Ross Higgins
| Ross Higgins | |
|---|---|
| Born |
14 June 1931 Sydney, Australia |
| Died | 7 October 2016 (aged 85) |
| Occupation | Actor, comedian, voice artist |
| Years active | 1946–2016 |
| Spouse(s) | Nadine |
| Children | 4 |
Ross Higgins (14 June 1931 - 7 October 2016) was an Australian vaudevillian, character actor, television host, comedian, singer and voice actor. He was best known for his role as bigoted and cranktankerous, but likable Ted Bullpitt in the 1980s television situation comedy series Kingswood Country and brief revival Bullpitt!, he was also a commercial advertiser who provided the voice of animated character "Louie the Fly" in the television ad campaign for Mortein, over a 50 year period (the longest running such ad in Australia) as well as Mr. Pound, when decimal currency was first introduced in Australia
Higgins' entertainment industry career began in 1946, when he took a cadetship at Sydney's 2GB commercial radio station at the age of 15. This led to an on-air announcing position and hosting of breakfast and, later, evening variety shows. A trained singer, he soon began recording singles which lifted his profile around Australia. His flair for comedy came to the fore in the 1950s when he became a cast member of the very popular The Jack Davey Show. He moved between commercial radio and the ABC, touring the country, hosting and singing with the ABC show band. It was during this period he performed with luminaries such as Peter Dawson, Slim Dusty and Mel Tormé. His radio career reached a peak in the mid-1950s and, when television arrived in 1956, he successfully made the transition, appearing on variety shows, hosting game shows on the 7 Network and in the early 1960s on Singalong and Bobby Limb's Sound of Music on the 9 Network.
During the 1960s, Higgins consolidated his position as a leading voiceover artist, creating character voices for TV and radio ads and cartoons. His earliest character voice—"Louie the Fly" (an animated fly for the Mortein fly-spray commercials), was recorded by him as late as 2011. It is now the longest continuously running campaign in television history, having run for over 50 years (1957–2011).
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