Ed O'Ross

Ed O'Ross, born Ed Oross on July 4, 1946, in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, was an altar boy during his childhood and graduated from Munhall High in 1964. After high school, he attended both Point Park College and Carnegie Tech. Before pursuing acting, O'Ross was an amateur Golden Gloves boxing champion and a minor league baseball player. He studied acting in New York with renowned instructors Stella Adler and Uta Hagen. O'Ross made his film debut in 1982 in *Dear Mr. Wonderful*. Known for his intense and intimidating screen presence, he frequently portrayed roles such as rigid army officers, jaded law enforcement officers, and menacing villains. He played the brutal Russian drug dealer Viktor "Rosta" Rostavili in Walter Hill's *Red Heat*. Other notable roles include Mendez, a sleazy drug dealer in *Lethal Weapon*, the tough Lt. Touchdown in Stanley Kubrick's *Full Metal Jacket*, mobster Ralph Capone in *The Verne Miller Story*, detective Cliff Willis in *The Hidden*, the nervous Stringer in *Action Jackson*, and Colonel Perry in *Universal Soldier*. He also portrayed Nikolai, a passionate Russian florist, in the acclaimed series *Six Feet Under*. O'Ross has appeared as a guest star on numerous TV shows, including *Curb Your Enthusiasm*, *CSI: NY*, *NYPD Blue*, *Boston Legal*, *Chicago Hope*, *Seinfeld*, *Frasier*, *Walker: Texas Ranger*, *Moonlighting*, and *Scarecrow and Mrs. King*. On stage, he performed in Shakespeare's *King Lear*, James Thurber's *Story Theater*, and in City Center children's theater. He has also appeared in TV commercials. O'Ross resides in both New York and Los Angeles.