Roland Manookian: Career, Films & 2026 Update
Roland Manookian Net Worth in 2026 remains undisclosed. See verified details on his film career, TV roles, income sources, and recent projects.
Author:James RowleyMar 28, 20261K Shares91.3K Views
Roland Manookian was born in London (South-East London) and raised in the Bermondsey area of the city. Manookian has described his childhood as “a relatively conventional working class upbringing in South London”.
He grew up on council estates, playing football with friends around the local housing blocks. According to interviews, he took part in school acting and, after finishing secondary education, he “decided to go and study performing arts” at college.
Early Acting Career And Industry Entry
Roland Manookian grew up in London and pursued formal training after finishing school and college. He recalls that he “got the part when the BBC were casting a project called Storm Damage,” which became his first significant break. Following that casting, he signed with a London acting agency and his on-screen career began in earnest.
In the late 1990s he appeared in television adaptations of classic literature: for example, he had a small role as Pip’s servant in the BBC’s Great Expectations(1999) and played Charley Bates in ITV’s 1999 Oliver Twistseries. Early TV credits also include the BBC drama Storm Damage(2000) and the crime series The Vice(2000). These roles gave him exposure in the UK industry and set the stage for larger film parts.
Breakthrough Role In The Football Factory
Manookian’s first major film profile came with Nick Love’s gritty hooligan drama The Football Factory(2004). In that cult British movie he portrayed “Zeberdee,” a young, cocaine-fueled Chelsea football firm member, alongside co-stars like Danny Dyer. Playing Zeberdee required physical intensity and an authentic Cockney attitude – qualities Manookian embodied convincingly.
The film became a cult hit among British audiences and established him as a go-to actor for gritty urban crime dramas. This role remains one of his best-known performances and helped launch the next phase of his film career.
| Full Name | Roland Manookian |
| Birthplace | South-East London |
| Childhood | Working-class upbringing in Bermondsey |
| Education | Studied performing arts after secondary school |
| Early TV Start | Appeared in The Bill, The Vice, Storm Damage |
| Breakthrough Role | Played Zebedee in The Football Factory (2004) |
| Major Film Work | Known for Rise of the Footsoldier franchise |
| Big-Screen Exposure | Supporting role in RocknRolla (2008) |
| Directorial Debut | Directed The Sun Also Rises (2022) |
| Net Worth (2026) | Not publicly disclosed |
Major Film Appearances And Career Highlights
Over the following years Manookian built an extensive resume of British film roles, often in the crime and thriller genres. He worked again with director Nick Love on Goodbye Charlie Bright(2001), playing street-gang member Justin alongside Danny Dyer. He then appeared as Sonny in Love’s 2005 gangster drama The Business, starring Dyer and Tamer Hassan.
In 2008 he joined the ensemble of Guy Ritchie’s RocknRolla(as nightclub thug “Bandy”), appearing with Idris Elba and Tom Hardy in a hit crime comedy that topped the UK box office. Manookian continued to take on tough-guy roles: in the vampire-horror film Dead Cert(2010) he played Chinnery, a London gangster entangled with supernatural forces, and in the sci-fi comedy Piggy(2012) he portrayed Craig, a time-traveler from the 1970s.
He also became closely identified with the Rise of the Footsoldierfranchise, playing cocaine-dealer Craig Rolfe in the original film (2007) and returning in its sequels (Rise of the Footsoldier 2: Reign of the General(2015, flashback), Rise of the Footsoldier 3: The Pat Tate Story(2017), Rise of the Footsoldier: Marbella(2019), and Rise of the Footsoldier: Origins(2021)). In each he reprised the same character, a portrayal that earned him a devoted fan following.
Additional notable film credits include roles in White Collar Hooligan(2012), the London crime thriller London Heist(2017), and as the young gangster Frank “Mad Frankie” Fraser in the historical crime drama Once Upon a Time in London(2018). He also appeared in smaller projects and shorts, such as the 2016 short film Jewelsand the action-horror Riot(2017), but most of his career highlights involve British crime and thriller features.
Television Roles And Notable Performances
Alongside films, Manookian has steadily worked in television. After his 1999 Dickens adaptations, he took parts in UK TV dramas such as the BBC drama Storm Damageand the ITV police series The Bill(in which he played Ben Glover and later Gavin Downey across several episodes between 1999 and 2009). He also appeared in episodes of the crime anthology series Murder(2002) and had a role in the wartime drama Dunkirk(BBC, 2004) as Frankie Osbourne.
In 2014 he co-starred as Arthur in the made-for-TV historical drama Power to the People. These parts demonstrated his ability to adapt to different television genres, from classic literature adaptations to modern crime stories. Manookian’s TV work laid the foundation for his later casting in the most high-profile TV role of his career.
Typecasting In Crime & Drama Genres
Throughout his career, Manookian has most often been cast as a tough, violent character in crime dramas and thrillers – a typecasting he acknowledges with a sense of humor. As he once put it in an interview: “I wouldn’t say it’s always easy, but it’s always so much fun,” referring to playing violent men on screen. His rough-edged features and authenticity in British slang make him a natural fit for hooligan and gangster roles.
Critics and fans note that he brings realism to mobster characters and troubled youths alike. At the same time, he has shown some range within that niche – for example, playing a psychopathic nightclub owner in Dead Certor a haunted time-traveler in Piggy. He also ventured into lighter territory occasionally (such as the dark comedy Big Fat Gypsy Gangsterin 2011), but by reputation he remains primarily associated with crime and drama.
Collaborations With Directors And Co-Stars
Manookian has frequently worked with several of the same directors and co-stars. He often cites director Nick Love as a key collaborator – after Goodbye Charlie Brightand The Business, Love cast him again in The Football Factory. Manookian has praised Love in interviews, calling him “a beautiful man and colossal director” and saying he was “very privileged” to work with him.
He also partnered repeatedly with actor Terry Stone; they co-starred in the Footsoldiermovies and in the gangster film Piggy. Another frequent co-star is Danny Dyer, who appeared with him in The Football Factory, The Business, Dead Cert, and later on in the Footsoldierseries.
On Guy Ritchie’s RocknRolla, Manookian played opposite stars Idris Elba and Tom Hardy, expanding his network of high-profile British actors. He has also worked with genre veterans like Craig Fairbrass (in Footsoldier) and Helen Mirren (as a student extra in Dunkirk), showing that he is a respected supporting performer among prominent casts. These repeat collaborations have solidified Manookian’s place in the British crime-film scene.
Recent Projects And Current Work
In recent years Manookian has continued to alternate between film and television while also expanding into new roles behind the camera. In 2020 he had a supporting part as the Barber in the acclaimed Netflix horror-thriller His House. In 2021 he appeared again as Craig Rolfe in Rise of the Footsoldier: Origins, the fifth installment of the franchise.
That same period saw him make his directorial debut: in 2022 he wrote and directed the short drama Castle in the Sky(starring Jaime Winstone), marking his first project as a filmmaker.
On television, Manookian’s most notable recent work has been in the BBC soap opera EastEnders. He joined the cast in mid-2024 as Teddy Mitchell, the secret half-brother of established character Billy Mitchell.
His casting was announced with Manookian remarking that it was “a great honour to come into a show which is an institution in its own right”, adding that the challenge and pressure of joining a legacy family was “welcome.” He played Teddy for 18 months; in late 2025 the BBC confirmed his character would be written out in early 2026.
As of 2026, Roland Manookian remains active in British entertainment – known for two decades of gritty screen work and now branching out into directing – with his portrayal of Teddy Mitchell among his latest career highlights.
Roland Manookian Net Worth
As of 2026, his net worth is not publicly disclosed, and no figure has been officially verified by major financial authorities. Manookian’s income is derived from his acting career in British film and television, and specific earnings from individual roles are not publicly disclosed.
FAQs
Who Is Roland Manookian?
Roland Manookian is a British actor known for his work in UK crime and drama films. He gained wider recognition for his role as Zeberdee in The Football Factory(2004).
Where Is Roland Manookian From?
He was born in South-East London and raised in the Bermondsey area. He has described his upbringing as a conventional working-class childhood.
What Is Roland Manookian Best Known For?
He is best known for roles in British crime films, particularly The Football Factoryand the Rise of the Footsoldierseries. He has also appeared in television dramas including EastEnders.
Did Roland Manookian Appear In EastEnders?
Yes, he joined EastEndersin 2024 as Teddy Mitchell. The BBC later confirmed his character would be written out in early 2026.
What Films Has Roland Manookian Appeared In?
His film credits include The Business(2005), RocknRolla(2008), Dead Cert(2010), and multiple installments of the Rise of the Footsoldierfranchise. He has primarily worked in crime and thriller genres.
James Rowley
Author
James Rowley is a London-based writer and urban explorer specialising in the city’s cultural geography. For over 15 years, he has documented the living history of London's neighbourhoods through immersive, first-hand reporting and original photography. His work foregrounds verified sources and street-level detail, helping readers look past tourist clichés to truly understand the character of a place.
His features and analysis have appeared in established travel and heritage publications. A passionate advocate for responsible, research-led tourism, James is an active member of several professional travel-writing associations.
His guiding principle is simple: offer clear, current, verifiable advice that helps readers see the capital with informed eyes.
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