Look who's in the movies 
1991 Farmington graduate adds 'The Dark Knight' to his film credits
By RENEE JEAN
Daily Journal Assistant Managing Editor
Daily Journal Assistant Managing Editor
Thursday, August 14, 2008
He was the kid who did voices and wanted to make movies. Now he’s in the newest Batman movie.
Scott Wesley Ross packed up his car after graduating from Mizzou 13 years ago and headed out to the land of Hollywood dreams and perpetual sunsets. He had $1,000 cash, which was supposed to last two months.
It was gone in two weeks.
The 1991 Farmington graduate, with a Radio and Television Communications degree, found himself selling frozen yogurt out of coolers, yet another hopeful among the multitudes. He was working for another then-wannabe. Greg Grunberg.
Yeah, that Grunberg. The Heroes star.
“I’d walk around with a hand truck dolly and an apron and say, ‘Frozen yogurt.’” Ross said, laughing a little. “It was 60 cents per yogurt.”
Eventually he got a break, albeit a small one. “Production assistant” for the 1995 movie, “Ace Ventura: When Nature Calls.”
“I was a gopher,” Ross said.
But money was tight and there were unexpected expenses all the time, plus student loans to pay off. The jobs he was getting were never quite enough to really get by in a land that attracts the mega famous — and those who wanna be — from all over the world.
Then he was the victim of a car wreck, and the driver had no insurance to fix his car. He began to question the dream, and wonder whether he should even be there.
His father helped him out with the car problem, and he finally got a big break. A job on the set of ‘Romy and Michele’s High School Reunion,’ working with his brother Kevin as an assistant. He learned to do some editing, got his days in to join the editor’s union and things began to move.
Now he has a number of films behind him as a member of the movie editing team, and his name is up in lights. His film credits include “Simon Birch.” “Snow Day.” “Unconditional Love.” “Joe Somebody.” “Santa Claus II.” “Connie and Carla.” “Serenity.” “The Prestige.” “The Riches.”
And “The Dark Knight.”
His father, Doug Ross couldn’t be prouder. You might catch him at the movies now and then. He’ll be the one still sitting there after the ushers arrive to clear away the popcorn, taking pictures of his son’s name.
Scott did not get to be on the set of Batman much for the filming. As an assistant editor, he’s generally holed up in an editing room, splicing together the day’s film and preparing it for viewing the next morning. All the big editors will come watch to see whether they are done with that part of the movie.
He was mesmerized by Heath Ledger’s performance as the Joker, much of which was edited after the actor’s death.
“It was very strange because every day I had been looking at his face on the monitor,” Scott said. “I didn’t think of it as Heath, because it is so not him. It was this iconic weirdo .... and, wow, he’s dead. It was very strange. Especially since I was one of the last people from our movie to see him in real life.”
Ross is not star struck. He has one autograph for the 13 years he’s been in LA. From Bill Paxton, whose many film credits include Brock Lovett in the Titanic. “I’m very jaded now,” Ross said. “I do not talk to stars as a rule.”
But Ledger impressed him. He was down to earth. A really nice guy.
One day, Ross had gotten to the film’s makeshift cafeteria late and his usual table of fellow editing buddies was full.
“I jokingly pretended to cry and was like, ‘Fine, guys, I’ll just go over to this table ...’ And I turned around and Heath was going, come on, man, you can come sit with us. And I was like .... ‘OK Heath Ledger....’” He draws out the words as if he were a psycho fan, then laughs. “No, no I didn’t say it like that.”
They chitchatted about a video Heath had made a few days before and about how much better they liked Chicago than LA.
Ross also liked London.
“London was like New York, only cooler. It’s older, and it’s not built in a skyscraper area. It’s like spread out. There’s parks and an old arch, the river with Big Ben on it ...”
Assistant editors from the American side don’t generally get to follow a film overseas. Crews there get preference for the work. But one crew member dropped out at the last minute, so Ross was in.
Warner Brothers bought a big hangar in the countryside of England to use for its sets while in London. It was gigantic. Hindenburg big. Large enough for that 10-story building the SWAT team stormed, as well as the Arkham Asylum from Batman Begins, the Hong Kong offices of Lau and more.
Ross smiles. “The Hong Kong office of Lau is in a hangar in the middle of the country side in England.”
It was in London where Ross saw Ledger for the last time.
Ross had flown back to London to screen the first six minutes of The Dark Knight for Warner Brothers International. It was November. Ledger was in London working on the set of his last movie. He wanted to see the 6-minute bank heist, too.
“He watched it once and goes, ‘Can we watch it again?’ So we did.”
Ledger was excited and intent. Happy with the performance, it seemed. That is all he got to see of the movie.
“We’re really glad he got to see that,” Ross said.
Ross has several lines in the movie, thanks to those voices he practiced in some of his high school classes, like Mrs. Pinkston’s government class. Think Mystery Science 3000, chiming back funny voices that don’t belong.
Sometimes new lines are needed in the editing room to tie scenes together, or because the sound is bad. Sometimes someone just has a cool idea for a line. So one of the editors does it, as a temporary fill-in. That way, editing can proceed, and the the actors and actresses only have to return once.
As it turned out, those in charge liked some of Ross’ temporary lines better than any of the others. Ross even got paid for one of them, opposite Harvey Dent in the armored car chase scene. Dent is worried about all the bullets hitting their vehicle and says, “These things are built for that, right?” Ross replies, “Gonna need something a lot bigger to get through this.”
Cue the Joker, pulling out an RPG rocket launcher, aimed straight for them.
Ross’ other lines weren’t paid, but that one line was enough to get him in the Screen Actors Guild if he wants to pay the $2,300 annual dues. He’s still mulling that one over.
Ross also did a temporary line for Batman in the movie. It’s the one where Batman says, “Fox, SWAT’s targeting the wrong people. The clowns are the hostages.”
Ross sounds very much like a certain famous actor when he does the line. But ...
“Then this guy named Christian Bale came in and did over my line, because he thinks he can do his voice better than I can.” Ross smiles.
Video Clip(s)Scott Wesley Ross packed up his car after graduating from Mizzou 13 years ago and headed out to the land of Hollywood dreams and perpetual sunsets. He had $1,000 cash, which was supposed to last two months.
It was gone in two weeks.
The 1991 Farmington graduate, with a Radio and Television Communications degree, found himself selling frozen yogurt out of coolers, yet another hopeful among the multitudes. He was working for another then-wannabe. Greg Grunberg.
Yeah, that Grunberg. The Heroes star.
“I’d walk around with a hand truck dolly and an apron and say, ‘Frozen yogurt.’” Ross said, laughing a little. “It was 60 cents per yogurt.”
Eventually he got a break, albeit a small one. “Production assistant” for the 1995 movie, “Ace Ventura: When Nature Calls.”
“I was a gopher,” Ross said.
But money was tight and there were unexpected expenses all the time, plus student loans to pay off. The jobs he was getting were never quite enough to really get by in a land that attracts the mega famous — and those who wanna be — from all over the world.
Then he was the victim of a car wreck, and the driver had no insurance to fix his car. He began to question the dream, and wonder whether he should even be there.
His father helped him out with the car problem, and he finally got a big break. A job on the set of ‘Romy and Michele’s High School Reunion,’ working with his brother Kevin as an assistant. He learned to do some editing, got his days in to join the editor’s union and things began to move.
Now he has a number of films behind him as a member of the movie editing team, and his name is up in lights. His film credits include “Simon Birch.” “Snow Day.” “Unconditional Love.” “Joe Somebody.” “Santa Claus II.” “Connie and Carla.” “Serenity.” “The Prestige.” “The Riches.”
And “The Dark Knight.”
His father, Doug Ross couldn’t be prouder. You might catch him at the movies now and then. He’ll be the one still sitting there after the ushers arrive to clear away the popcorn, taking pictures of his son’s name.
Scott did not get to be on the set of Batman much for the filming. As an assistant editor, he’s generally holed up in an editing room, splicing together the day’s film and preparing it for viewing the next morning. All the big editors will come watch to see whether they are done with that part of the movie.
He was mesmerized by Heath Ledger’s performance as the Joker, much of which was edited after the actor’s death.
“It was very strange because every day I had been looking at his face on the monitor,” Scott said. “I didn’t think of it as Heath, because it is so not him. It was this iconic weirdo .... and, wow, he’s dead. It was very strange. Especially since I was one of the last people from our movie to see him in real life.”
Ross is not star struck. He has one autograph for the 13 years he’s been in LA. From Bill Paxton, whose many film credits include Brock Lovett in the Titanic. “I’m very jaded now,” Ross said. “I do not talk to stars as a rule.”
But Ledger impressed him. He was down to earth. A really nice guy.
One day, Ross had gotten to the film’s makeshift cafeteria late and his usual table of fellow editing buddies was full.
“I jokingly pretended to cry and was like, ‘Fine, guys, I’ll just go over to this table ...’ And I turned around and Heath was going, come on, man, you can come sit with us. And I was like .... ‘OK Heath Ledger....’” He draws out the words as if he were a psycho fan, then laughs. “No, no I didn’t say it like that.”
They chitchatted about a video Heath had made a few days before and about how much better they liked Chicago than LA.
Ross also liked London.
“London was like New York, only cooler. It’s older, and it’s not built in a skyscraper area. It’s like spread out. There’s parks and an old arch, the river with Big Ben on it ...”
Assistant editors from the American side don’t generally get to follow a film overseas. Crews there get preference for the work. But one crew member dropped out at the last minute, so Ross was in.
Warner Brothers bought a big hangar in the countryside of England to use for its sets while in London. It was gigantic. Hindenburg big. Large enough for that 10-story building the SWAT team stormed, as well as the Arkham Asylum from Batman Begins, the Hong Kong offices of Lau and more.
Ross smiles. “The Hong Kong office of Lau is in a hangar in the middle of the country side in England.”
It was in London where Ross saw Ledger for the last time.
Ross had flown back to London to screen the first six minutes of The Dark Knight for Warner Brothers International. It was November. Ledger was in London working on the set of his last movie. He wanted to see the 6-minute bank heist, too.
“He watched it once and goes, ‘Can we watch it again?’ So we did.”
Ledger was excited and intent. Happy with the performance, it seemed. That is all he got to see of the movie.
“We’re really glad he got to see that,” Ross said.
Ross has several lines in the movie, thanks to those voices he practiced in some of his high school classes, like Mrs. Pinkston’s government class. Think Mystery Science 3000, chiming back funny voices that don’t belong.
Sometimes new lines are needed in the editing room to tie scenes together, or because the sound is bad. Sometimes someone just has a cool idea for a line. So one of the editors does it, as a temporary fill-in. That way, editing can proceed, and the the actors and actresses only have to return once.
As it turned out, those in charge liked some of Ross’ temporary lines better than any of the others. Ross even got paid for one of them, opposite Harvey Dent in the armored car chase scene. Dent is worried about all the bullets hitting their vehicle and says, “These things are built for that, right?” Ross replies, “Gonna need something a lot bigger to get through this.”
Cue the Joker, pulling out an RPG rocket launcher, aimed straight for them.
Ross’ other lines weren’t paid, but that one line was enough to get him in the Screen Actors Guild if he wants to pay the $2,300 annual dues. He’s still mulling that one over.
Ross also did a temporary line for Batman in the movie. It’s the one where Batman says, “Fox, SWAT’s targeting the wrong people. The clowns are the hostages.”
Ross sounds very much like a certain famous actor when he does the line. But ...
“Then this guy named Christian Bale came in and did over my line, because he thinks he can do his voice better than I can.” Ross smiles.
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Reader Comments (2)The comments below are from readers and do not represent the views of the Daily Journal
lisahb posted on Thursday, August 14th, 2008 at 1:07 pm
Good story! Those Rosses are amazing, aren't they?
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cooper123 posted on Thursday, August 14th, 2008 at 11:44 am
What an awesome story! I graduated a year ahead of Scott and am so pleased to hear of his success! Currently reading a James Frey's new book about LA, although fictional, sheds a little light on the emormity of the odds stacked against those seeing success in LA. Good for you, Scott! Keep up the good work!
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