Ardon Bess (born 1941) is a Canadian actor best known for appearing in a Heritage Minutes short film about the 1958 Springhill mining disaster portraying survivor Maurice Ruddick,[1] and for playing Nestor "The Jester" Best in the sitcom King of Kensington.[2][3]
Ardon Bess | |
|---|---|
 Bess in 2013 | |
| Born | 1941 |
| Occupation | actor |
| Years active | 1973-present |
Early life and education
editBess was born in Kingstown, St. Vincent and the Grenadines.[4] After completing his secondary school education in St. Vincent, he became a bank teller.[5] Before moving to Canada, Bess was acting in and directing local amateur theatre in Kingstown. He moved to Canada in 1964[5] and first lived in Oakville, Ontario with his father. He briefly studied architecture at Ryerson Polytechnical Institute in Toronto. Bess was encouraged by a classmate[6] at Ryerson to go to an acting audition which took place after a soccer practice they were both attending. Following that audition, Bess was offered his first professional theatre role as Sakini in a production of The Teahouse of the August Moon. Subsequently, Bess left Ryerson to attend the National Theatre School of Canada.[5]
Career
editHe has also appeared in other films and television roles including Trailer Park Boys,[5] How She Move, Take the Lead, The Ladies Man, Kung Fu: The Legend Continues, Prom Night, King of Kensington,[5] and Jewel.[7] He earned a Gemini Award nomination for Best Performance by an Actor in a Featured Supporting Role in a Dramatic Program or Mini-Series for his role in One Heart Broken Into Song.[8]
In 2000, Bess' role of Don in the short film My Father’s Hands earned him a Golden Sheaf Award in the category of best performance by a male.[9]
Filmography
editFilm
edit| Year | Title | Role | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1975 | My Pleasure Is My Business | Ambassador | |
| 1975 | Lions for Breakfast | Police officer | Uncredited |
| 1976 | Love at First Sight | Auditor | |
| 1978 | High-Ballin' | Policeman | |
| 1979 | H. G. Wells' The Shape of Things to Come | Merrick | |
| 1980 | Prom Night | Teacher | |
| 1980 | Head On | Poker Player | |
| 1980 | Deadline | Limousine Driver | |
| 1982 | Highpoint | Freightman | Uncredited |
| 1993 | Ordinary Magic | Barbershop #2 | |
| 1994 | Trial by Jury | Albert, Juror | |
| 1995 | Soul Survivor | Papa | |
| 1995 | Moving Target | Jake | |
| 1999 | The 4th Floor | Hardware Owner | |
| 1999 | My Father’s Hands | Don | Short film |
| 1999 | One Heart Broken Into Song | Serious Cromwell | |
| 2000 | After Alice | Lenny | |
| 2000 | The Ladies Man | Stage Manager | |
| 2001 | On Their Knees | Gas Station Clerk | |
| 2002 | The Skulls II | Mr. Beckford | |
| 2002 | Jack & Ella | Darrell | |
| 2006 | Take the Lead | Smitty | |
| 2007 | How She Move | Uncle Cecil | |
| 2008 | Saving God | Officer Earle | |
| 2012 | Bloodwork | Martel | |
| 2016 | A Sunday Kind of Love | Server | |
| 2017 | Cardinals | Stanley Axel | |
| 2022 | Junior's Giant | Cec |
Television
edit| Year | Title | Role | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1973 | The Starlost | Soldier | Episode: "The Goddess Calabra" |
| 1975–1978 | King of Kensington | Nestor Best | 63 episodes |
| 1980 | The Littlest Hobo | Policeman / Ernie | 2 episodes |
| 1984, 1985 | Hangin' In | Errol | |
| 1985 | Reckless Disregard | Jury Foreman | Television film |
| 1985 | The Park Is Mine | Daniels | |
| 1985 | Check It Out! | Clyde | Episode: "Love on Sale" |
| 1986 | Philip Marlowe, Private Eye | Jed Mason | Episode: "Pickup on Noon Street" |
| 1987 | CBS Schoolbreak Special | Mr. McLean | Episode: "The Day They Came to Arrest the Book" |
| 1987 | Street Legal | Percival | Episode: "Tango Bellarosa" |
| 1987 | The Kidnapping of Baby John Doe | Bill Davis | Television film |
| 1987 | Friday the 13th: The Series | Hotel Manager | Episode: "Cupid's Quiver" |
| 1987, 1988 | Night Heat | Gil Johnson / Tago | 2 episodes |
| 1988 | Hostage | Garage Attendant | Television film |
| 1988, 1990 | T. and T. | Smiling Ryan | 2 episodes |
| 1989 | The Campbells | Jake | Episode: "Eyes of Angels" |
| 1990 | Shining Time Station: 'Tis a Gift | Tucker Cooper | Television film |
| 1993 | Heritage Minutes | Maurice Ruddick | Episode: "Maurice Ruddick"[10] |
| 1993 | Coming of Age | Condo Salesman | Television film |
| 1993–1996 | Kung Fu: The Legend Continues | Brad Poster / Rawlins / Saul | 4 episodes |
| 1994 | Spenser: The Judas Goat | Winston Boyko | Television film |
| 1994 | Ready or Not | Serjak | Episode: "Break Up" |
| 1995 | Due South | Rudy Porter | Episode: "An Eye for an Eye" |
| 1995 | Triplecross | Ben | Television film |
| 1995 | Prince for a Day | Nix | |
| 1996 | Mr. and Mrs. Loving | Justice of the Peace | |
| 1996 | F/X: The Series | Security Guard Tony | Episode: "High Risk" |
| 1998 | The Defenders: Choice of Evils | Counsel Room Guard | Television film |
| 1998 | Free of Eden | Businessman | |
| 1999 | The Promise | Jury Foreman | |
| 1999 | Twice in a Lifetime | Dr. Harold Roth | Episode: "Ashes to Ashes" |
| 2000 | D.C. | Old Man | Episode: "Pilot" |
| 2000 | On Hostile Ground | Smiley | Television film |
| 2000 | Soul Food | Uncle Pete | 4 episodes |
| 2000 | Songs in Ordinary Time | Earlie's Grandfather | Television film |
| 2001 | Laughter on the 23rd Floor | Cecil | |
| 2001 | Jewel | Nelson | |
| 2001 | Trailer Park Boys | Levi | 6 episodes |
| 2001 | MythQuest | Baba | Episode: "The Blessing" |
| 2001 | Fortier | Dexter Kennedy | Episode: "Soupçons et paranoïa: Part 1" |
| 2002 | Sins of the Father | Minister at Church | Television film |
| 2002 | Matthew Blackheart: Monster Smasher | Blind Sid | |
| 2002 | 10,000 Black Men Named George | Daddy Moore | |
| 2002 | Power and Beauty | Thomas | |
| 2002 | Degrassi: The Next Generation | Wayne | Episode: "Don't Believe the Hype" |
| 2003 | Odyssey 5 | Congressman Reddling | Episode: "Fossil" |
| 2004 | 72 Hours: True Crime | Patrick Critton | Episode: "Hijacked" |
| 2004 | Doc | Benny Anderson | Episode: "Happy Trails" |
| 2005 | Sue Thomas: F.B.Eye | Oscar | Episode: "Bad Girls" |
| 2009 | Da Kink in My Hair | Pops | Episode: "Looks Can Be Revealing" |
| 2009 | Guns | Sonya's Father | 2 episodes |
| 2011 | John A.: Birth of a Country | Chief Barber | Television film |
| 2013 | Cracked | Attendant | Episode: "Swans" |
| 2014 | Remedy | Henry Kozlow | Episode: "Shift/Change" |
| 2016 | Four in the Morning | Amadeus | Episode: "The Music" |
| 2017 | Kim's Convenience | Arthur | Episode: "Resting Place" |
References
edit- ^ "Survivor's song; Miner's bravery honored in heritage vignette" by Alan Hustak, Montreal Gazette (21 Feb, 1993) [Final Edition] Retrieved from ProQuest 432399699
- ^ "#22: The King of Kensington (CBC, 1974-80)" at www.theglobeandmail.com
- ^ "Waxman a big artist, class act, friends say" by Murray Campbell & Krista Foss at www.theglobeandmail.com
- ^ Ardon Bess' bio at www.northernstars.ca
- ^ a b c d e "Veteran actor is in fighting trim" by Pat Donnelly, Montreal Gazette (22 Jan, 2011) Retrieved from ProQuest 847078127
- ^ "Actor Bess walked right through the white wall" by Pat Donnelly, Montreal Gazette (21 Oct, 2000) [Final Edition] Retrieved from ProQuest 433651017
- ^ "Television Review; A Mother's Struggle to 'Fix Things' for a Child With Down Syndrome" by Anita Gates at www.nytimes.com
- ^ "Nominees for Gemini Awards" Edmonton Journal (30 Oct, 2000) Retrieved from ProQuest 252757711
- ^ "4 Square adds to its Scarred by History library" by Cheryl Binning at playbackonline.ca
- ^ Heritage Minutes: "Maurice Ruddick" at www.historicacanada.ca