Tessa Ross Biography

Fast Facts

• Made Time Magazine's list of 100 most influential people in the world in 2009
• As controller of film and drama at Channel 4 in the U․K․, she was awarded the Commander of the Order of the British Empire at the Queen's New Years Honours List in 2010 for her services in broadcasting
• Director of the Royal National Theatre and governor of the National Film and Television School
• Educated at Westminster School and Somerville College, Oxford
• Work as a literary agent in 1986 led to becoming BBC Scotland's script editor in 1988, followed by British Screen head of development in 1990 to head of drama for the BBC independent commissioning group in 1993, then head of Film4 in 2002 to head of drama at Channel 4 in 2004
• Quote: "(On pressure and big budgets) "This is what I came to do․ I didn't expect to be able to go home and sleep easy every night․ I feel incredibly lucky and privileged, but I also feel terrified most of the time․""
• Executive producer whose work includes 2008's "In Bruges" and "Slumdog Millionaire," along with 2010's "127 Hours," 2011's "The Iron Lady," 2012's "Seven Psychopaths" and many other films