---
name: "Ed O'Ross"
canonical: "https://film.one/person/ed-oross"
fi1m_id: "ed-oross"
imdb_id: "nm0642522"
tmdb_id: 8658
wikidata_id: "Q1262126"
roles: ["Actor"]
born: "4 July 1946"
reviewed_on_fi1m: 3
average_fi1m_score: 66
average_as: "actor"
average_over: 3
updated: "2026-10-04T21:17:02.710790+00:00"
licence: "© Fi1m Ltd. Written by AI under a human editor; checked against sources before publication. Quote with attribution and a link to the canonical URL."
---

# Ed O'Ross

## Identity

Ed O'Ross

- **Canonical:** https://film.one/person/ed-oross
- **Type:** Person
- **Fi1m ID:** ed-oross
- **IMDb ID:** nm0642522
- **TMDB ID:** 8658
- **Wikidata ID:** Q1262126
- **Same entity:** https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ed_O%27Ross, https://www.wikidata.org/wiki/Q1262126, https://www.imdb.com/name/nm0642522/, https://www.themoviedb.org/person/8658

Actor. Born 4 July 1946 in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, USA.

## Details

- **Work:** Actor
- **Born:** 4 July 1946, Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, USA
- **Active:** 1987–1990
- **Also known as:** Ed Oross, Ed O. Ross
- **Average Fi1m score:** 66, as actor, over 3 titles
- **Fi1m score by decade:** 1980s 80 (2), 1990s 38 (1)
- **Fi1m against the critics:** 66 to 62 across 3 titles
- **Score spread:** 2 at 80+, 0 at 60–79, 1 under 60
- **Lead roles:** 0 of 2 acting credits billed first or second
- **Genres:** Action 2, Crime 2, Comedy 1, Drama 1, Thriller 1, War 1
- **Screen time:** 5 hours of reviewed films
- **Box office:** $320m across 3 films with figures
- **Elsewhere:** https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ed_O%27Ross, https://www.wikidata.org/wiki/Q1262126, https://www.imdb.com/name/nm0642522/, https://www.themoviedb.org/person/8658

## Streaming the US now

- **HBO Max:** [*Full Metal Jacket*](https://film.one/film/full-metal-jacket.md) (81)

For United States; add `?region=XX` for another country.

## Fi1m on Ed O'Ross

> Ed O'Ross makes supporting heavies credible through a gravelly voice and an imposing presence. We value that directness, though the repeated villains and officers can blur together; his television work offers a welcome change.

Ed O'Ross can make a supporting character sound dangerous before the script has supplied much evidence. His deep, gravelly voice and imposing presence are useful tools, and directors have repeatedly called on them for officers, cynical cops and villains. Mendez in *Lethal Weapon* (1987) and Viktor Rostavili, the Georgian mobster in Walter Hill's *Red Heat* (1988), belong to the run of action parts that established him. We value that immediate sense of threat, though the repeated demand for it can make the parts blur together.

In Stanley Kubrick's *Full Metal Jacket* (1987), O'Ross plays Lt. Touchdown, but the film's chief acting force is elsewhere. We found the training camp horribly entertaining, and were disturbed by how readily R. Lee Ermey made military cruelty watchable. The move to Vietnam loosens the film's grip, though it remains a powerful war drama. O'Ross is worth noticing within it, but anyone approaching the film chiefly to see him should know how completely Ermey dominates its first section.

With Hill's *Another 48 Hrs.* (1990), in which he plays Frank Cruise, the film itself is harder to recommend. Eddie Murphy and Nick Nolte still work well together, but a hurried crime plot and too much violence crowd out their comedy. O'Ross's presence is no reason to excuse that, and we would not send anyone through a poor sequel merely to complete a list of his credits. His supporting work has to be judged separately from the quality of the action films that kept employing him.

Television offers a more useful change of setting, especially *Six Feet Under* (2001–2005), in which he plays the recurring Russian florist Nikolai. The Russian background is familiar casting for O'Ross, but a lusty florist is a welcome change from another mobster or officer. Start with *Full Metal Jacket* for the film, then seek out Nikolai to see him working beyond the usual action-film duties.

## Biography

Ed O'Ross is an American actor. Born Edward Oross in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, he studied acting in New York with Stella Adler and Uta Hagen.

He is known for his film roles as Lt. Touchdown in *Full Metal Jacket* (1987), Mendez in *Lethal Weapon* (1987), Viktor Rostavili in *Red Heat* (1988), Itchy in *Dick Tracy* (1990) and Colonel Perry in *Universal Soldier* (1992). His television credits include appearances in *Seinfeld* (1989), *Six Feet Under* (2001) and *NCIS* (2003).

*Sources: en.wikipedia.org, imdb.com.*

## On Fi1m (3)

- *Another 48 Hrs.* (1990), Fi1m 38, as Frank Cruise — [page](https://film.one/film/another-48-hrs.md)
- *Full Metal Jacket* (1987), Fi1m 81, as Lt. Touchdown — [page](https://film.one/film/full-metal-jacket.md)
- *Lethal Weapon* (1987), Fi1m 80, as Mendez — [page](https://film.one/film/lethal-weapon.md)

## Complete filmography (67)

Every credit, newest first. Titles without a page can be requested for review on the HTML page.

- *Curious George: Royal Monkey* (2019), as Ivan the Doorman / Firefighter (voice)
- *Dark Image* (2017), as Ogden Edwards
- *The Best Thanksgiving Ever* (2016), as Officer Harris
- *Rivers 9* (2015), as Covington
- *Alcatraz Prison Escape: Deathbed Confession* (2015), as Narrator (voice)
- *Fallout: Red Star* (2013), series, as Barker
- *A Green Story* (2013), as Van
- *Sorority Party Massacre* (2012), as Sheriff Barney P. Lumpkin
- *Curious George 2: Follow That Monkey!* (2009), as Ivan the Doorman (voice)
- *The Harsh Life of Veronica Lambert* (2009), Actor
- *Star And The Forces Of Evil* (2009), series, as Boris (voice)
- *Belly 2: Millionaire Boyz Club* (2008), as Coleman
- *Nobody* (2007), as Rolo Toles
- *Delta Farce* (2007), as Victor
- *Shark* (2006), series, as Yuri Denikov — Fi1m 55, [page](https://film.one/tv/shark.md)
- *Curious George* (2006), as Ivan (voice)
- *The Closer* (2005), series, as Ryan Littman
- *Boston Legal* (2004), series, as Judge Phillip Stevens — Fi1m 76, [page](https://film.one/tv/boston-legal.md)
- *CSI: NY* (2004), series, as Paul Wojewedski
- *Justice League Unlimited* (2004), series, as General Olanic (voice), Tobias Manning / Guard (voice)
- *NCIS* (2003), series, as Dao Huang — Fi1m 66, [page](https://film.one/tv/ncis.md)
- *Teen Titans* (2003), series, as Raskov (voice)
- *The Gray in Between* (2002), as Roman
- *Star Trek: Enterprise* (2001), series, as Gaavrin
- *Six Feet Under* (2001), series, as Nikolai — Fi1m 86, [page](https://film.one/tv/six-feet-under.md)
- *Mindstorm* (2001), as Caretaker
- *Spanish Judges* (2000), as The Bossman
- *Curb Your Enthusiasm* (2000), series, as Leo — Fi1m 84, [page](https://film.one/tv/curb-your-enthusiasm.md)
- *Grosse Pointe* (2000), series, as Officer Volpe
- *The Last Producer* (2000), as Sarky
- *Strong Medicine* (2000), series, as Mr. Furlong
- *Y2K* (1999), as Fairchild
- *Enemy Action* (1999), as Maj. Pedyed
- *Evasive Action* (1998), as Warden Jack Kramer
- *Men in Black: The Series* (1997), series, as Agent K (voice)
- *Hoodlum* (1997), as Lulu Rosenkrantz
- *Dark Planet* (1997), as Byron
- *Navajo Blues* (1996), as Not Lightning Struck
- *The Power Within* (1995), as Deriva
- *Chicago Hope* (1994), series, as Ev Wyman
- *Midnight Run Around* (1994), as Marvin Dorfler
- *Another Midnight Run* (1994), as Marvin Dorfler
- *The Hidden II* (1993), as Cliff Willis (archive footage)
- *Play Nice* (1992), as Jack 'Mouth' Penucci
- *Universal Soldier* (1992), as Colonel Perry
- *Hiroshima: Out of the Ashes* (1990), as Major Gates (uncredited)
- *Dick Tracy* (1990), as Itchy
- *Another 48 Hrs.* (1990), as Frank Cruise — Fi1m 38, [page](https://film.one/film/another-48-hrs.md)
- *The Outsiders* (1990), series, as Convict
- *Seinfeld* (1989), series, as Det. Blake, Cop #2, Detective Blake — Fi1m 90, [page](https://film.one/tv/seinfeld.md)
- *Glory Days* (1988), as Dave Trumbo
- *The Verne Miller Story* (1988), as Ralph Capone
- *Red Heat* (1988), as Viktor Rostavili
- *Action Jackson* (1988), as Frank Stringer
- *The Hidden* (1987), as Cliff Willis
- *Full Metal Jacket* (1987), as Lt. Touchdown — Fi1m 81, [page](https://film.one/film/full-metal-jacket.md)
- *High Mountain Rangers* (1987), as Bernie Cousins
- *Lethal Weapon* (1987), as Mendez — Fi1m 80, [page](https://film.one/film/lethal-weapon.md)
- *Dreams of Gold: The Mel Fisher Story* (1986), as Trooper Hudley
- *Seven Minutes in Heaven* (1986), as Mall Security Guard
- *Stingray* (1985), as Tino Di Augustino
- *Moonlighting* (1985), series, as Mr. Navarone — Fi1m 82, [page](https://film.one/tv/moonlighting.md)
- *The Cotton Club* (1984), as Monk
- *Murder, She Wrote* (1984), series, as Det. Alex Maggio
- *The Pope of Greenwich Village* (1984), as Bartender at Sal's
- *One Down, Two to Go* (1982), as Tournament Thug
- *Dear Mr. Wonderful* (1982), as Glenn

## Gallery

- ![Ed O'Ross](https://film.one/media/person/103350/gallery-71c6f005a0d7.jpg) Ed O'Ross — Ed_O'Ross_at_tha_Ackermansion.jpg: Alan Light
derivative work: RanZag (talk), CC BY 2.0, via Wikimedia Commons (https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/a/a9/Ed_O%27Ross.jpg?utm_source=commons.wikimedia.org&utm_campaign=imageinfo&utm_content=thumbnail_unscaled)
- ![Actor Ed O'Ross on the Ackermansion tour. (2007)](https://film.one/media/person/103350/gallery-bafb500d27db.jpg) Actor Ed O'Ross on the Ackermansion tour. (2007) — Alan Light, CC BY 2.0, via Wikimedia Commons (https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/6/6c/Ed_O%27Ross_at_tha_Ackermansion.jpg?utm_source=commons.wikimedia.org&utm_campaign=imageinfo&utm_content=thumbnail_unscaled)
- ![Note the head, at right, used in "This Island Earth." Here, Ed O'Ross poses with Forry. (1990)](https://film.one/media/person/103350/gallery-998f4ed348da.jpg) Note the head, at right, used in "This Island Earth." Here, Ed O'Ross poses with Forry. (1990) — Alan Light, CC BY 2.0, via Wikimedia Commons (https://thumb.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/b/bc/Ed_ORoss_and_Forrest_Ackerman_%281153375613%29.jpg/1280px-Ed_ORoss_and_Forrest_Ackerman_%281153375613%29.jpg?utm_source=commons.wikimedia.org&utm_campaign=imageinfo&utm_content=thumbnail)
- ![Shel Dorf (in brown jacket) (1933-2009) on the set of the 1990 Warren Beatty/Madonna Dick Tracy movie - Ed O'Ross as Itchy is at top left. - Permission granted  (2006)](https://film.one/media/person/103350/gallery-64d07d222f4d.jpg) Shel Dorf (in brown jacket) (1933-2009) on the set of the 1990 Warren Beatty/Madonna Dick Tracy movie - Ed O'Ross as Itchy is at top left. - Permission granted  (2006) — Alan Light, CC BY 2.0, via Wikimedia Commons (https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/b/b6/Shel_Dorf_with_Dick_Tracy_actors.jpg?utm_source=commons.wikimedia.org&utm_campaign=imageinfo&utm_content=thumbnail_unscaled)

---
© Fi1m Ltd. Written by AI under a human editor; checked against sources before publication. Quote with attribution and a link to the canonical URL. Canonical: https://film.one/person/ed-oross