Iain Robertson

Iain Robertson (born 27 May 1981) is a BAFTA award winning Scottish actor. He was once described by British film critic, Barry Norman, as "the best thing to come out of Scotland since whisky".^[1]

Star of the cult Glasgow gang film, Small Faces, Robertson is also known for his work in the long-running children's drama, Grange Hill and The Debt Collector, also starring comedian and actor Billy Connolly. Iain took a prominent role in Sea of Souls, with Bill Paterson and Dawn Steele.

Robertson featured in Steven Spielberg's Band of Brothers and more recently played "Gash" in the cult British comedy Rab C. Nesbitt.^[2]

Billy Connolly, who also attended St Gerard's secondary school in Govan, once described Robertson's talent as "immense". 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".^[1]

Early life

Robertson grew up in a family of seven in a two-bedroom tenement in Govan, Glasgow. He held no thoughts of becoming an actor until he received a report from a primary school teacher, Mr O'Kane, stating: "this boy has a special aptitude for drama".

At the age of 11, Robertson went on to join a local dramatic arts group. He set about producing his own play, co-written and directed by friends Leah Beattie, Kelly Mitchell, and John Rennie. Soon after, he looked for further opportunities in acting and found an advertisement offering scholarships to the Sylvia Young Theatre School. Iain was among 2,000 children to audition.^[1]

On winning the scholarship at the age of 12,^[3] Robertson appeared in renowned dramas Kavanagh Q.C., Silent Witness and Bramwell – all of which see regular repeats on British television.

In 1995 Gillies Mackinnon cast Iain as lead in the award winning feature film Small Faces alongside Kevin McKidd, Laura Fraser and Claire Higgins. The film received worldwide acclaim and earned Robertson a Best Performance BAFTA.

Career

Iain is also known for his role as Craig Stevenson in the paranormal drama series Sea of Souls, starring in its second and third series in 2005 and 2006. He also appeared in the big screen sequel Basic Instinct 2: Risk Addiction, alongside American actress Sharon Stone. In a prolific period, Robertson also took parts in the thriller The Contractor with Wesley Snipes. He also joined the cast of the new series of Rab C. Nesbitt^[4] returning to the streets of his youth replacing Andrew Farlie as Nesbitt's son Gash.

Rab C. Nesbitt creator Ian Pattison affectionately described Iain as "a hamlet-faced bamette, who when not working, ravages around like a wasp trapped in a jar, driven mad by his own bitterness!"^[5]

In 2012, Robertson starred with Simon Callow and Harry Enfield in the feature-length film Acts of Godfrey, a British comedy written entirely in verse. The film had limited cinematic release but Robertson received favourable reviews for the lead role.^[6]

Robertson has worked extensively in British theatre, most notably in the Millennium production of Bill Bryden's The Mysteries at The Royal National Theatre and alongside Derek Jacobi in Michael Grandage's production of The Tempest at the Old Vic theatre.

Subsequently Iain has appeared as Spanky in a revival of John Byrne's Slab Boys trilogy, and as Romeo in Romeo and Juliet at the Citizens' Theatre. In 2009 he starred as Gil Martin at the Lyceum Theatre in Edinburgh, in a theatre adaptation of James Hogg's "Confessions of a Justified Sinner" .^[7]

During the 2010 Edinburgh Fringe Festival, Robertson received excellent reviews for his lead role in D. C. Jackson's My Romantic History.^[8][9]

My Romantic History won a Fringe First award and saw a tour across England, before a sell-out run at the Bush Theatre, London. Iain also starred in the one man show Angels by Ronan O'Donnell at the "Play, a Pie and a Pint" event in Glasgow. One critic described Robertson as giving 'the performance of a lifetime'.^[10] In 2011 he appeared in a revival of The Hard Man, a play concerning the life of the infamous Scottish criminal Jimmy Boyle.^[11]

Personal life

Robertson divorced his wife Judith Milne^[12] in 2009, after three years of marriage. They had no children.^[13]

2006 saw Robertson accused of assault against a photographer in Stirling.^[14] Appearing in his defence was renowned Scottish actor, Dougray Scott.

In his witness evidence, Scott said: "It would take an extraordinary imagination to call what I saw a punch ... Iain was upset, not angry."

Robertson was acquitted of the charge.^[15]

Iain went on to team up with Dawn Steele on Sea of Souls, they had previously appeared together in The Slab Boys.^[16] He also worked with Bill Paterson on the feature film The Match.^[17]

The Speyside Sessions

Robertson has been involved in a charity project conceived as a love letter to his home town and coordinated by actor, Kevin McKidd. The photos on the album's cover were taken by McKidd and his partner, Jessica Clark. Robertson directed the work's teaser video, narrated by actor Ewan McGregor, which was used to promote the album online.

Filmography

• Acts of Godfrey (2010)
• Rab C. Nesbitt (2008) (TV series)
• Next Time Ned (2009)
• The Contractor (2007)
• Basic Instinct 2 (2006)
• Casualty (2005) (TV series)
• Sea of Souls (2004) (TV series)
• One Last Chance (2004)
• Gunpowder, Treason & Plot (2003) (TV series)
• Taggart (2002) (TV series)
• Band of Brothers (2001) (miniseries)
• Watchmen (2001)
• Hereafter (2000) (TV series)
• Fat Chance (2000)
• Homesick (2000)
• Oliver Twist (1999) (miniseries)
• Rebus (1999) (TV series)
• The Match (1999)
• Poached (1998)
• Grange Hill (TV series) (1998)
• Plunkett & Macleane (1998)
• The Debt Collector (1998)
• Bramwell (1998) (TV series)
• Psychos (1998) (TV series)
• Trail By Jury (1997) (TV series)
• The Bill (1997) (TV series)
• Silent Witness (1996) (TV series)
• A Mugs Game (1996) (TV series)
• Bodyguards (1996) (TV series)
• Small Faces (1996)
• Kavanagh QC (1995) (TV series)

Selected theatre credits

• The Mysteries (1999) (Royal National Theatre)
• The Good Hope (2000) (Royal National Theatre)
• Romeo & Juliet (2006) (Citizens Theatre)
• Blood Wedding (2006) (Citizens Theatre)
• The Slab Boys Trilogy (2003) (Traverse Theatre)
• The Winters Tale (2000) (Royal National Theatre)
• The Tempest (2002) (Old Vic/Sheffield Crucible)
• Passing Places (2001) (Greenwich Theatre)
• Strangers, Babies (2006) (Traverse Theatre)
• Small Craft Warnings (2008) (Arcola Theatre)
• Confessions of a Justified Sinner (2009) (Royal Lyceum Theatre)
• My Romantic History (2010) (Bush Theatre)

Selected radio credits

• McLevy: The Blue Gown (2011)^[18]
• An Audience with Ed Reardon (2010)^[19]
• The Sensitive (2010)^[20]
• My Blue Hen (2009)^[21]
• The Astronaut (2009)^[22]
• Tough Love (2008)^[23]
• Jimmy Murphy Makes Amends (2008)^[24]
• Rebus - Black & Blue (2008)^[25]
• Saturday, Sunday, Monday (2007)
• The Tenderness of Wolves (2007)^[26]
• Faust (2006)^[27]
• The Best Snow for Skiing (2005)^[28]
• Japanese Tales (2004)^[29]
• Soft Fall the Sounds of Eden (2004)^[30]
• Just Prose (2003)
• The Nativity (2003)^[31]
• The Passion (2003)^[32]
• The Prisoner of Papa Stour (1996)^[33]

Awards

• BAFTA (1996, for Small Faces)
• Ian Charleson Commendation (1999, for The Mysteries)
• Ian Charleson Award 3rd Prize (2002, for The Tempest)
• BAFTA (2005, for Sea of Souls)
• Edinburgh Fringe First (2010, for My Romantic History)

References

External links

• Iain Robertson at the Internet Movie Database
• BBC Sea of Souls Website
• The Iain Robertson Community with YouTube links to all of Iain's work
• Newspaper Article
• Interview with Iain Robertson