Deep Roy

Gurdeep Roy (born Mohinder Purba; 26 January 1957), known professionally as Deep Roy, is a Kenyan-born British-American actor, stuntman and puppeteer of Indian descent. At 132 centimetres (4 ft 4 in) tall, he has often been cast as diminutive characters, such as Teeny Weeny in The NeverEnding Story and the Oompa-Loompas in Charlie and the Chocolate Factory, Keenser in Star Trek and subsequent films ("Kelvin Timeline"), and in television series such as The X-Files, Doctor Who and Eastbound & Down.[1]

Deep Roy
Roy at the 2014 Florida SuperCon.
Born
Mohinder Purba

(1957-01-12) 12 January 1957
Other namesGurdeep
Occupation
  • Actor
  • stuntman
  • puppeteer
Years active1976–present
Home townHounslow, England, U.K.
Height4 ft 4 in (132 cm)

Life and career

Roy was born in Nairobi, British Kenya, to Indian parents. He studied at The Slim Wood School of Comedy and got his start in the entertainment arena in England since 1970, as a stand-up comic in local cabaret clubs. In April 1970, Deep opened on the London stage in Ray Cooney’s Miracle Worker at the Palace Theatre, Westcliff-on-Sea.[2] He made his professional screen acting debut in a 1976 episode of The New Avengers, titled "Target!" as a character named Klokoe. He made his film debut later that same year, in The Pink Panther Strikes Again, as the Italian Assassin. Another early role was as Mr. Sin, the "pig-brained Peking Homunculus", a villain with a distinct appetite for homicide, in the Doctor Who serial The Talons of Weng-Chiang. In 1979, Roy also played a genetically engineered life form "Decima" in the first season Blake's 7 episode "The Web", the diminutive chess genius, "The Klute", in the second season Blake's 7 episode "Gambit" and he voiced the character "Moloch", in the third season Blake's 7 episode "Moloch".

He has played apes in two movies: Greystoke: The Legend of Tarzan, Lord of the Apes and again in the Tim Burton remake of Planet of the Apes (2001) in two roles, one as a young gorilla boy and as Thade's niece. He has worked for Burton in three other films, Big Fish (2003), (2005),[3] and Corpse Bride (also 2005), where he supplied General Bonesapart's voice. He played all the Oompa-Loompas (165 of them) in Charlie and the Chocolate Factory; Deep had extensive training for the role in dance, yoga, and some minor instrument playing.

He has performed many other roles in movies and on television, including The X-Files, Flash Gordon, Return to Oz (as the Tin Woodman), 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.

He appeared in Transformers: Revenge of the Fallen (2009) as an Egyptian border guard and in the film Star Trek (also 2009) as Keenser, Scotty's assistant on the ice planet Delta Vega; he reprised the Keenser role in the sequels Star Trek Into Darkness and Star Trek Beyond. In one of his more prominent speaking roles, Roy played Aaron, a violent Mumbai-born Mexican criminal, in second season of the HBO comedy, Eastbound & Down. Deep starred as Sandeep Majumdar in the 2012 short film The Ballad of Sandeep.[4]

Filmography

Film

Year Title Role Notes
1976 The Pink Panther Strikes Again Italian assassin
1978 Benji's Very Own Christmas Story Key elf Uncredited
1979 The Muppet Movie Stunt performer
1979 Licensed to Love and Kill Dwarf
1979 Die Brut des Bösen/Roots of Evil Van Bullock
1980 Flash Gordon Fellini
1980 The Empire Strikes Back Yoda Stand In[5][6][7]
R2-D2 (double)
Uncredited
1982 The Dark Crystal Additional performer
1982 Return of the Ewok Droopy McCool
1983 Mini Gulliver Mini Gull
1983 Return of the Jedi Droopy McCool/Puppeteer
R2-D2 (body double)
Ewok
1984 This Is Spinal Tap Stunt performer
1984 Greystoke: The Legend of Tarzan, Lord of the Apes Primate sequences
1984 The NeverEnding Story Teeny Weeny Voice dubbed over
1984 The Adventures of Buckaroo Banzai Across the 8th Dimension Stunt performer
1984 Lorca and the Outlaws Grid
1985 Return to Oz Tin Man
(puppeteer)
1985 Mad Max Beyond Thunderdome Stunt performer
1986 Weekend Warriors Little girl Uncredited
1986 Poltergeist II: The Other Side Stunt performer
1987 Going Bananas Bonzo
1988 Alien from L.A. Mambino
1989 Rising Storm Joker Arroyo
1989 Lethal Woman Grizabella
1990 Disturbed Marty
1991 Howling VI: The Freaks Toones
1991 Hook Stunt performer
1992 The Resurrected Main monster
1993 Freaked George Ramirez No. 3
1993 Leprechaun Stunt performer stunt double for Warwick Davis
1993 Josh and S.A.M. Stunt performer
1994 Dickwad Little telephone bully
1994 Wes Craven's New Nightmare Stunt performer
1994 The Little Rascals Stunt performer
1994 The War Stunt performer
1994 The Jungle Book Stunt performer
1994 Sudden Death Stunt performer
1995 Under the Hula Moon Bus driver
1996 Matilda Stunt performer
1997 Retroactive Stunt performer
1998 Mafia! Small hitman Uncredited
1998 BASEketball Stunt performer
1998 The Adventures of Ragtime Stunt performer stunt double for Justin Cooper
2000 Disney's The Kid Stunt performer stunt double for Spencer Breslin
2000 How the Grinch Stole Christmas Post office clerk
2001 Planet of the Apes Gorilla kid / Thade's niece
2003 The Haunted Mansion Hitchhiking ghost
2003 A Man Apart Stunt performer
2003 Leprechaun: Back 2 tha Hood Stunt performer stunt double for Warwick Davis
2003 Big Fish Mr. Soggybottom
2004 Surviving Eden Indian Mo
2004 Van Helsing Stunt performer
2005 Charlie and the Chocolate Factory Oompa-Loompas singing voice provided by Danny Elfman
2005 Corpse Bride General Bonesapart Voice
2009 Star Trek Keenser
2009 The Unborn Stunt performer DoubledAtticus Shaffer
2009 Transformers: Revenge of the Fallen Egyptian guard
2012 Zambezia Mushana Voice
2012 The Ballad of Sandeep Sandeep Majumdar
2013 Paranormal Movie Demon
2013 Star Trek Into Darkness Keenser
2014 Mantervention Massage Parlor Owner
2016 Star Trek Beyond Keenser[8]
2017 God Came 'Round Sandeep short film/music video[9]

Television

Year Title Role Notes
1976 The New Avengers Klokoe Episode: "Target!"
1977 Doctor Who The Talons of Weng-Chiang Mr. Sin 6 episodes
19781980 Blake's 7 Decima
The Klute
Moloch
Link
4 episodes
1986 Doctor Who Mindwarp Posicarian delegate Uncredited
1989 Desperado: The Outlaw Wars Uncredited
1996 Evil Has A Face Stunt performer TV film
2001 The X-Files Beggar Man Season 8, Episode 10: "Badlaa"
2002 Courage the Cowardly Dog Librarian Episode: "Cabaret Courage/Wrath of the Librarian"
2003–2004 The Jamie Kennedy Experiment Himself 9 Episodes
2010 Eastbound & Down Aaron 4 Episodes
2012 Wolfpack of Reseda Mr Jo Episode: "Hungry Like the Wolf"

References

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