# Ardon Bess

Ardon Bess (born 1941) is a Canadian actor best known for appearing in a Heritage Minutes short film about the 1958 Springhill mining disaster portraying survivor Maurice Ruddick, and for playing Nestor "The Jester" Best in the sitcom King of Kensington.

## Early life and education

Bess was born in Kingstown, St. Vincent and the Grenadines. After completing his secondary school education in St. Vincent, he became a bank teller. Before moving to Canada, Bess was acting in and directing local amateur theatre in Kingstown. He moved to Canada in 1964 and first lived in Oakville, Ontario with his father. He briefly studied architecture at Ryerson Polytechnical Institute in Toronto. Bess was encouraged by a classmate at Ryerson to go to an acting audition which took place after a soccer practice they were both attending. Following that audition, Bess was offered his first professional theatre role as Sakini in a production of The Teahouse of the August Moon. Subsequently, Bess left Ryerson to attend the National Theatre School of Canada.

## Career

He has also appeared in other films and television roles including Trailer Park Boys, How She Move, Take the Lead, The Ladies Man, Kung Fu: The Legend Continues, Prom Night, King of Kensington, and Jewel. He earned a Gemini Award nomination for Best Performance by an Actor in a Featured Supporting Role in a Dramatic Program or Mini-Series for his role in One Heart Broken Into Song.
In 2000, Bess' role of Don in the short film My Father’s Hands earned him a Golden Sheaf Award in the category of best performance by a male.

## Filmography
### Film

| Year | Title | Role | Notes |
| 1975 | My Pleasure Is My Business | Ambassador | |
| 1975 | Lions for Breakfast | Police officer | Uncredited |
| 1976 | Love at First Sight | Auditor | |
| 1978 | High-Ballin' | Policeman | |
| 1979 | H. G. Wells' The Shape of Things to Come | Merrick | |
| 1980 | Prom Night | Teacher | |
| 1980 | Head On | Poker Player | |
| 1980 | Deadline | Limousine Driver | |
| 1982 | Highpoint | Freightman | Uncredited |
| 1993 | Ordinary Magic | Barbershop #2 | |
| 1994 | Trial by Jury | Albert, Juror | |
| 1995 | Soul Survivor | Papa | |
| 1995 | Moving Target | Jake | |
| 1999 | The 4th Floor | Hardware Owner | |
| 1999 | My Father’s Hands | Don | Short film |
| 1999 | One Heart Broken Into Song | Serious Cromwell | |
| 2000 | After Alice | Lenny | |
| 2000 | The Ladies Man | Stage Manager | |
| 2001 | On Their Knees | Gas Station Clerk | |
| 2002 | The Skulls II | Mr. Beckford | |
| 2002 | Jack & Ella | Darrell | |
| 2006 | Take the Lead | Smitty | |
| 2007 | How She Move | Uncle Cecil | |
| 2008 | Saving God | Officer Earle | |
| 2012 | Bloodwork | Martel | |
| 2016 | A Sunday Kind of Love | Server | |
| 2017 | Cardinals | Stanley Axel | |
| 2022 | Junior's Giant | Cec | |

### Television

| Year | Title | Role | Notes |
| 1973 | The Starlost | Soldier | Episode: "The Goddess Calabra" |
| 1975–1978 | King of Kensington | Nestor Best | 63 episodes |
| 1980 | The Littlest Hobo | Policeman / Ernie | 2 episodes |
| 1984, 1985 | Hangin' In | Errol | 2 episodes |
| 1985 | Reckless Disregard | Jury Foreman | Television film |
| 1985 | The Park Is Mine | Daniels | Television film |
| 1985 | Check It Out! | Clyde | Episode: "Love on Sale" |
| 1986 | Philip Marlowe, Private Eye | Jed Mason | Episode: "Pickup on Noon Street" |
| 1987 | CBS Schoolbreak Special | Mr. McLean | Episode: "The Day They Came to Arrest the Book" |
| 1987 | Street Legal | Percival | Episode: "Tango Bellarosa" |
| 1987 | The Kidnapping of Baby John Doe | Bill Davis | Television film |
| 1987 | Friday the 13th: The Series | Hotel Manager | Episode: "Cupid's Quiver" |
| 1987, 1988 | Night Heat | Gil Johnson / Tago | 2 episodes |
| 1988 | Hostage | Garage Attendant | Television film |
| 1988, 1990 | T. and T. | Smiling Ryan | 2 episodes |
| 1989 | The Campbells | Jake | Episode: "Eyes of Angels" |
| 1990 | Shining Time Station: 'Tis a Gift | Tucker Cooper | Television film |
| 1993 | Heritage Minutes | Maurice Ruddick | Episode: "Maurice Ruddick" |
| 1993 | Coming of Age | Condo Salesman | Television film |
| 1993–1996 | Kung Fu: The Legend Continues | Brad Poster / Rawlins / Saul | 4 episodes |
| 1994 | Spenser: The Judas Goat | Winston Boyko | Television film |
| 1994 | Ready or Not | Serjak | Episode: "Break Up" |
| 1995 | Due South | Rudy Porter | Episode: "An Eye for an Eye" |
| 1995 | Triplecross | Ben | Television film |
| 1995 | Prince for a Day | Nix | Television film |
| 1996 | Mr. and Mrs. Loving | Justice of the Peace | Television film |
| 1996 | F/X: The Series | Security Guard Tony | Episode: "High Risk" |
| 1998 | The Defenders: Choice of Evils | Counsel Room Guard | Television film |
| 1998 | Free of Eden | Businessman | Television film |
| 1999 | The Promise | Jury Foreman | Television film |
| 1999 | Twice in a Lifetime | Dr. Harold Roth | Episode: "Ashes to Ashes" |
| 2000 | D.C. | Old Man | Episode: "Pilot" |
| 2000 | On Hostile Ground | Smiley | Television film |
| 2000 | Soul Food | Uncle Pete | 4 episodes |
| 2000 | Songs in Ordinary Time | Earlie's Grandfather | Television film |
| 2001 | Laughter on the 23rd Floor | Cecil | Television film |
| 2001 | Jewel | Nelson | Television film |
| 2001 | Trailer Park Boys | Levi | 6 episodes |
| 2001 | MythQuest | Baba | Episode: "The Blessing" |
| 2001 | Fortier | Dexter Kennedy | Episode: "Soupçons et paranoïa: Part 1" |
| 2002 | Sins of the Father | Minister at Church | Television film |
| 2002 | Matthew Blackheart: Monster Smasher | Blind Sid | Television film |
| 2002 | 10,000 Black Men Named George | Daddy Moore | Television film |
| 2002 | Power and Beauty | Thomas | Television film |
| 2002 | Degrassi: The Next Generation | Wayne | Episode: "Don't Believe the Hype" |
| 2003 | Odyssey 5 | Congressman Reddling | Episode: "Fossil" |
| 2004 | 72 Hours: True Crime | Patrick Critton | Episode: "Hijacked" |
| 2004 | Doc | Benny Anderson | Episode: "Happy Trails" |
| 2005 | Sue Thomas: F.B.Eye | Oscar | Episode: "Bad Girls" |
| 2009 | Da Kink in My Hair | Pops | Episode: "Looks Can Be Revealing" |
| 2009 | Guns | Sonya's Father | 2 episodes |
| 2011 | John A.: Birth of a Country | Chief Barber | Television film |
| 2013 | Cracked | Attendant | Episode: "Swans" |
| 2014 | Remedy | Henry Kozlow | Episode: "Shift/Change" |
| 2016 | Four in the Morning | Amadeus | Episode: "The Music" |
| 2017 | Kim's Convenience | Arthur | Episode: "Resting Place" |