David Robb (born 23 August 1947) is a Scottish actor.
Biography David Robb was born in Wandsworth, London, the son of David Robb and Elsie Tilley. 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.David Campbell, Minstrel Heart: A Life in Story (2021), p. 115
Robb married the actress Briony McRoberts in 1978. His best man was 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.
Media career Film and television 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, 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 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 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.
Awards and recognition 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.
Filmography Year Title Role Notes 1970 Villette Count de Hamal 2 episodes1974 The Swordsman Alex Zendor 1975 Conduct Unbecoming 2nd Lt. Winters 1976 I, Claudius Germanicusepisodes 2 & 3 2 episodes1976 Whodunnit? Nobby Fry (episode Dead Grass)1977 The Standard English Officer 1977 The Winslow Boy John Watherstone 1978 The Four Feathers Thomas Willoughby TV film1979 The Legend of King Arthur Lancelot 7 episodes1980 Hamlet Laertes BBC1988 The Sandbaggers Paul Dalgetty Yorkshire TV, 2 episodes1982 Ivanhoe Robin Hood TV film1982 Charles & Diana: A Royal Love Story Prince Charles TV film1983 The Wars Maj. Terry 1984 The Last Days of Pompeii Sallust 3 episodes1986 First Among Equals Andrew Fraser MP 10 episodes1987 Dreams Lost Dreams Found Ross Fleming TV film1988 The Deceivers George Anglesmith 1991 Up the Garden Path Charles 6 episodes1991 Parnell and the Englishwoman Capt. Willie O'Shea 4 episodes1992–1993 Strathblair Major Andrew Menzies 10 episodes1993 Swing Kids Dr. Dietrich Berger 1994 Hellbound King Richard 1995 Highlander: The Series Kalas 5 episodes1995-2003 Casualty Henry Reeve-Jones 9 episodes1996 The Crow Road Fergus Urvill 4 episodes1997 Regeneration Dr. McIntyre 1997 The House of Angelo Lord Vanbrugh 1999 Treasure Island Dr. Livesey2000 Midsomer Murders Charles MacKillop 1 episode2002 Heartbeat (British TV series) Guy Foxton 1 episode2004 The Life and Death of Peter Sellers Dr. Lyle Wexler 2004 The Bill D.C.I Bill Wicklow Second Strike - Part 1 & 22007 Elizabeth: The Golden Age Admiral Sir William Winter 2008 Sharpe's Peril Major Tredinnick TV film2009 The Young Victoria Whig Member 2009 From Time to Time Lord Farrar 2010–2015 Downton Abbey Dr. Clarkson 34 episodes2015 Wolf Hall Sir Thomas Boleyn 5 episodes2016 Sacrifice Richard Guthrie 2018 Clique The Dean 2 episodes2021 All Those Small Things David 2022 Downton Abbey: A New Era Dr. Clarkson 2026 Patience Professor Greville
References
External links