# Ricky Grover > Mediated Wiki article. Canonical URL: https://mediated.wiki/source/Ricky_Grover > Markdown URL: https://mediated.wiki/source/Ricky_Grover.md > Source: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ricky_Grover > Source revision: 1347912510 > License: Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike 4.0 International (https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/4.0/) English actor and comedian (born 1961) **Ricky Grover** (born 24 December 1961) is an English actor and comedian. He is best known for his role in *[EastEnders](/source/EastEnders)* as [Andrew Cotton](/source/Andrew_Cotton) as well as voicing Yangus in the *[Dragon Quest](/source/Dragon_Quest)* series. ## Early life Grover was born in [West Ham](/source/West_Ham), [East London](/source/East_London) in 24 December 1961.[1] His mother was a [hairdresser](/source/Hairdresser).[2] Grover became a ladies' hairdresser and a [boxer](/source/Boxing).[2] He then became a [stand-up comedian](/source/Stand-up_comedy), [actor](/source/Actor) and occasional [television presenter](/source/Television_presenter). Grover is [dyslexic](/source/Dyslexic) and could not read or write until his early thirties.[3] ## Acting career Grover has appeared in television programmes including *[Red Dwarf](/source/Red_Dwarf)*,[2] *[Fist of Fun](/source/Fist_of_Fun)*, *['Orrible](/source/'Orrible)*,[4] *[The 11 O'Clock Show](/source/The_11_O'Clock_Show)*,[2] *Honky Sausages* and *[Black Books](/source/Black_Books)*. He also provided the voice acting for the character of Yangus in the [English language](/source/English_language) version of the [PlayStation 2](/source/PlayStation_2) game *[Dragon Quest VIII](/source/Dragon_Quest_VIII%3A_Journey_of_the_Cursed_King)*. Grover's 1996 [short film](/source/Short_subject) *Punch* won the [Silver Bear](/source/Silver_Bear) Award[4] at the [Berlin International Film Festival](/source/Berlin_International_Film_Festival).[5] In 1998, Grover featured in the music video for the England song [Vindaloo](/source/Vindaloo_(song)) by "[Fat Les](/source/Fat_Les)". In 2000, Grover won the Best Actor award at the [Brest European Short Film Festival](/source/Brest_European_Short_Film_Festival) for his performance in *Hungry* (1998).[6] One of his most regular characters is "Bulla", a violent offender who originally featured on *The 11 O'Clock Show* and was interviewed by [Michael Parkinson](/source/Michael_Parkinson). He had a guest appearance in *[Top Buzzer](/source/Top_Buzzer)*. In 2011 he starred and co-wrote the feature-length film *[Big Fat Gypsy Gangster](/source/Big_Fat_Gypsy_Gangster)* with his wife, Maria Grover. Grover has appeared in adverts for [Virgin Mobile](/source/Virgin_Mobile) and Beagle Street Insurance. Since July 2009, Grover has played the part of Matron Hilary Loftus in the [BAFTA](/source/BAFTA) award-winning [BBC Four](/source/BBC_Four) medical 'docu-sitcom' *[Getting On](/source/Getting_On_(British_TV_series))*, directed by [Peter Capaldi](/source/Peter_Capaldi). He had a role in the [vampire film](/source/Vampire_film) *[Dead Cert](/source/Dead_Cert_(2010_film))*[7] and in the horror drama *Tony*,[8] which was released in UK cinemas on 5 February 2010.[9] Grover also had a role in an episode of *[Not Going Out](/source/Not_Going_Out)* in 2011, playing Larry Stubbs, a drug-dealing butcher.[10] Grover reprised the role of Yangus in the 2015 videogame *[Dragon Quest Heroes: The World Tree's Woe and the Blight Below](/source/Dragon_Quest_Heroes%3A_The_World_Tree's_Woe_and_the_Blight_Below)*.[11] ## Presenting career In 2006, Grover presented the documentary *F*** Off I'm Fat* as part of [BBC Three](/source/BBC_Three)'s first "Body Image" season. In 2007, he presented a peak-time *[Tonight With Trevor McDonald](/source/Tonight_(1999_TV_programme))* report on obesity and a [BBC Two](/source/BBC_Two) episode of *Grandad's Back in Business* in which he mentored two stand-up comedians. ## Writing From July 2003, Grover wrote a column, "Raging Bulla", for the monthly magazine *[Loaded](/source/Loaded_(magazine))* until its final issue in 2015. ## Filmography ### Film and TV - *[Fist of Fun](/source/Fist_of_Fun)* (1995) - *Punch* (1996) - *[Bring Me the Head of Mavis Davis](/source/Bring_Me_the_Head_of_Mavis_Davis)* (1997) - *Hungry* (1998) - *[Red Dwarf](/source/Red_Dwarf)* (1999), as Baxter - *[Love, Honour and Obey](/source/Love%2C_Honour_and_Obey)* (2000) - *[The 11 O'Clock Show](/source/The_11_O'Clock_Show)* (2000), as Bulla - *[Black Books](/source/Black_Books)* (2002), as Danny Spudge - *[Revolver](/source/Revolver_(2005_film))* (2005) - *[Cargo](/source/Cargo_(2006_film))* (2006) - *[Tony](/source/Tony_(2009_film))* (2009) - *[Getting On](/source/Getting_On_(British_TV_series))* (2009–2012) - *[Big Fat Gypsy Gangster](/source/Big_Fat_Gypsy_Gangster)* (2010) - *[Not Going Out](/source/Not_Going_Out)* (2011) - *[EastEnders](/source/EastEnders)* (2011–12) - *[Being Human](/source/Being_Human_(UK_TV_series))* (2013) - *[Citizen Khan](/source/Citizen_Khan)* (2016) - *[Zapped](/source/Zapped_(TV_series))* (2016–2017) - *[Porridge](/source/Porridge_(2017_TV_series))* (2016–2017) - *[This Way Up](/source/This_Way_Up_(TV_series))* (2019) - *[After Life](/source/After_Life_(TV_series))* (2021) - *Vengeance Is Mine* (2021) - *[The Outlaws](/source/The_Outlaws_(2021_TV_series))* (2024) ### Video game roles - *[Dragon Quest VIII: Journey of the Cursed King](/source/Dragon_Quest_VIII%3A_Journey_of_the_Cursed_King)* – Yangus - *[Dragon Quest Heroes: The World Tree's Woe and the Blight Below](/source/Dragon_Quest_Heroes%3A_The_World_Tree's_Woe_and_the_Blight_Below)* - Yangus ## Books - *Sit-Down Comedy* (contributor to anthology, ed [Malcolm Hardee](/source/Malcolm_Hardee) & John Fleming), Ebury Press/Random House, 2003. [ISBN](/source/ISBN_(identifier)) [0-09-188924-3](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Special:BookSources/0-09-188924-3). ## References 1. **[^](#cite_ref-1)** ["Ricky Grover (Visual voices guide)"](https://www.behindthevoiceactors.com/Ricky-Grover/). 1. ^ [***a***](#cite_ref-Scotsman_1_2-0) [***b***](#cite_ref-Scotsman_1_2-1) [***c***](#cite_ref-Scotsman_1_2-2) [***d***](#cite_ref-Scotsman_1_2-3) ["Scotsman, 11th August 2002"](https://www.scotsman.com/news/oi-watch-my-show-2470972). 11 August 2002. Retrieved 16 April 2008. 1. **[^](#cite_ref-Daily_Mirror_3-0)** ["Daily Mirror, 8th April 2012"](https://www.mirror.co.uk/tv/tv-news/ricky-grover-says-he-didnt-want-784061). *[Daily Mirror](/source/Daily_Mirror)*. 7 April 2012. Retrieved 18 January 2019. 1. ^ [***a***](#cite_ref-BBC_Southampton_4-0) [***b***](#cite_ref-BBC_Southampton_4-1) ["Ricky Grover"](https://www.bbc.co.uk/southampton/going_out/rickygrover.shtml). *Where I live*. BBC Hampshire. 18 September 2002. Retrieved 16 April 2008. 1. **[^](#cite_ref-Phuket_Gazette_5-0)** ["Phuket Gazette, 25 January 2008"](http://www.phuketgazette.com/bulletins/index.asp?Id=1234). Retrieved 16 April 2008.{{[cite web](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Template:Cite_web)}}: CS1 maint: deprecated archival service ([link](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Category:CS1_maint:_deprecated_archival_service)) 1. **[^](#cite_ref-6)** ["List of awards for *Hungry*"](https://www.imdb.com/title/tt0245161/awards). *IMDb.com*. Retrieved 23 September 2007. 1. **[^](#cite_ref-7)** [More cast, new poster for vampire film DEAD CERT](http://www.fangoria.com/home/news/27-international-frights/4217-more-cast-new-poster-for-vampire-film-dead-cert.html) [Archived](https://web.archive.org/web/20091012111456/http://www.fangoria.com/home/news/27-international-frights/4217-more-cast-new-poster-for-vampire-film-dead-cert.html) 12 October 2009 at the [Wayback Machine](/source/Wayback_Machine) 1. **[^](#cite_ref-8)** [Slamdance '10: 'Tony' Makes Friends the Gruesome Way](http://www.bloody-disgusting.com/news/18442), Bloody Disgusting, 18 December 2009 1. **[^](#cite_ref-9)** [First Stills from Revolver Entertainment's 'Tony'](http://www.bloody-disgusting.com/news/18575) Bloody Disgusting, 4 January 2010 1. **[^](#cite_ref-10)** ["Not Going Out"](https://www.imdb.com/title/tt1809885/?ref_=ttep_ep1). *IMDb.com*. Retrieved 28 January 2021. 1. **[^](#cite_ref-11)** @RickyGroverUK (25 February 2015). ["Ricky Grover on Twitter: "@yellowmage correct blimey yes!""](https://twitter.com/RickyGroverUK/status/570601648076271616). Twitter. Retrieved 16 May 2015. ## External links - [Official website](http://www.rickygrover.co.uk) - [Ricky Grover](https://www.imdb.com/name/nm0344038/) at [IMDb](/source/IMDb_(identifier)) - [Bulla's official YouTube channel](https://www.youtube.com/bullatv) Authority control databases: Artists MusicBrainz --- Adapted from the Wikipedia article [Ricky Grover](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ricky_Grover) by Wikipedia contributors ([contributor history](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ricky_Grover?action=history)). Available under [Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike 4.0 International](https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/4.0/). Changes may have been made.