David Robb (born 23 August 1947) is a Scottish actor.[1]

David Robb
Born (1947-08-23) 23 August 1947 (age 77)
London, England
Years active1970–present
Spouse
(m. 1978; died 2013)

Early life

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Robb was born in Wandsworth, London, the son of David Robb and Elsie Tilley.[2] He grew up in Edinburgh and was educated there at the Royal High School, where he played Henry II in a school production of Jean Anouilh's Becket.[3]

Career

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Film and television

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Robb has starred in various British films and television shows, including films such as Swing Kids and Hellbound. He is well known for playing Germanicus in the famous 1976 BBC production of I, Claudius,[4] and as Robin Grant, one of the principal characters in Thames Television's 1981 series The Flame Trees of Thika.

Robb had his big break playing Andrew Fraser MP in the TV miniseries First Among Equals a 1986 adaptation of the book of the same name by Jeffrey Archer. The miniseries was a great success on prime time TV in the UK and abroad and also propelled careers of co-stars Tom Wilkinson, Jeremy Child and James Faulkner.

He also played consultant Henry Reeve-Jones in 9 episodes of the BBC medical drama Casualty, from 1995 until 2003.

He played Dr Clarkson in the television drama series Downton Abbey. Robb is also the narrator of History Channel's documentary series "Battle Stations".

He had a recurring role in the fantasy television series Highlander: The Series.

Voice work

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He has worked extensively on BBC radio drama, including as Charles in the original radio series of Up the Garden Path opposite Imelda Staunton; as Captain Jack Aubrey in the BBC Radio 4 adaptations of the Patrick O'Brian "Aubrey" novels, and as Richard Hannay in several adaptations of the John Buchan novels, including The Thirty-Nine Steps in 2001 and Mr Standfast in 2007. In 2020, BBC Radio 4 Extra rebroadcast his performance from 1985 in E Phillips Oppenheim's mystery thriller The Great Impersonation.

He has also performed as a voice actor for several Star Wars video games.

Theatre

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Robb performed in two of Richard Norton-Taylor's Tricycle Tribunal Plays: The Colour of Justice (the dramatised version of the Sir William Macpherson inquiry into the murder of Stephen Lawrence, his family's search for justice, and endemic racism in British police forces), and Half the Picture (a distillation of the Scott Inquiry into Arms-to-Iraq. It was the first play to be performed in the Palace of Westminster); both were directed by Nicolas Kent and performed at the Tricycle Theatre. The productions were broadcast by the BBC.

Accolades

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Robb received two "Actors" (Screen Actors Guild Awards) for his role as part of the main cast of Downton Abbey, season 2 and season 4.

Personal life

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Robb married the actress Briony McRoberts in 1978.[citation needed] His best man was Lord Michael Jones. Beginning in 2004, he and his wife ran every year in the Edinburgh Marathon to raise money for leukaemia research. McRoberts took her own life on 17 July 2013, aged 56, after a long battle with anorexia and severe depression.[5][6]

Filmography

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Year Title Role Notes
1974 The Swordsman Alex Zendor
1975 Conduct Unbecoming 2nd Lt. Winters
1976 I, Claudius Germanicus[7] 2 episodes
1976 Whodunnit? Nobby Fry (episode Dead Grass)
1977 The Standard English Officer
1977 The Winslow Boy John Watherstone
1978 The Four Feathers Thomas Willoughby TV film
1979 The Legend of King Arthur Lancelot 7 episodes
1980 Hamlet Laertes BBC
1988 The Sandbaggers Paul Dalgetty Yorkshire TV, 2 episodes
1982 Ivanhoe Robin Hood TV film
1982 Charles & Diana: A Royal Love Story Prince Charles TV film
1983 The Wars Maj. Terry
1984 The Last Days of Pompeii Sallust 3 episodes
1986 First Among Equals Andrew Fraser MP 10 episodes
1987 Dreams Lost Dreams Found Ross Fleming TV film
1988 The Deceivers George Anglesmith
1991 Up the Garden Path Charles 6 episodes
1991 Parnell and the Englishwoman Capt. Willie O'Shea 4 episodes
1992–1993 Strathblair Major Andrew Menzies 10 episodes
1993 Swing Kids Dr. Dietrich Berger
1994 Hellbound King Richard
1995 Highlander: The Series Kalas 5 episodes
1995-2003 Casualty Henry Reeve-Jones 9 episodes
1996 The Crow Road Fergus Urvill 4 episodes
1997 Regeneration Dr. McIntyre
1997 The House of Angelo Lord Vanbrugh
1999 Treasure Island Dr. Livesey
2000 Midsomer Murders Charles MacKillop 1 episode
2002 Heartbeat (British TV series) Guy Foxton 1 episode
2004 The Life and Death of Peter Sellers Dr. Lyle Wexler
2007 Elizabeth: The Golden Age Admiral Sir William Winter
2008 Sharpe's Peril Major Tredinnick TV film
2009 The Young Victoria Whig Member
2009 From Time to Time Lord Farrar
2010–2015 Downton Abbey Dr. Clarkson 34 episodes
2015 Wolf Hall Sir Thomas Boleyn 5 episodes
2016 Sacrifice Richard Guthrie
2018 Clique The Dean 2 episodes
2021 All Those Small Things David
2022 Downton Abbey: A New Era Dr. Clarkson

References

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  1. ^ "David Robb". British Film Institute. Archived from the original on 26 July 2012.
  2. ^ "FreeBMD Entry Info".
  3. ^ David Campbell, Minstrel Heart: A Life in Story (2021), p. 115
  4. ^ "David Robb on IMDB". IMDb. 2013. Retrieved 7 November 2013.
  5. ^ "Actor David Robb: 'Anorexia kills women like my wife'". BBC News. 14 July 2014.
  6. ^ "Actress was suffering from anorexia and depression, an inquest heard". 30 October 2013.
  7. ^ episodes 2 & 3
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