Iain Robertson (born 27 May 1981) is a BAFTA award-winning Scottish actor. He portrayed "Lex" in the cult Glasgow gang film ''

Small Faces Small Faces were an English Rock music, rock band from London, founded in 1965. The group originally consisted of Steve Marriott, Ronnie Lane, Kenney Jones and Jimmy Winston, with Ian McLagan replacing Winston as the band's keyboardist in 1966 ...

.'' Robertson is also known for his work in the long-running children's drama ''

Grange Hill ''Grange Hill'' is a British Children's television series, children's television drama series, originally produced by the BBC and portraying life in a typical Comprehensive school (England and Wales), comprehensive school. The show began its ru ...

'' and '' The Debt Collector'', also starring

Billy Connolly Sir William Connolly (born 24 November 1942) is a Scottish actor, musician, television presenter, artist and retired stand-up comedian. He is sometimes known by the Scots nickname the Big Yin ("the Big One"). Known for his idiosyncratic and of ...

. Robertson featured in

Steven Spielberg Steven Allan Spielberg ( ; born December 18, 1946) is an American filmmaker. A major figure of the New Hollywood era and pioneer of the modern blockbuster, Spielberg is widely regarded as one of the greatest film directors of all time and is ...

's '' Band of Brothers'' and played “Gash” in the cult Scottish comedy '' Rab C. Nesbitt''.

Early life

Robertson grew up in a family of seven in a tenement in

Govan Govan ( ; Cumbric: ''Gwovan''; Scots language, Scots: ''Gouan''; Scottish Gaelic: ''Baile a' Ghobhainn'') is a district, parish, and former burgh now part of southwest Glasgow, Scotland. It is situated west of Glasgow city centre, on the sout ...

Glasgow Glasgow is the Cities of Scotland, most populous city in Scotland, located on the banks of the River Clyde in Strathclyde, west central Scotland. It is the List of cities in the United Kingdom, third-most-populous city in the United Kingdom ...

. He held no thoughts of becoming an actor until a primary school teacher pointed out his potential for drama. Robertson has said, "growing up in Govan put fire in my belly, made me push harder and also appreciate the things that have come my way." At the age of 11, Robertson joined a local dramatic arts group. He set about producing his own play, co-written and directed by his friends. Soon after, he won a scholarship to the

Sylvia Young Theatre School Sylvia Young Theatre School is an independent school in Marble Arch, London, England. It is a specialist performing arts school named after its founder and principal, Sylvia Young OBE. Outline The Sylvia Young Theatre School was founded in 19 ...

in London. After winning the scholarship at the age of 12, Robertson appeared in British dramas '' Kavanagh Q.C.'', ''

Silent Witness ''Silent Witness'' is a British crime drama television series produced by the BBC that focuses on a team of forensic pathology experts and their investigations into various crimes. The series was created by Nigel McCrery, a former murder squa ...

'', and '' Bramwell''. In 1995

Gillies Mackinnon Gillies MacKinnon (born 8 January 1948) is a Scotland, Scottish film director, screenplay, writer and painting, painter. He was born in Glasgow and attended the Glasgow School of Art where he studied mural painting. Following this he became an a ...

cast Robertson as the lead in the feature film ''

''.

Career

Robertson portrayed Craig Stevenson in the paranormal drama series ''

Sea of Souls ''Sea of Souls'' is a BBC paranormal drama series, recounting the fictional activities of a group of investigators into psychic and other paranormal events. Produced in-house by BBC Scotland and for the final season by Carnival Films, initially ...

''. He appeared in the sequel '' Basic Instinct 2: Risk Addiction'', alongside American actress

Sharon Stone Sharon Vonne Stone (born March 10, 1958) is an American actress and film producer. Known for primarily playing femmes fatales and women of mystery on film and television, she became one of the most popular sex symbols of the 1990s. She is the ...

. During a prolific period, he took parts in the thriller '' The Contractor'' with

Wesley Snipes Wesley Trent Snipes (born July 31, 1962) is an American actor and martial artist. In a film career spanning more than thirty years, Snipes has appeared in a variety of genres, such as numerous thrillers, dramatic feature films, and comedies, th ...

and joined the cast of '' Rab C. Nesbitt'' returning to the streets of his youth. In 2012, Robertson starred with

Simon Callow Simon Phillip Hugh Callow (born 15 June 1949) is an English actor. Known as a character actor on stage and screen, he has received numerous accolades including an Olivier Award and Screen Actors Guild Award as well as nominations for two BAFT ...

and

Harry Enfield Henry Richard Enfield (born 30 May 1961) is an English comedian. He is known in particular for his television work, including '' Harry Enfield's Television Programme'', '' Harry Enfield & Chums'' and '' Harry & Paul'', across which he created ...

in the feature-length film ''Acts of Godfrey'', a British comedy written entirely in verse. Robertson appeared as Spanky in a revival of John Byrne's '' Slab Boys'' trilogy, and as Romeo in ''

Romeo and Juliet ''The Tragedy of Romeo and Juliet'', often shortened to ''Romeo and Juliet'', is a Shakespearean tragedy, tragedy written by William Shakespeare about the romance between two young Italians from feuding families. It was among Shakespeare's ...

'' at the

Citizens' Theatre The Citizens Theatre, in what was the Royal Princess's Theatre, is the creation of James Bridie and playwright in residence Paul Vincent Carroll is based in Glasgow, Scotland, as a principal producing theatre. The theatre includes a 500-seat ...

. In 2009, he performed at the Lyceum Theatre in Edinburgh, in a theatre adaptation of James Hogg's " Confessions of a Justified Sinner". During the 2010 Edinburgh Fringe Festival, Robertson performed in D.C. Jackson's ''My Romantic History'' at the Traverse Theatre. Robertson also starred in a one-man show ''Angels'' by Ronan O'Donnell at the "Play, a Pie and a Pint" event in Glasgow. This performance received acclaim from critics, noting his exceptional performance. In 2011, Robertson appeared in a revival of '' The Hard Man'', a play about the Scottish criminal Jimmy Boyle. Robertson starred with Dawn Steele on ''Sea of Souls'', they had previously appeared together in '' The Slab Boys''. He worked with co-star Bill Paterson on the feature film ''The Match''. From 2017 until 2024, Robertson played the role of Stevie O'Hara in ''

River City ''River City'' is a Scottish television soap opera created by Stephen Greenhorn which has been broadcast on BBC One Scotland since September 2002. Since 2019, the show has aired episodes a day earlier on the new BBC Scotland channel. Set in ...

'', replacing Cas Harkins, who had played the role from 2003 to 2005.

Personal life

Robertson and his wife Judith Milne divorced in 2009, after three years of marriage. In 2006, Robertson was accused of assaulting a photographer in

Stirling Stirling (; ; ) is a City status in the United Kingdom, city in Central Belt, central Scotland, northeast of Glasgow and north-west of Edinburgh. The market town#Scotland, market town, surrounded by rich farmland, grew up connecting the roya ...

, but was acquitted of the charge.

Filmography

*''

'' (2017–2024) (TV series) *''Whisky Galore'' (2015) *''Pale Star'' (2015) *''

Holby City ''Holby City'' (stylised on-screen as HOLBY CIY) is a British medical drama television series that aired weekly on BBC One. It was created by Tony McHale and Mal Young as a Spin-off (media), spin-off from the established BBC medical drama '' ...

'' (2014–2017) (TV series) *''Acts of Godfrey'' (2010) *'' Rab C. Nesbitt'' (2008) (TV series) *''Deep Soul'' (Greek movie), 2009 *'' Next Time Ned'' (2009) *'' The Contractor'' (2007) *'' Basic Instinct 2'' (2006) *''

Casualty Casualty may refer to: *Casualty (person), a person who is killed or rendered unfit for service in a war or natural disaster **Civilian casualty, a non-combatant killed or injured in warfare * The emergency department of a hospital, also known as ...

'' (2005) (

TV series A television show, TV program (), or simply a TV show, is the general reference to any content produced for viewing on a television set that is broadcast via over-the-air, satellite, and cable, or distributed digitally on streaming platf ...

) *''

'' (2004) (TV series) *''One Last Chance'' (2004) *''Gunpowder, Treason & Plot'' (2003) (TV series) *''

Taggart ''Taggart'' is a Scottish detective fiction television programme created by Glenn Chandler, who wrote many of the episodes, and made by STV Studios for the ITV network. It originally ran as the miniseries ''Killer'' from 6 until 20 Septe ...

'' (2002) (TV series) *'' Band of Brothers'' (2001) (

miniseries In the United States, a miniseries or mini-series is a television show or series that tells a story in a predetermined, limited number of episodes. Many miniseries can also be referred to, and shown, as a television film. " Limited series" is ...

) *''

Watchmen ''Watchmen'' is a comic book Limited series (comics), limited series by the British creative team of writer Alan Moore, artist Dave Gibbons, and colorist John Higgins (comics), John Higgins. It was published monthly by DC Comics in 1986 and 19 ...

'' (2009) *''Hereafter'' (2000) (TV series) *''Fat Chance'' (2000) *''Homesick'' (2000) *''

Oliver Twist ''Oliver Twist; or, The Parish Boy's Progress'', is the second novel by English author Charles Dickens. It was originally published as a serial from 1837 to 1839 and as a three-volume book in 1838. The story follows the titular orphan, who, ...

'' (1999) (miniseries) *''

Rebus A rebus ( ) is a puzzle device that combines the use of illustrated pictures with individual letters to depict words or phrases. For example: the word "been" might be depicted by a rebus showing an illustrated bumblebee next to a plus sign (+ ...

'' (1999) (TV series) *'' The Match'' (1999) *''Poached'' (1998) *''

'' (1998) *'' Plunkett & Macleane'' (1998) *'' The Debt Collector'' (1998) *'' Bramwell'' (1998) (TV series) *'' Psychos'' (1998) (TV series) *''Trail By Jury'' (1997) (TV series) *''

The Bill ''The Bill'' is a British police procedural television series, broadcast on ITV (TV network), ITV from 16 October 1984 until 31 August 2010. The programme originated from a one-off drama, "Woodentop (The Bill), Woodentop" (part of the ''Storyb ...

'' (1997) (TV series) *''

'' (1997) (TV series) *''A Mugs Game'' (1996) (TV series) *''

Bodyguards A bodyguard (or close protection officer/operative) is a type of security guard, government law enforcement officer, or servicemember who protects an important person or group of people, such as high-ranking public officials, wealthy business ...

'' (1996) (TV series) *''

'' (1996) *''

Kavanagh QC ''Kavanagh QC'' is a British television series made by Central Television for ITV between 3 January 1995 and 25 April 2001. All five series are available on DVD in both Region 1 and Region 2. Plot The series starred John Thaw as barrister J ...

'' (1995) (TV series)

Selected theatre credits

*''

The Mysteries ''The Mysteries'' is a cycle of three medieval English mystery plays first presented at London's National Theatre in 1977 which tell a story of the Bible from Genesis to Revelation. Background It is based largely on the Wakefield cycle of p ...

'' (1999) (

Royal National Theatre The National Theatre (NT), officially the Royal National Theatre and sometimes referred to in international contexts as the National Theatre of Great Britain, is a performing arts venue and associated theatre company located in London, England, ...

) *'' The Good Hope'' (2000) (Royal National Theatre) *''

Romeo & Juliet ''The Tragedy of Romeo and Juliet'', often shortened to ''Romeo and Juliet'', is a Shakespearean tragedy, tragedy written by William Shakespeare about the romance between two young Italians from feuding families. It was among Shakespeare's ...

'' (2006) ( Citizens Theatre) *'' Blood Wedding'' (2006) (Citizens Theatre) *'' The Slab Boys Trilogy'' (2003) (

Traverse Theatre The Traverse Theatre is a theatre in Edinburgh, Scotland. It was founded as The Traverse Theatre Club in 1962 by John Calder, John Malcolm, Jim Haynes, Richard Demarco, Terry Lane, Andrew Muir, John Martin and Sheila Colvin. The Traverse Th ...

) *'' The Winters Tale'' (2000) (Royal National Theatre) *''

The Tempest ''The Tempest'' is a Shakespeare's plays, play by William Shakespeare, probably written in 1610–1611, and thought to be one of the last plays that he wrote alone. After the first scene, which takes place on a ship at sea during a tempest, th ...

'' (2002) (

Old Vic Old or OLD may refer to: Places *Old, Baranya, Hungary *Old, Northamptonshire, England *Old Street station, a railway and tube station in London (station code OLD) *OLD, IATA code for Old Town Municipal Airport and Seaplane Base, Old Town, Mai ...

Sheffield Crucible The Crucible Theatre, or simply The Crucible, is a theatre in Sheffield, South Yorkshire, England, which opened in 1971. Its name refers to Crucible steel#History of production in England, crucible steel, which was developed in Sheffield in 174 ...

) *'' Passing Places'' (2001) ( Greenwich Theatre) *'' Small Craft Warnings'' (2008) (

Arcola Theatre Arcola Theatre is in the London Borough of Hackney. It presents plays, operas and musicals featuring established and emerging artists. The theatre building, in the former Colourworks paint factory on Ashwin Street, Dalston, houses two studio ...

) *'' Confessions of a Justified Sinner'' (2009) (

Royal Lyceum Theatre The Royal Lyceum Theatre is a 658-seat theatre in the city of Edinburgh, Scotland, named after the Theatre Royal Lyceum and English Opera House, the residence at the time of legendary Shakespearean actor Henry Irving. It was built in 1883 by a ...

)

Selected radio credits

*''McLevy: The Blue Gown'' (2011) *''An Audience with Ed Reardon'' (2010) *''The Sensitive'' (2010) *''My Blue Hen'' (2009) *'' The Astronaut'' (2009) *''Tough Love'' (2008) *'' Jimmy Murphy Makes Amends'' (2008) *''Rebus - Black & Blue'' (2008) *''Saturday, Sunday, Monday'' (2007) *'' The Tenderness of Wolves'' (2007) *''Faust'' (2006) *'' The Best Snow for Skiing'' (2005) *''Japanese Tales'' (2004) *'' Soft Fall the Sounds of Eden'' (2004) *''Just Prose'' (2003) *''The Nativity'' (2003) *''The Passion'' (2003) *''The Prisoner of Papa Stour'' (1996)

Awards

BAFTA The British Academy of Film and Television Arts (BAFTA, ) is an independent trade association and charity that supports, develops, and promotes the arts of film, television and video games in the United Kingdom. In addition to its annual awa ...

(1996, for ''

'') *

Ian Charleson Ian Charleson (11 August 1949 – 6 January 1990) was a Scottish stage and film actor. He is best known internationally for his starring role as Olympic athlete and missionary Eric Liddell in the Academy Award, Oscar-winning 1981 film ''Chariots ...

Commendation (1999, for ''

'') * Ian Charleson Award 3rd Prize (2002, for ''

'') *

(2005, for ''

'') *Edinburgh Fringe First (2010, for ''My Romantic History'')

References

External links

* {{DEFAULTSORT:Robertson, Iain 1981 births BAFTA winners (people) Scottish male child actors Living people Male actors from Glasgow Scottish male film actors Scottish male stage actors Scottish male television actors Scottish male soap opera actors Alumni of the Sylvia Young Theatre School