Ardon Bess

{{Short description|Canadian actor}} {{Infobox person | name = Ardon Bess | image = Ardon Bess in 2013.jpg | imagesize = | caption = Bess in 2013 | birth_name = | birth_date = 1941 | birth_place = Kingstown, Saint Vincent and the Grenadines | death_date =  | death_place = | other_names = | occupation = actor | years_active = 1973-present | spouse = | partner = | website = }} '''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,<ref>"Survivor's song; Miner's bravery honored in heritage vignette" by Alan Hustak, ''Montreal Gazette'' (21 Feb, 1993) [Final Edition] Retrieved from {{ProQuest|432399699}}</ref> and for playing Nestor "The Jester" Best in the sitcom ''King of Kensington''.<ref>[https://www.theglobeandmail.com/arts/22-the-king-of-kensington-cbc-1974-80/article25431445/ "#22: The King of Kensington (CBC, 1974-80)"] at www.theglobeandmail.com</ref><ref>[https://www.theglobeandmail.com/news/national/waxman-a-big-artist-class-act-friends-say/article1029598/ "Waxman a big artist, class act, friends say"] by Murray Campbell & Krista Foss at www.theglobeandmail.com</ref>

==Early life and education== Bess was born in Kingstown, St. Vincent and the Grenadines.<ref>[https://www.northernstars.ca/bess_ardon/ Ardon Bess' bio] at www.northernstars.ca</ref> After completing his secondary school education in St. Vincent, he became a bank teller.<ref name=VeteranActorGazetteRef/> Before moving to Canada, Bess was acting in and directing local amateur theatre in Kingstown. He moved to Canada in 1964<ref name=VeteranActorGazetteRef/> 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<ref>"Actor Bess walked right through the white wall" by Pat Donnelly, ''Montreal Gazette'' (21 Oct, 2000) [Final Edition] Retrieved from {{ProQuest|433651017}}</ref> 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.<ref name=VeteranActorGazetteRef>"Veteran actor is in fighting trim" by Pat Donnelly, ''Montreal Gazette'' (22 Jan, 2011) Retrieved from {{ProQuest|847078127}}</ref>

== Career == He has also appeared in other films and television roles including ''Trailer Park Boys'',<ref name=VeteranActorGazetteRef/> ''How She Move'', ''Take the Lead'', ''The Ladies Man'', ''Kung Fu: The Legend Continues'', ''Prom Night'', ''King of Kensington'',<ref name=VeteranActorGazetteRef/> and ''Jewel''.<ref>[https://www.nytimes.com/2001/02/07/arts/television-review-mother-s-struggle-fix-things-for-child-with-down-syndrome.html "Television Review; A Mother's Struggle to 'Fix Things' for a Child With Down Syndrome"] by Anita Gates at www.nytimes.com</ref> 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''.<ref>"Nominees for Gemini Awards" ''Edmonton Journal'' (30 Oct, 2000) Retrieved from {{ProQuest|252757711}}</ref>

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.<ref>[https://playbackonline.ca/2000/05/29/29266-20000529/ "4 Square adds to its Scarred by History library"] by Cheryl Binning at playbackonline.ca</ref>

== Filmography ==

=== Film === {| class="wikitable sortable" |+ !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 |data-sort-value="4th Floor, The" | ''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 |data-sort-value="Ladies Man, The" | ''The Ladies Man'' |Stage Manager | |- |2001 |''On Their Knees'' |Gas Station Clerk | |- |2002 |data-sort-value="Skulls II, The" | ''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 |data-sort-value="Sunday Kind of Love, A" | ''A Sunday Kind of Love'' |Server | |- |2017 |''Cardinals'' |Stanley Axel | |- |2022 |''Junior's Giant'' |Cec | |}

=== Television === {| class="wikitable sortable" !Year !Title !Role !Notes |- |1973 |data-sort-value="Starlost, The" | ''The Starlost'' |Soldier |Episode: "The Goddess Calabra" |- |1975–1978 |''King of Kensington'' |Nestor Best |63 episodes |- |1980 |data-sort-value="Littlest Hobo, The" | ''The Littlest Hobo'' |Policeman / Ernie | rowspan="2" |2 episodes |- |1984, 1985 |''Hangin' In'' |Errol |- |1985 |''Reckless Disregard'' |Jury Foreman | rowspan="2" |Television film |- |1985 |data-sort-value="Park Is Mine, The" | ''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 |data-sort-value="Kidnapping of Baby John Doe, The" | ''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 |data-sort-value="Campbells, The" | ''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"<ref>[https://www.historicacanada.ca/productions/minutes/maurice-ruddick ''Heritage Minutes'': "Maurice Ruddick"] at www.historicacanada.ca</ref> |- |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 | rowspan="3" |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 |data-sort-value="Defenders: Choice of Evils, The" | ''The Defenders: Choice of Evils'' |Counsel Room Guard | rowspan="3" |Television film |- |1998 |''Free of Eden'' |Businessman |- |1999 |data-sort-value="Promise, The" | ''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 | rowspan="3" |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 | rowspan="4" |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== {{reflist}}

==External links== * {{IMDb name|id=0078746}} * [https://web.archive.org/web/20150710045017/http://theatremuseumcanada.ca/legend.php?aid=2985962 Theatre Museum Canada Legends Library]

{{DEFAULTSORT:Bess, Ardon}} Category:1941 births Category:Living people Category:Place of birth missing (living people) Category:Black Canadian male actors Category:Canadian male film actors Category:Canadian male television actors Category:Male actors from Toronto Category:Saint Vincent and the Grenadines emigrants to Canada Category:20th-century Canadian male actors Category:21st-century Canadian male actors