Iain Robertson

Early life

Robertson grew up in a family of seven in a tenement in Govan, Glasgow. He held no thoughts of becoming an actor until a primary school teacher pointed out his talent 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 in London.

Upon winning the scholarship at the age of 12, Robertson appeared in British dramas Kavanagh Q.C., Silent Witness and Bramwell. In 1995 Gillies Mackinnon cast Robertson as the lead in the award winning feature film Small Faces. The film earned Robertson a Best Performance BAFTA.

Politics

Robertson is a prominent supporter of the Scottish National Party. He arranges a Burns Night for the First Minister of Scotland on a yearly basis.

Career

Robertson was once described by British film critic, Barry Norman, as "the best thing to come out of Scotland since whisky".

Robertson portrayed Craig Stevenson in the paranormal drama series Sea of Souls. He appeared in the big screen sequel Basic Instinct 2: Risk Addiction, alongside American actress Sharon Stone. In a prolific period, he took parts in the thriller The Contractor with Wesley Snipes. He joined the cast of Rab C. Nesbitt returning to the streets of his youth replacing Andrew Farlie as Nesbitt's son, Gash.

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.

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, Robertson 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 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. One critic described Robertson as giving 'the performance of a lifetime'.

In 2011 he appeared in a revival of The Hard Man, a play concerning the life of the infamous 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.

Personal life

Robertson divorced his wife, Judith Milne in 2009, after three years of marriage. They had no children.

In 2006, Robertson was accused of assaulting a photographer in Stirling, but was acquitted of the charge.

Selected theatre credits

Selected radio credits

Awards