Deep Roy has built an unusual screen career spanning nearly five decades. American audiences may recognize him as the Oompa-Loompas in Charlie and the Chocolate Factory. Others know him from Star Wars, Star Trek, The NeverEnding Story, and Doctor Who.
Born Mohinder Purba in Nairobi, Kenya, Roy became an actor, stunt performer, and puppeteer. IMDb lists his birth date as January 26, 1949, making him 77 in 2026. His height is listed as 4 feet 4 inches (1.32 meters).
Quick answer: Roy is a Kenyan-born British actor, stunt performer, and puppeteer known for distinctive character roles. His best-known performance came as the Oompa-Loompas in Tim Burton’s 2005 Charlie and the Chocolate Factory. His credits also include Star Wars, Star Trek, Doctor Who, and The NeverEnding Story.
Biography at a Glance
| Fact | Details |
|---|---|
| Full name | Mohinder Purba |
| Professional name | Deep Roy |
| Birth date | January 26, 1949, according to IMDb and several current references |
| Age in 2026 | 77 |
| Birthplace | Nairobi, Kenya |
| Height | 4 ft 4 in (1.32 m) |
| Profession | Actor, stunt performer, puppeteer |
| Screen career | 1976 to present |
| Famous role | Oompa-Loompas in Charlie and the Chocolate Factory |
| Other notable work | Star Wars, Star Trek, The NeverEnding Story, Doctor Who |
| Star Trek character | Keenser |
| Screen debut | The New Avengers in 1976 |
Key Takeaways
- Roy was born Mohinder Purba in Nairobi to Indian parents.
- IMDb currently gives his birth date as January 26, 1949.
- He stands approximately 4 feet 4 inches tall.
- His professional screen career began in 1976.
- He portrayed the Oompa-Loompas in Tim Burton’s 2005 movie.
- His science-fiction credits span Doctor Who, Star Wars, and Star Trek.
- He played Keenser in three modern Star Trek movies.
Who Is Deep Roy?
Roy is a character actor whose work extends well beyond one famous performance. His credits include acting, stunt work, puppetry, and physically demanding character performances. That combination helped him build a career across fantasy, science fiction, comedy, and family movies.
His official biography says he was born in Nairobi, Kenya, to Indian parents. It also traces his professional screen career to a 1976 episode of The New Avengers. He played Klokoe in an episode titled “Target!” That same year brought an appearance in The Pink Panther Strikes Again.
He played an Italian assassin in the Blake Edwards comedy. Those early credits started a screen career that would later connect him with several major franchises. Readers interested in other entertainment personalities can also explore Magazinted’s profile of Sebastian Bach’s height, age, career, and net worth. Magazinted publishes similar profiles across its entertainment coverage.
How Old Is Deep Roy in 2026?
Roy is 77 years old in 2026 based on the January 26, 1949, birth date currently reported by IMDb. Current Wikipedia data also uses January 26, 1949. Both sources identify Nairobi as his birthplace. Readers may encounter a different year on older pages. Some archived references have listed December 1, 1957, creating conflicting information online.
More recent sources, including IMDb and current biographical references, instead give January 26, 1949. The actor’s official biography confirms Nairobi as his birthplace but does not display a birth date in its opening biography text. For that reason, readers should recognize that older web sources have not always agreed. The 1949 date has stronger support among the current sources reviewed for this profile.
How Tall Is Roy?
Roy is listed at 4 feet 4 inches tall, equivalent to about 132 centimeters. IMDb provides the same 1.32-meter measurement. His stature became associated with many of his screen characters, although his career also required substantial movement and stunt skills.
His filmography shows why describing him only by his height misses much of his work. He has performed under costumes, handled stunt assignments, portrayed fantasy characters, and appeared without elaborate creature disguises. His longevity also reflects his ability to work across different production styles.
The Oompa-Loompa Performance That Made Him Famous
For many U.S. viewers, Roy’s defining role arrived in 2005. Tim Burton cast him as the Oompa-Loompas in Charlie and the Chocolate Factory. The movie starred Johnny Depp as Willy Wonka and Freddie Highmore as Charlie Bucket. The performance was more complicated than simply filming one actor. IMDb states that Roy portrayed all 165 Oompa-Loompas shown in the film.
He prepared for the musical sequences with dance and Pilates training. Digital compositing allowed his performances to appear as groups of workers throughout Wonka’s factory. Roy still needed to execute the choreography used to create those sequences. That physical element helped make the Oompa-Loompas one of the movie’s most recognizable visual features.
The role remains closely associated with him two decades later. Recent retrospectives from Entertainment Weekly and People continue to identify his Oompa-Loompa performance when revisiting the cast.
His Star Wars Work
His connection to Star Wars predates Charlie and the Chocolate Factory by decades. IMDb credits him with uncredited Yoda work in 1980’s The Empire Strikes Back. Other franchise references describe additional physical and costume work associated with Yoda.
He also appeared in Return of the Jedi. Franchise references associate him with Droopy McCool, a member of the Max Rebo Band. His contributions demonstrate how performers could handle several specialized roles within effects-heavy productions.
These credits became even more interesting after his later work in another major science-fiction franchise. Few performers can claim significant connections with both Star Wars and Star Trek. His earlier Doctor Who appearance makes the combination even more unusual.
From Doctor Who to Star Trek
Roy entered another famous science-fiction universe before his Star Wars work. In 1977, he appeared as Mr. Sin in the Doctor Who serial “The Talons of Weng-Chiang.” The role came early in his television career. Decades later, he joined J.J. Abrams’ 2009 Star Trek movie as Keenser.
The character worked alongside Simon Pegg’s Montgomery Scott. Roy returned as Keenser in Star Trek Into Darkness (2013) and Star Trek Beyond (2016). His official filmography confirms both sequel appearances. That gave him a recurring character across the rebooted film series rather than a single cameo.
The NeverEnding Story and Other Memorable Roles
Roy also appeared in the 1984 fantasy film The NeverEnding Story. He played Teeny Weeny, a character remembered for riding a racing snail. IMDb lists the movie among the productions he is best known for. His wider career contains many less obvious appearances. Television and film credits include Blake’s 7, The X-Files, Planet of the Apes, and other productions.
His work often involved characters that demanded costume performance or unusual physical movement. Tim Burton became an important director later in his career. Roy’s association with Burton extended beyond the chocolate factory movie. TV Guide also identifies their recurring professional collaboration as a notable feature of his career.
Why His Career Stands Out
Roy’s filmography crosses several generations of popular entertainment. Someone who first saw him in 1970s British television could later encounter his work in 1980s fantasy films. Younger audiences then discovered him through Charlie and the Chocolate Factory and the rebooted Star Trek movies.
His range is equally notable. Traditional acting represents only part of the story because his credits also include stunt and puppetry work. IMDb currently separates dozens of acting credits from numerous stunt credits. That versatility helps explain his longevity.
Productions requiring distinctive physical performances need performers who can combine timing, movement, and characterization. Roy developed those skills across decades of changing filmmaking techniques. For more entertainment career profiles, browse Magazinted’s featured celebrity stories, which collect profiles and broader entertainment coverage.
Deep Roy Movies and TV Shows Worth Knowing
A short list of Roy’s notable credits shows how varied his career has been.
- The New Avengers (1976), Klokoe.
- The Pink Panther Strikes Again (1976), Italian Assassin.
- Doctor Who (1977), Mr. Sin.
- The Empire Strikes Back (1980), Yoda-related performance work.
- Return of the Jedi (1983), Droopy McCool.
- The NeverEnding Story (1984), Teeny Weeny.
- Charlie and the Chocolate Factory (2005), Oompa-Loompas.
- Star Trek (2009), Keenser.
- Star Trek Into Darkness (2013), Keenser.
- Star Trek Beyond (2016), Keenser.
The list isn’t his complete filmography. His official website says his career includes more than 50 feature films. It also includes television, documentaries, shorts, and movies.
What Is Deep Roy’s Net Worth?
Reliable public financial records do not establish his net worth. Celebrity finance websites may publish estimates, but such numbers often lack documentation. Treating an unsupported estimate as confirmed wealth would therefore be misleading.
IMDb does list a reported $1 million salary for Charlie and the Chocolate Factory. That figure appears in its biographical trivia, but it shouldn’t be mistaken for current net worth. Salary from one production doesn’t reveal taxes, expenses, investments, assets, or later earnings.
Readers comparing celebrity financial profiles should treat published figures as estimates unless public financial documentation backs them.
Is Roy Still Active?
His official website describes a career that began in 1976 and continued through numerous later projects. Its filmography includes Star Trek Beyond and subsequent appearances. The site also presents his work across more than 50 feature films.
Recent entertainment coverage continues to discuss him in retrospectives. Entertainment Weekly included him in its 2026 look at the Charlie and the Chocolate Factory cast. The publication described cast members, including Roy, in the context of their lives and work after the 2005 movie.
His Place in Pop Culture
Few character performers accumulate credits across so many globally recognized properties. His résumé links classic Doctor Who, the original Star Wars trilogy era, 1980s fantasy cinema, Tim Burton films, and the modern Star Trek series. Each introduced his work to another generation.
The Oompa-Loompa performance remains especially recognizable because one performer supplied the physical foundation for a whole group of characters. Yet focusing solely on that film understates his wider contribution. His earlier stunt, costume, television, and science-fiction work had already established a long career.
His story also illustrates how character performers can become familiar without always being immediately recognizable. Makeup, costumes, visual effects, and fictional species can hide the person behind a performance. Looking through his credits reveals how often American audiences have encountered his work without realizing it was the same actor.
Final Thoughts
Roy’s career is much broader than his famous Oompa-Loompa performance. Across decades, he moved between acting, stunts, puppetry, fantasy characters, and major science-fiction franchises. His work connects productions as different as Doctor Who, Star Wars, The NeverEnding Story, and Star Trek.
For U.S. viewers, Charlie and the Chocolate Factory may remain his most familiar credit. His complete filmography, though, reveals a performer with an unusually varied career dating back to 1976. Explore more celebrity and entertainment profiles on Magazinted as the site continues expanding its entertainment coverage.
Frequently Asked Questions
What is Deep Roy famous for?
Roy is famous for playing the Oompa-Loompas in Tim Burton’s 2005 Charlie and the Chocolate Factory. He is also known for Star Wars, The NeverEnding Story, and the modern Star Trek films. His career includes acting, stunt performance, and puppetry.
How old is Deep Roy?
He is 77 years old in 2026, based on the January 26, 1949 birth date reported by IMDb. Some older online references have published a 1957 birth year. Current sources reviewed for this article more consistently support 1949.
What is Deep Roy’s real name?
His birth name is Mohinder Purba. Sources also associate him with the name Gurdeep Roy. He became professionally known to international audiences under his shorter stage name.
How tall is Roy?
IMDb lists him at 4 feet 4 inches, or 1.32 meters. Several other biographical references list the same measurement. His height contributed to certain casting opportunities, but his work also depended heavily on acting and physical performance skills.
Did Roy play every Oompa-Loompa?
He performed the Oompa-Loompa role in Tim Burton’s Charlie and the Chocolate Factory. IMDb states that he portrayed all 165 shown in the movie. He trained in dance and Pilates for the film’s musical sequences.
Was Roy in Star Wars?
Yes. IMDb credits him with uncredited Yoda performance work in The Empire Strikes Back. Other franchise references also connect him with Return of the Jedi, including Droopy McCool and additional performance work.
Who did Roy play in Star Trek?
He played Keenser, an alien Starfleet engineer. He appeared in Star Trek (2009), Star Trek Into Darkness (2013), and Star Trek Beyond (2016). The recurring role connected him with all three films in that trilogy.
