Tessa Ross


Tessa Sarah Ross CBE is an English film producer and executive. She was appointed Head of Film at Channel 4 in 2000 and ran Film4 and Film4 Productions from 2002 to 2014. Ross was appointed to the Board of the Royal National Theatre in 2011, and became Chief executive in 2014. She resigned in April 2015, citing concerns over the new leadership structure, but remained working with the National Theatre as a consultant. Ross received the BAFTA Award for Outstanding British Contribution to Cinema Award and was named as one of the 100 most powerful women in the United Kingdom by Woman's Hour in 2013. She is an honorary fellow of the National Film and Television School. In the 2010 New Year Honours, she was appointed a CBE for services to broadcasting.
Ross has been the executive producer of a number of notable British films, including Billy Elliot, The Last King of Scotland, This Is England, Happy-Go-Lucky, Slumdog Millionaire, Hunger, Four Lions, 127 Hours, Shame, 12 Years a Slave, Under the Skin, Ex Machina, 45 Years, Room, and Carol.

Early life

Ross was born to a Jewish family in 1961 in London. The daughter of a lawyer and teacher, she attended Westminster School, and graduated from Somerville College, Oxford in 1980. Ross read oriental studies and Chinese at Oxford and became interested in theatre. She was president of the dramatic society and directed many plays, later getting postgraduate theatre training. She is now an Honorary Fellow of Somerville College.

Career

After graduating from Oxford, Ross became a literary agent in 1986. She then segued into television, commissioning work for Bill Bryden, who had worked at the Royal National Theatre and was the head of the BBC Scotland drama department. Ross also worked as a script editor. Ross was married at the time and left when she became pregnant. She then returned to London, and in 1990 ran the National Film Development Fund, which later became British Screen.
In 1993, Ross worked again at BBC. She ran the Independent Commissioning Group for Drama from 1993 to 2000, commissioning many film and television projects, including Billy Elliot and Clocking Off. In 2000, Ross worked at Channel 4, where she became Head of Drama and was later appointed Head of Film. Ross ran Film4 and Film4 Productions from 2002 to 2014. She was appointed to the Board of the Royal National Theatre in 2011, and in 2014 appointed Chief executive. She resigned in April 2015, citing concerns over the new leadership structure, but remained working with the National Theatre as a consultant.
Ross is an Honorary Associate of London Film School.

Personal life

Ross resides in Camden, London. She is married to a marketing consultant, and has three children.

Filmography

Films Ross has executive produced.