Giamatti, and Estella Warren. It tells the...
, Big Fish
Big Fish
Big Fish is a 2003 American fantasy adventure film based on the 1998 novel of the same name by Daniel Wallace. The film was directed by Tim Burton and stars Albert Finney, Ewan McGregor, Billy Crudup, Jessica Lange and Marion Cotillard. Finney plays Edward Bloom, a former traveling salesman from...
, Charlie and the Chocolate Factory
Charlie and the Chocolate Factory (film)
Charlie and the Chocolate Factory is a 2005 film adaptation of the 1964 book of the same name by Roald Dahl. The film was directed by Tim Burton. The film stars Freddie Highmore as Charlie Bucket and Johnny Depp as Willy Wonka...
and Corpse Bride
Corpse Bride
Corpse Bride, often promoted as Tim Burton's Corpse Bride, is a 2005 stop-motion-animated fantasy musical film directed by Mike Johnson and Tim Burton. It is set in a fictional Victorian era village in Europe. Johnny Depp led an all-star cast as the voice of Victor, while Helena Bonham Carter ...
where he supplied General Bonesapart's voice.
He has done many other roles in movies and on television, including The X-Files
The X-Files
The X-Files is an American science fiction television series and a part of The X-Files franchise, created by screenwriter Chris Carter. The program originally aired from to . The show was a hit for the Fox network, and its characters and slogans became popular culture touchstones in the 1990s...
, Flash Gordon
Flash Gordon (film)
Flash Gordon is a 1980 British/American science fiction film, based on the comic strip of the same name created by Alex Raymond. The film was directed by Mike Hodges and produced and presented by Dino De Laurentiis. It stars Sam J. Jones, Melody Anderson, Topol, Max von Sydow, Timothy Dalton, Brian...
, Return to Oz
Return to Oz
Return to Oz is a 1985 film which is an unofficial sequel to Victor Fleming's The Wizard of Oz. The film is based on the second and third Oz books, The Marvelous Land of Oz and Ozma of Oz...
(as the Tin Woodsman), Jim Henson's
Jim Henson
James Maury "Jim" Henson was an American puppeteer best known as the creator of The Muppets. As a puppeteer, Henson performed in various television programs, such as Sesame Street and The Muppet Show, films such as The Muppet Movie and The Great Muppet Caper, and created advanced puppets for...
The Dark Crystal
The Dark Crystal
The Dark Crystal is a 1982 British-American fantasy film directed by Jim Henson and Frank Oz. Although marketed as a family film, it was notably darker than previous material created by them. The animatronics used in the film were considered groundbreaking. The primary concept artist was the...
as a puppeteer extra, The NeverEnding Story as Teeny Weeny, the rider of the "racing snail", Alien From L.A.
Alien from L.A.
Alien From L.A. is a 1988 science fiction film that stars Kathy Ireland as a young woman who visits the underground civilization of Atlantis. The film was featured on Mystery Science Theater 3000.-Plot:...
, Howling VI: The Freaks
Howling VI: The Freaks
Howling VI: The Freaks is a 1991 direct-to-video horror sequel to The Howling. It was directed by Hope Perello, from the screenplay by Kevin Rock....
as Mr Toones and Return of the Jedi as Droopy McCool and in The Haunted Mansion
The Haunted Mansion (film)
The Haunted Mansion is a 2003 American comedy horror family film which is based on The Haunted Mansion attraction at Disney theme parks. The film is directed by Rob Minkoff, and stars Eddie Murphy, Terence Stamp, Jennifer Tilly, Marsha Thomason, and Nathaniel Parker...
.
Most recently, he appeared in Transformers: Revenge of the Fallen
Transformers: Revenge of the Fallen
Transformers: Revenge of the Fallen is a 2009 American science fiction-action film directed by Michael Bay and produced by Steven Spielberg. It is the sequel to the 2007 film Transformers and the second installment in the live-action Transformers series...
as an Egyptian guard and in the 2009 film Star Trek as "Keenser", Montgomery Scott's assistant on the ice planet Delta Vega. Deep played a green man while doing a commercial shoot for Ozocleanse.
Filmography
| Film | |||
|---|---|---|---|
| Year | Film | Role | Other notes |
| 1976 | The Pink Panther Strikes Again The Pink Panther Strikes Again The Pink Panther Strikes Again is the fifth film in the Pink Panther series and picks up where The Return of the Pink Panther leaves off... |
Italian Assassin | |
| 1979 | Licensed to Love and Kill | Dwarf | |
| Die Brut des Bösen | Van Bullock | ||
| 1980 | Flash Gordon Flash Gordon (film) Flash Gordon is a 1980 British/American science fiction film, based on the comic strip of the same name created by Alex Raymond. The film was directed by Mike Hodges and produced and presented by Dino De Laurentiis. It stars Sam J. Jones, Melody Anderson, Topol, Max von Sydow, Timothy Dalton, Brian... |
Fellini | |
| 1982 | The Sender | ||
| The Dark Crystal The Dark Crystal The Dark Crystal is a 1982 British-American fantasy film directed by Jim Henson and Frank Oz. Although marketed as a family film, it was notably darker than previous material created by them. The animatronics used in the film were considered groundbreaking. The primary concept artist was the... |
Additional Performer | ||
| 1983 | Star Wars Episode VI: Return of the Jedi Star Wars Episode VI: Return of the Jedi Star Wars Episode VI: Return of the Jedi is a 1983 American epic space opera film directed by Richard Marquand and written by George Lucas and Lawrence Kasdan. It is the third film released in the Star Wars saga, and the sixth in terms of the series' internal chronology... |
Droopy McCool | Uncredited Role |
| 1984 | Greystoke: The Legend of Tarzan, Lord of the Apes | Primate Sequences | |
| The NeverEnding Story The NeverEnding Story (film) The NeverEnding Story is a 1984 German-American epic fantasy film based on the novel of the same name written by Michael Ende. The film was directed and co-written by Wolfgang Petersen and starred Barret Oliver, Noah Hathaway and Tami Stronach. At the time of its release, it was the most... |
Teeny Weeny | Voice dubbed by Frank Lenart | |
| 1985 | Return to Oz Return to Oz Return to Oz is a 1985 film which is an unofficial sequel to Victor Fleming's The Wizard of Oz. The film is based on the second and third Oz books, The Marvelous Land of Oz and Ozma of Oz... |
Tin Man Tin Woodman The Tin Woodman, sometimes referred to as the Tin Man or the Tin Woodsman , is a character in the fictional Land of Oz created by American author L. Frank Baum... |
|
| Starship | Grid' not 'Kid | ||
| 1986 | Weekend Warriors Weekend Warriors (film) Weekend Warriors is a 1986 film directed by Bert Convy. An alternative title is Hollywood Airforce.-Cast:... |
Little Girl | Uncredited Role |
| 1987 | Going Bananas | Bonzo | |
| 1988 | Alien from L.A. Alien from L.A. Alien From L.A. is a 1988 science fiction film that stars Kathy Ireland as a young woman who visits the underground civilization of Atlantis. The film was featured on Mystery Science Theater 3000.-Plot:... |
Mambino | |
| 1989 | Rising Storm | Joker Arroyo | |
| Lethal Woman | Grizabella | ||
| 1990 | Disturbed | Marty | |
| 1991 | Howling VI: The Freaks Howling VI: The Freaks Howling VI: The Freaks is a 1991 direct-to-video horror sequel to The Howling. It was directed by Hope Perello, from the screenplay by Kevin Rock.... |
Toones | Direct-to-Video Release |
| 1992 | The Resurrected The Resurrected The Resurrected is a 1992 horror film, released direct to video. It was directed by Dan O'Bannon and starred John Terry, Jane Sibbett, Chris Sarandon and Robert Romanus. It is an adaptation of the H. P... |
Main Monster | |
| 1993 | Freaked Freaked Freaked is a 1993 American comedy film, directed by Tom Stern and Alex Winter, and written by Stern, Winter and Tim Burns... |
George Ramirez #3 | |
| 1994 | Dickwad | Little Telephone Bully | |
| 1995 | Under the Hula Moon | Bus Driver | |
| 1998 | Mafia! | Small Hitman | Uncredited Role |
| 2000 | How the Grinch Stole Christmas | Post Office Clerk | |
| 2001 | Planet of the Apes Planet of the Apes (2001 film) Planet of the Apes is a 2001 American science fiction film, based on Pierre Boulle's novel and a remake of the 1968 film of the same name. Tim Burton directed the film, which stars Mark Wahlberg, Tim Roth, Helena Bonham Carter, Michael Clarke Duncan, Paul Giamatti, and Estella Warren. It tells the... |
Gorilla Kid/Thade's Niece | |
| 2003 | The Haunted Mansion The Haunted Mansion (film) The Haunted Mansion is a 2003 American comedy horror family film which is based on The Haunted Mansion attraction at Disney theme parks. The film is directed by Rob Minkoff, and stars Eddie Murphy, Terence Stamp, Jennifer Tilly, Marsha Thomason, and Nathaniel Parker... |
Hitchhiking Ghost | |
| Big Fish Big Fish Big Fish is a 2003 American fantasy adventure film based on the 1998 novel of the same name by Daniel Wallace. The film was directed by Tim Burton and stars Albert Finney, Ewan McGregor, Billy Crudup, Jessica Lange and Marion Cotillard. Finney plays Edward Bloom, a former traveling salesman from... |
Mr. Soggybottom | ||
| 2004 | Surviving Eden | Indian Mo | |
| 2005 | Charlie and the Chocolate Factory Charlie and the Chocolate Factory (film) Charlie and the Chocolate Factory is a 2005 film adaptation of the 1964 book of the same name by Roald Dahl. The film was directed by Tim Burton. The film stars Freddie Highmore as Charlie Bucket and Johnny Depp as Willy Wonka... |
Oompa-Loompa | All of them. |
| Corpse Bride Corpse Bride Corpse Bride, often promoted as Tim Burton's Corpse Bride, is a 2005 stop-motion-animated fantasy musical film directed by Mike Johnson and Tim Burton. It is set in a fictional Victorian era village in Europe. Johnny Depp led an all-star cast as the voice of Victor, while Helena Bonham Carter ... |
General Bonesapart | Voice Role | |
| 2009 | Star Trek | Keenser | |
| Transformers: Revenge of the Fallen Transformers: Revenge of the Fallen Transformers: Revenge of the Fallen is a 2009 American science fiction-action film directed by Michael Bay and produced by Steven Spielberg. It is the sequel to the 2007 film Transformers and the second installment in the live-action Transformers series... |
Egyptian Guard | ||
| Television | |||
| Year | Title | Role | Notes |
| 1976 | The New Avengers | Klokoe | Episode: Target! |
| 1978 | Benji's Very Own Christmas Story Benji's Very Own Christmas Story Benji's Very Own Christmas Story is the third film featuring Benji the dog which was released in 1978. It was originally a primetime TV special on ABC and is one of two such Benji specials to have been nominated for an Emmy Award... |
Key Elf | Uncredited Role TV-Movie |
| 1977–1986 | Doctor Who Doctor Who Doctor Who is a British science fiction television programme produced by the BBC. The programme depicts the adventures of a time-travelling humanoid alien known as the Doctor who explores the universe in a sentient time machine called the TARDIS that flies through time and space, whose exterior... |
Mr. Sin Possican Delegate |
7 episodes |
| 1978–1980 | Blake's 7 Blake's 7 Blake's 7 is a British science fiction television series produced by the BBC for its BBC1 channel. The series was created by Terry Nation, a prolific television writer and creator of the Daleks for the television series Doctor Who. Four series of Blake's 7 were produced and broadcast between 1978... |
Decima The Klute Moloch Link |
4 episodes |
| 1989 | Desperado: The Outlaw Wars | Uncredited Role | |
| 2001 | The X-Files The X-Files The X-Files is an American science fiction television series and a part of The X-Files franchise, created by screenwriter Chris Carter. The program originally aired from to . The show was a hit for the Fox network, and its characters and slogans became popular culture touchstones in the 1990s... |
Beggar Man | Episode: Badlaa |
| 2010 | Eastbound & Down Eastbound & Down Eastbound & Down is an American comedy television series broadcast on HBO, starring Danny McBride as Kenny Powers, a former professional baseball pitcher, who after an up and down career in the major leagues is forced to return to his hometown middle-school in Shelby, North Carolina, as a... |
Aaron | |