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

Deep Roy
Roy at the 2014 Florida SuperCon
Born
Mohinder Purba

(1957-12-01) 1 December 1957 (age 66)
Other namesGurdeep
Occupations
  • Actor
  • stuntman
  • puppeteer
Years active1976–present
Height132 cm (4 ft 4 in)

Life and career

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Roy was born on 1 December 1957[2] in Nairobi[3] to Indian parents in a Sikh family. He studied accounting in London before dropping out at 18. He later enrolled in The Slim Wood School of Comedy and got his start in the entertainment arena in England in 1970 as a stand-up comic in local cabaret clubs. In April 1970, Roy opened on the UK stage in Ray Cooney's Miracle Worker at the Palace Theatre, Westcliff-on-Sea. 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 played a genetically engineered life form "Decima" in the first season of Blake's 7 episode "The Web", the diminutive chess genius, "The Klute", in the second season of Blake's 7 episode "Gambit" and he voiced the character "Moloch", in the third season of Blake's 7 episode "Moloch". He was a stand-in for the Jedi Master Yoda in Star Wars: The Empire Strikes Back.[citation needed] He is uncredited on the film but can be seen in many behind-the-scenes photos dressed as Yoda for perspective shots filmed towards the end of production.

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), Corpse Bride (2005), where he supplied General Bonesapart's voice, and Charlie and the Chocolate Factory (also 2005).[4] He played all the Oompa-Loompas (165 of them) in Charlie and the Chocolate Factory.[5] In referencing his workload during production, director Tim Burton called Roy the "hardest-working man in show biz".[6] Roy had extensive training for the role in dance, yoga, and some minor instrument playing.

He has performed many other roles in films 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.[citation needed]

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 the second season of the HBO comedy Eastbound & Down. Roy starred as Sandeep Majumdar in the 2012 short film The Ballad of Sandeep.[7]

Filmography

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Film

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YearTitleRoleNotes
1976The Pink Panther Strikes AgainItalian Assassin
1978Benji's Very Own Christmas StoryKey ElfUncredited
1979The Muppet MovieStunt performer
Licensed to Love and KillDwarf
Die Brut des Bösen/Roots of EvilVan Bullock
1980Flash GordonFellini
The Empire Strikes BackYoda stand-in[8][9][10]
R2-D2 (double)
Uncredited
1982The Dark CrystalAdditional performer
Return of the EwokDroopy McCool
1983Mini GulliverMini Gull
Return of the JediDroopy McCool/puppeteer
R2-D2 (body double)
Ewok
1984This Is Spinal TapStunt performer
Greystoke: The Legend of Tarzan, Lord of the ApesPrimate sequences
The NeverEnding StoryTeeny WeenyVoice overdubbed
The Adventures of Buckaroo Banzai Across the 8th DimensionStunt performer
Lorca and the Outlaws a.k.a. StarshipGrid
1985Return to OzTin Man
(puppeteer)
Mad Max Beyond ThunderdomeStunt performer
1986Weekend WarriorsLittle girlUncredited
Poltergeist II: The Other SideStunt performer
1987Going BananasBonzo
1988Alien from L.A.Mambino
1989Rising StormJoker Arroyo
Lethal WomanGrizabella
1990DisturbedMarty
1991Howling VI: The FreaksToones
HookStunt performer
1992The ResurrectedMain monster
1993FreakedGeorge Ramirez No. 3
LeprechaunStunt double for Warwick Davis
Josh and S.A.M.Stunt performer
1994DickwadLittle Telephone Bully
Wes Craven's New NightmareStunt performer
The Little RascalsStunt performer
The WarStunt performer
The Jungle BookStunt performer
1995Sudden DeathStunt performer
Under the Hula MoonBus driver
1996MatildaStunt performer
1997RetroactiveStunt performer
1998Mafia!Small hitmanUncredited
BASEketballStunt performer
The Adventures of RagtimeStunt double for Justin Cooper
2000Disney's The KidStunt double for Spencer Breslin
How the Grinch Stole ChristmasPost office clerk
2001Planet of the ApesGorilla kid / Thade's niece
2003The Haunted MansionHitchhiking ghost
A Man ApartStunt performer
Leprechaun: Back 2 tha HoodStunt double for Warwick Davis
Big FishMr. Soggybottom
2004Surviving EdenIndian Mo
Van HelsingStunt performer
2005Charlie and the Chocolate FactoryOompa-LoompasSinging voice provided by Danny Elfman; narrator's voice provided by Geoffrey Holder
Corpse BrideGeneral BonesapartVoice
2009Star TrekKeenser
The UnbornStunt performerDoubled[further explanation needed]Atticus Shaffer
Transformers: Revenge of the FallenEgyptian guard
2012ZambeziaMushanaVoice
The Ballad of SandeepSandeep Majumdar
2013Paranormal MovieDemon
Star Trek Into DarknessKeenser
2014ManterventionMassage parlor owner
2016Star Trek BeyondKeenser
2017God Came 'RoundSandeepShort film/music video[11]
2019Deep Into LoveDr. LoveShort film

Television

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YearTitleRoleNotes
1976The New AvengersKlokoeEpisode: Target!
1977, 1986Doctor WhoMr. Sin/Posicarian delegate (uncredited)The Talons of Weng-Chiang/Mindwarp
1978–1980Blake's 7Decima/The Klute/Moloch/Link4 episodes
1989Desperado: The Outlaw WarsUncredited
1996Evil Has a FaceStunt performerTV movie
2001The X-FilesBeggar manEpisode: Badlaa
2002Courage the Cowardly DogLibrarianVoice, episode: Cabaret Courage/Wrath of the Librarian
2003–2004The Jamie Kennedy ExperimentHimself9 episodes
2010Eastbound & DownAaron4 episodes
2012Wolfpack of ResedaMr. JoEpisode: Hungry Like the Wolf

Music videos

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YearTitleRoleArtist
1996"Grind"Evil Cherub 1Alice in Chains
2007"Calm Down Dearest"Jamie T
2021"Atenção"Oompa-LoompasPedro Sampaio and Luísa Sonza

References

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  1. ^ Abramovitch, Seth (25 August 2016). "Little People, Big Woes in Hollywood: Low Pay, Degrading Jobs and a Tragic Death". Hollywood Reporter. Retrieved 11 March 2023.
  2. ^ "Famous Birthdays". Minneapolis Star Tribune. 1 December 2017. p. A2; "Today's Birthdays". The Baltimore Sun. 1 December 2014. p. A9.
  3. ^ "Roy | Star Trek". StarTrek.com. CBS Television Distribution and CBS Interactive Inc. Retrieved 30 April 2021.
  4. ^ Scott, A. O. (15 July 2005). "Film review: Looking for the Candy, Finding a Back Story". The New York Times. Retrieved 31 January 2021.
  5. ^ Kung, Michelle. "The sole Oompa-Loompa". people.com. Retrieved 30 April 2021.
  6. ^ Colbourne, Scott (15 July 2005). "How'd They Do It? The Oompa-Loompa Factor". The Globe and Mail. Archived from the original on 26 February 2021. Retrieved 21 November 2021.
  7. ^ "About the film". The Ballad of Sandeep. Retrieved 31 January 2021.[permanent dead link]
  8. ^ Newbold, Mark (17 April 2021). "Star Wars 100 Interviews: Walking Yoda Deep Roy". fanthatracks.com. Retrieved 25 April 2021.
  9. ^ "The making of Yoda, Part II". www.netdwellers.com. Retrieved 31 January 2021.[better source needed]
  10. ^ "Cut Scenes: Dagobah". www.starwarz.com. 25 February 2013. Retrieved 31 January 2021.[better source needed]
  11. ^ "GOD CAME 'ROUND Starring Deep Roy, Directed by Derek Frey, song by Professor T & the East Side Shredders". 30 July 2017. Retrieved 31 January 2021.
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