Invasion Colchester's Special Guests
In the past we have featured Mike Edmonds, Des Taylor, Jon Campling, Paul Warren, Nick Joseph, Pam Rose, Alan Flyng, Harry 'Aitch' Fielder, Ted Western, Derek Lyons, Martin Ballantyne, Mick Fryer-Kelsey, Sandeep Mohan, John Simpkin, Victor Botha, Chris Bunn, Clem So, Ross Sambridge, Andrew Lawden, and Ralph Morse as Special Guests at the previous Invasion Colchester events. Altogether, they have appeared in movies and TV shows such as 'Star Wars', the 'Harry Potter' series, 'Doctor Who', Guardians Of The Galaxy' and more.
For 2023, we were delighted to introduce actor, creature performer and puppeteer Ross Mullan, who was the original Whitewalker on 'Game of Thrones', and played The Silence and The Teller on 'Doctor Who' among other roles, and Bern Collaço, an actor who has appeared in 'The Batman', 'Morbius', 'Wonder Woman', 'Star Wars: The Force Awakens', 'Skyfall', 'Doctor Who', and more. We also welcomed back actors Clem So, Sandeep Mohan, Martin Ballantyne, and Ralph Morse.
Ross Mullan
Ross Mullan is a Canadian-British actor, creature performer and puppeteer. Ross was the original Whitewalker on the HBO television series 'Game of Thrones' in it's second to fourth seasons, and also played The Silence and The Teller on 'Doctor Who'. In 'Sharknado 5: Global Swarming' he was the ill fated Dr. Wobegone, and in 'Ant-Man and The Wasp: Quantumania' he could be seen as the Maitre D'. As well as playing one of the three stygian witches in Warner Bros' 'Clash of the Titans', Ross also played the Numbertaker on BBC's 'Numberjacks', and puppeteered and voiced Nev the bear on 'Bear Behaving Badly'.
In additon, Ross has also played countless werewolves, demons and space aliens in horror films and commercials, and motion captured and voiced on many games and documentaries.
Bern Collaço
Bern Collaço is a film and TV actor based in London. He has appeared in many movies and shows including 'The Batman', 'Morbius', 'Poledark', 'Wonder Woman', 'Star Wars: The Force Awakens' (as a General), 'Rogue One', 'Star Wars: The Last Jedi', 'Skyfall', 'Spectre', and 'Doctor Who', to name a few.
Bern is popular with his fans, who he loves to meet and talk to about the various films he has appeared in.
Clem So
Clem initially began working as a background actor on the Japanese historic fantasy film '47 Ronin' in 2011 and has gone on to build invaluable experience in the film industry. Clem has become a featured and in demand face, having worked on major feature films and numerous TV shows including 'Sherlock', 'Being Human' and eleven episodes of 'Doctor Who', notably as the Mandarin Clockwork Droid in Peter Capaldi's first episode as the Doctor, "Deep Breath", as a Space Corpse (affectionately known as the 'Kill Bill' Zombie by his colleagues) in the series 10 episode "Oxygen", and most recently as a Ji-Hun Pirate in 2022's "Legend of the Sea Devils".
Other appearances include a Kyln prisoner in Marvel Studios popular hit 'Guardians Of The Galaxy', a Spectre crime boss in the James Bond film 'Spectre' and a Resistance Trooper in 'Star Wars: The Force Awakens'. Clem has featured in the highly regarded Marvel Studios blockbusters 'Doctor Strange', 'Black Widow', and 'Doctor Strange in the Multiverse of Madness', as well as appearing as an Animus patient in 'Assassin's Creed'.
Clem has also worked on many other films including 'Star Wars: The Last Jedi', 'Ready Player One', 'Jurassic World: Fallen Kingdom', 'Solo: A Star Wars Story', 'Fantastic Beasts: The Crimes of Grindelwald' and 'Zack Snyder's Justice League'.
Sandeep Mohan
Sandeep Mohan, also known as Sandy, is a business-owner, entrepreneur, TV / film performer and model.
Despite developing an interest in performance during his informative years at school, Sandeep entered the manufacturing industry after his education and used his knowledge and technical skills to work in the US and the UK, and travel extensively throughout Europe as a trouble-shooter.
In 2008, Sandeep was given the opportunity to play a small role in Eastenders and thereafter other opportunities in TV dramas. This reaffirmed his passion for acting and he left the manufacturing industry to pursue business interests, thus allowing him the flexibility to have a larger involvement in TV and film projects.
To date, Sandeep has appeared in a number of TV dramas and comedies including 'East Enders', 'Silent Witness', 'Holby', 'Law and Order UK', 'Sherlock', 'Luther', 'Goodness Gracious Me' and 'The Keith Lemon Sketch Show'.
Sandeep has also appeared on the big screen in major films such as 'Prince of Persia', 'Skyfall', 'Spectre', 'World War Z', 'Edge of Tomorrow', 'Burnt' and 'The Program'. In 'Star Wars: The Force Awakens' he is the Stormtrooper that man-handles Lor San Tekka (Max Von Sydow) to Kylo Ren (Adam Driver) for interrogation, as well as one of the two Stormtroopers in the comic corridor scene (the one that stops his fellow trooper), the Stormtrooper that interrogates the alien as the village is overtaken by troopers, the Stormtrooper that lies dead at the feet of Harrison Ford in the control room and the First Order Stormtrooper Squad Leader that marches with Kylo Ren in parts of the film.
Recently, Sandeep has appeared as a surgeon with Benedict Cumberbatch in 'Doctor Strange', a Scarif Trooper in 'Star Wars: Rogue One', a Policeman in 'Jason Bourne', a British Army Officer in 'Wonder Woman', a Snowtrooper Officer in 'Star Wars: The Last Jedi' and as Government Officials in both 'The Hitman's Bodyguard' and 'Justice League'.
More excitingly, you might spot Sandeep in the titles to the BBC comedy 'This Time... with Alan Partridge', sitting next to a certain Alan Partridge!
Sandeep has also appeared in Britney Spears' 'Criminal' music video as well as providing voice-work for Channel 4 News.
Martin Ballantyne
Martin was born in Norwich, England in 1972, where he grew up and still lives. He has always had a great interest in film and television.
After leaving Norwich City College and a succession of dead end jobs, he attended a film making course in 1997. He wrote and directed a short black and white film, using friends as actors.
A keen collector of film memorabilia, in 2000 he was approached by the BBC to take part in a documentary called 'The Price of Fame'.
At the beginning of 2005 a work colleague asked Martin if he would be interested in appearing in a local theatre stage production. Martin agreed, and went on to play 7 different parts in a production of Vanity Fair.
In 2005, Martin was given a small role in the British film 'Cashback', written and directed by Sean Ellis, which starred, among others, Sean Biggerstaff from the 'Harry Potter' films. This appearance led to further small roles in films, including 'Heroes and Villains', 'Gasoline Blood', 'The Golden Compass' and 'The Bourne Ultimatum'.
In 2008, Martin worked on Christopher Nolan's second Batman film, 'The Dark Knight' in which he plays one of the Joker's Henchman, alongside the late Heath Ledger. After having worked with Warner Brother on the 'The Dark Knight', they requested Martin for 'Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince', in which he plays 'Scary Face'. He later played Mundungus Fletcher's friend in 'Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows (Part 1)'.
In addition to his film work, Martin appreared regularly in the first, second and third series of TV show 'Kingdom'.
Ralph Morse / Johnny Cashbox
With a career spanning over fifty years, Ralph is a multi-disciplined arts professional. He is an award winning theatre actor, (1980 – London Theatre Associates Best Actor), a playwright, director, singer-songwriter and teacher. His play 'Who is Leonard Jones' was premiered at the Headgate Theatre in Colchester, before touring East Anglia in 2007. In 2017 he began an association with Elysium Productions in America, as the writer/narrator of 'The Secret – A Star Wars Story', storywriter on 'Volkov' (2019) and as the movie screenwriter for 'Volkov Origin' (2022).
Ralph's film and television appearances include 'The Empire Strikes Back', 'Return of the Jedi', 'Moonraker', 'Flash Gordon', 'Blake's Seven', 'Doctor Who', and 'The Hitchhikers Guide to the Galaxy' - and those are just the sci-fi productions.
From 2003, Ralph's main stage persona has been the comical guitar-slinging, time-travelling space cowboy, Johnny Cashbox, whose appearances at Invasion Colchester are as legendary as the man himself. Johnny's sci-fi themed songs are very much part of the 'Star Wars' universe and you may very well see him mingling and entertaining everyone during the event.
