Michael Robbins
Born in London, Robbins was a bank clerk who became an actor after appearing in amateur dramatic performances in Hitchin, Hertfordshire, where he and his family lived at the time. Robbins made his television debut as the cockney soldier in Roll-on Bloomin' Death. Primarily a comedy actor, he is best remembered for the role of Arthur Rudge, the persistently sarcastic husband of Olive (Anna Karen), in the popular sitcom On the Buses (1969–73). Robbins and Karen provided the secondary comic storyline to Reg Varney's comedy capers at the bus depot. Robbins also appeared in the series film spin-offs, On the Buses, Mutiny on the Buses, and Holiday on the Buses. His other comedy credits include non-recurring roles in Man About the House, Oh Brother!, The Good Life, One Foot in the Grave, The New Statesman, George and Mildred, Hi-de-Hi! and You Rang, M'Lord? He appeared as a rather humorously portrayed police sergeant in the TV adaptation of Brendon Chase.
As well as these comic roles, he assumed various straight roles in some of the major British television shows of the 1960s and 1970s: including Minder, The Sweeney, Z-Cars, Return of the Saint, Murder Most English, The Avengers, Dixon of Dock Green, The Bill and the 1982 Doctor Who story The Visitation.
Robbins's film credits included The Whisperers, Up The Junction, The Looking Glass War, Zeppelin and Blake Edwards' films The Pink Panther Strikes Again and Victor/Victoria'. He also had an extensive career as a radio actor, including a role in the soap opera Waggoner's Walk and the satirical 1970s show Life is What Yer Make It.
Robbins was an indefatigable worker for charity. He was active in the Grand Order of Water Rats (being elected 'Rat of the Year' in 1978) and the Catholic Stage Guild, and received a Papal Award for his services in 1987. In one of his last television appearances, in A Little Bit of Heaven Robbins recalled his childhood visits to Norfolk and spoke of his faith and love of the Shrine of Our Lady at Walsingham. Michael Robbins had a brother Jack who was a head teacher at Saint Gregory's Catholic middle school in Bedford in the 1970s and early 1980s. Michael made some guest appearances at this school throughout the years and sometimes entertained the pupils with various sketches with his brother Jack Robbins
In the mid-1970s he also directed a film: How Are You?
Fotos
Películas (42)
The Ties That Bind Us
2008 · Richard Mace (archive footage)
Adam Bede
1992 · Thias Bede
One Foot in the Grave: The Man in the Long Black Coat
1991 · Mr Killick
Just Ask for Diamond
1988 · The Fat Man
Lost In London
1985 · Bill
The Merry Wives of Windsor
1982 · Nym
Victor/Victoria
1982 · Manager of Victoria's Hotel
Doctor Who: The Visitation
1982 · Richard Mace
The Great Muppet Caper
1981 · Henderson
Murder Rap
1980 · Det. Sgt. Praed
The Saint and the Brave Goose
1979 · Beeky
The Pink Panther Strikes Again
1976 · Jarvis
Man About the House
1974 · Doorman
Soap Opera in Stockwell
1973 · Bert
No Sex Please - We're British
1973 · Car Driver
Holiday on the Buses
1973 · Arthur Rudge
That's Your Funeral
1972 · 2nd Funeral Director
Mutiny on the Buses
1972 · Arthur Rudge
Blinker's Spy-Spotter
1972 · Policeman
On the Buses
1971 · Arthur Rudge
Villain
1971 · Barzun
Zeppelin
1971 · Cockney Sergeant
All the Way Up
1970 · Taxi Driver
The Hunting of Lionel Crane
1970 · Sergeant Billings
The Looking Glass War
1970 · Truck Driver
Crossplot
1969 · Garage Attendant
Till Death Us Do Part
1969 · Fred
Horizontal Hold
1968 · TV Repairman
The Drummer and the Bloke
1968 · Jack
Up the Junction
1968 · Figgins
The Whisperers
1967 · Mr Noonan
Dead Man's Chest
1965 · Sergeant Harris
Rattle of a Simple Man
1964 · George (organiser)
The Bone Yard
1964 · Sergeant Strickland
Act of Murder
1964 · Van Driver
The Bargee
1964 · Bargee
Children of the Damned
1964 · (uncredited)
What a Crazy World
1963 · Percy
A Prize of Arms
1962 · Orford
You in Your Small Corner
1962 · Georgie
Lunch Hour
1962 · Harris
Danger! Men Working
1961 · Second Labourer
Series (59)
You Rang, M'Lord?
1990 · Twelvetrees Senior
One Foot in the Grave
1990 · Irate Neighbour
The New Statesman
1987 · Mad Eddie
In Sickness and in Health
1985 · Rail Worker
Dempsey and Makepeace
1985 · Simmons
Fairly Secret Army
1984 · Sergeant Major Throttle
The Bill
1984
Fresh Fields
1984 · Mr. Pringle
The Bounder
1982 · Bert
Legacy of Murder
1982 · Marley
Brendon Chase
1982 · Sergeant Bunting
The Chinese Detective
1981
Minder
1979 · McQueen
The Cannon & Ball Show
1979 · Police Seargent
Dick Turpin
1979 · Sgt. Bullock
Return of the Saint
1978 · Beeky
Leave it to Charlie
1978 · Mr. Sowerbutts
Mixed Blessings
1978 · Fred Fachetti
Murder Most English: A Flaxborough Chronicle
1977 · Pumphrey
George and Mildred
1976 · Alf
Operation Patch
1976 · George Cosserat
Rumpole of the Bailey
1975 · Cyril Timson
The Good Life
1975 · Mr. Bulstrode
The Sweeney
1975 · Kevin Lee
Moody and Pegg
1974 · Len
Thick as Thieves
1974
Black and Blue
1973 · Bert
Centre Play
1973 · Swaffer
Justice
1971 · Eddie
Department S
1969 · Burton
The Main Chance
1969 · Gerry Baxter
Judge Dee
1969
On the Buses
1969 · Arthur Rudge
ITV Saturday Night Theatre
1969 · Michael Vint
Never Mind the Quality, Feel the Width
1967
Callan
1967
You Can't Win
1966
Thirty-Minute Theatre
1965 · Harris
The Wednesday Thriller
1965 · Clerk of the Court
The Man in Room 17
1965 · C.P.O. Bradshaw
Londoners
1965 · Shaw
Gideon's Way
1965 · Smith
Redcap
1964 · Private Pendlebury
The Count of Monte Cristo
1964 · Caderousse
The Wednesday Play
1964 · Sergeant Strickland, Albert Barking, Jack, Henry Whittaker, Sergeant Billings
The Four Seasons of Rosie Carr
1964 · Dave
Sherlock Holmes
1964
Theatre 625
1964 · Tom
Story Parade
1964 · Edward Cowley
Doctor Who
1963 · Richard Mace
Crane
1963 · Jennings
The Saint
1962 · Harry, Smith
Studio 4
1962 · Humphrey Place
Z-Cars
1962
The Avengers
1961 · Henry Farrow, Cavell
No Hiding Place
1959
Edgar Wallace Mysteries
1959 · Sergeant Harris
Armchair Theatre
1956 · Dave
Dixon of Dock Green
1955 · Charlie Mills