| Robert Coleby | |
|---|---|
| Born | 1947 |
| Spouse | Lena Coleby |
Robert Coleby (born 1947 in Ipswich, Suffolk, United Kingdom) is a British actor who has spent most of his career in Australia. Active since the 1970s, he has over 70 film and television credits to his name. Coleby has acted on stage in numerous productions for Queensland Theatre Company based in Brisbane, Australia.
Robert's real name is Robert Taylor. Since there was already a famous actor of that name, Equity rules required that he choose another. In his late teens, Robert lived in Edington, Somerset, and went to Dr Morgan's School in Bridgwater. At that time he was influenced by the beat generation, novelist Jack Kerouac and singer/songwriter Bob Dylan and performed with acoustic guitar at folk music clubs in Bridgwater and Taunton. He enjoyed hitch-hiking in Europe during the school holidays, and worked in the peat fields near Shapwick to earn enough money for his ferry ticket to France and to buy bread, cheese and wine for the few weeks on the road.
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Coleby's earliest screen role was in 1970, playing the role of Fortinbras in a TV version of Hamlet in the long-running US series Hallmark Hall of Fame, followed by a role as a hitchhiker in the 1971 US motion picture The Last Run which starred George C Scott.[1] During the next several years, he appeared in a number of TV productions in the UK, including five episodes of the successful 1973 children's series Pollyanna. Moving to Sydney, Australia, he made his debut on Aussie TV appearing in an episode of the TV period drama Rush in 1976.[1] Over the next two decades, Coleby became a regular face on Australian TV; he was a cast regular on several TV series including the role of pilot Barry Drummond on Chopper Squad (1977–79), of RAN officer Lt Fisher in Patrol Boat (1979–83), of Reverend Lonsdale in the mini-series Anzacs (1985) and of businessman Tom Barsby in the short-lived soap opera Paradise Beach (1993–94)[1]
Coleby played Richard Craig in several episodes of the Australian medical drama All Saints between 2001 and 2004, and appeared as William Maplewhite in two episodes of The Lost World in 2001 and 2002. In 2005 he portrayed Rock Hudson in the fictionalized American television movie/docudrama Dynasty: The Making of a Guilty Pleasure, based on the creation and behind the scenes production of the 1980s prime time soap opera Dynasty.[2][3] Coleby played Alexander Preston in the 2006 American telenovela Monarch Cove, and Howard Webb in a 2006 episode of the Australian drama McLeod's Daughters. He later played Paul Devers in the 2007 American miniseries The Starter Wife. Amongst his recent theatre work has been playing the title role in the Queensland Theatre Company's 2007 production of the Henrik Ibsen play John Gabriel Borkman.[4] In 2011, Coleby appeared in an episode of Terra Nova, titled "Proof", as Professor Ken Horton.[5]
Coleby is married to Lena Coleby; their children are Australian actors Anja Coleby and Conrad Coleby.