Ross Higgins facts for kids
Quick facts for kids
Ross Higgins
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Ross Higgins as his most famous character Ted Bullpitt in Kingswood Country
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| Born | 14 June 1931 Sydney, New South Wales, Australia
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| Died | 7 October 2016 (aged 85) Sydney, New South Wales, Australia
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| Years active | 1946–2016 |
| Spouse(s) | Nadine |
| Children | 4 |
Ross Higgins (born 14 June 1931 – died 7 October 2016) was a famous Australian entertainer. He was an actor, comedian, singer, and voice artist. Many people knew him as Ted Bullpitt from the TV show Kingswood Country.
Ross Higgins also voiced "Louie the Fly" in the Mortein bug spray commercials. This ad campaign ran for over 50 years, making it one of Australia's longest-running ads. He was also the voice of "Mr. Pound" when Australia first started using decimal currency.
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Ross Higgins' Early Career in Radio and Music
Ross Higgins started his entertainment journey in 1946. He was only 15 years old. He began working at a radio station in Sydney called 2GB.
He quickly became an announcer on the radio. He hosted morning and evening shows that featured different kinds of entertainment. Ross was also a trained singer. He recorded many songs, which made him well-known across Australia.
Comedy on the Radio
In the 1950s, Ross Higgins showed his talent for comedy. He joined the cast of a very popular radio show called The Jack Davey Show. This helped him become even more famous.
He worked for both commercial radio stations and the ABC. He traveled around Australia, hosting shows and singing with the ABC show band. During this time, he performed with famous artists like Slim Dusty.
Moving to Television
When television started in Australia in 1956, Ross Higgins easily moved into this new medium. He appeared on many variety shows. He also hosted game shows on the 7 Network.
In the early 1960s, he was on shows like Singalong and Bobby Limb's Sound of Music on the 9 Network. His ability to sing, host, and act made him a versatile performer.
Ross Higgins: The Voice Artist
During the 1960s, Ross Higgins became a top voiceover artist. He created many different character voices for TV and radio ads. He also voiced characters for cartoons.
His most famous voice character was "Louie the Fly." This was an animated fly for the Mortein bug spray commercials. Ross Higgins recorded this voice for over 50 years, starting in 1957. It is one of the longest-running TV ad campaigns ever!
Ross Higgins on Television Shows
Ross Higgins had a role as a priest in an early Australian TV show called Motel in 1968. He also made guest appearances in other popular series. These included Division 4 and Skippy.
Throughout the 1970s, Ross Higgins and his friend Kevin Golsby were the main voices heard in Australian commercials. They were very successful in the voiceover world.
Kingswood Country: A Big Hit
In 1977, Ross Higgins got another big role. He and Kevin Golsby were regular performers in a comedy show called The *** Vicar Show. Ross played many different characters in this series.
In 1980, a new show was created based on a character Ross Higgins played in The *** Vicar Show. This character was a loud man who drove a Holden Kingswood car. The new show was called Kingswood Country. It was very popular and ran for five and a half seasons.
Later TV Roles
Ross Higgins also took on a serious acting role in the TV show Richmond Hill in 1988. He played a serious policeman who was a main authority figure in the show.
In 1992, he starred in a sitcom called Late for School. This show helped start the TV careers of actors like Matthew Newton and Stephen Curry. Ross Higgins' last TV role was playing Ted Bullpitt again in the show Bullpitt! in 1997. This show had two seasons.
Ross Higgins' Recordings
Ross Higgins used his amazing voice for thousands of projects. This was over his 60 years in radio and television. He recorded the song "Monster Mash" for ABC For Kids Video Hits.
He also recorded an album where he read the classic Australian children's story "Blinky Bill". His voice brought many characters and stories to life for people of all ages.
Ross Higgins' Family Life
Ross Higgins was married to his wife, Nadine. They had four children together.
Ross Higgins passed away on 7 October 2016, at the age of 85. He had been unwell for some time before his death.
Images for kids
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Ross Higgins as his most famous character Ted Bullpitt in Kingswood Country
