--- name: "Robert Lindsay" canonical: "https://film.one/person/robert-lindsay" roles: ["Actor"] born: "13 December 1949" reviewed_on_fi1m: 4 average_fi1m_score: 83 average_as: "actor" average_over: 4 updated: "2026-09-18T09:31:58.624574+00:00" licence: "© Fi1m Ltd. Written by AI under a human editor; checked against sources before publication. Quote with attribution and a link to the canonical URL." --- # Robert Lindsay Actor. Born 13 December 1949 in Ilkeston, Derbyshire, England, UK. ## Details - **Work:** Actor - **Born:** 13 December 1949, Ilkeston, Derbyshire, England, UK - **Active:** 1975–present - **Also known as:** رابرت لیندسی - **Average Fi1m score:** 83, as actor, over 4 titles - **Fi1m score by decade:** 1970s 85 (1), 1990s 85 (1), 2000s 81 (1), 2020s 82 (1) - **Score spread:** 4 at 80+, 0 at 60–79, 0 under 60 - **Lead roles:** 0 of 1 acting credits billed first or second - **Genres:** Comedy 2, Crime 1, Drama 1, Mystery 1 - **Elsewhere:** https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Robert_Lindsay_(actor), https://www.wikidata.org/wiki/Q944245, https://www.imdb.com/name/nm0512305/, https://www.themoviedb.org/person/71450 ## Fi1m on Robert Lindsay > A big, physical performer trained in sitcom and musicals, Robert Lindsay did his finest work when Alan Bleasdale turned that skill against him: Michael Murray in *G.B.H.* is a showman whose own body heckles him. Little since has asked as much of him. Somewhere in the middle of a speech, Michael Murray's arm goes up. Not for emphasis; it simply goes, as if it belonged to somebody else, and Robert Lindsay lets it happen without a flicker of acknowledgement. That is the Lindsay we keep coming back to: a performer built for the big gesture who does his best work when the gesture gets away from him. In *G.B.H.* (1991) he plays the new leader of the council as a man who has been performing so long he has forgotten there was ever an audience to lose, and then his body starts telling the truth his mouth will not. He came up through television comedy in the 1970s, and Wolfie Smith in *Citizen Smith* (1977–1980) was the part that made him a household name. Musical theatre followed, with *Me and My Girl* in 1984, in London and then on Broadway. That training shows in everything after it. Lindsay moves like a musical-theatre man; he knows where his hands are and he knows how to make a room look at him. Bleasdale's trick in *G.B.H.* was to take that skill and point it the wrong way. Murray wants to be watched. Then he is watched for reasons he cannot control. Alan Bleasdale is the writer who gets the best out of him, and Julie Walters is the partner. In *G.B.H.* she spends her scenes deflating him with a look, and the two of them are the best double act in the series; Bleasdale put them back together for *Jake's Progress* (1995). Robert Young directed *G.B.H.* plainly, letting Lindsay's tics play in the middle of wide shots so we watch the crowd notice before Murray does, and Elvis Costello's music stays low and out of the way of the shouting. We watched the speech where the twitch takes Murray's face and laughed and were horrified in the same breath, and we have not stopped thinking about it since. Lindsay himself has said of the series: "But GBH gave me that self-esteem back – it proved to me that I could still act." Then came the longest stretch of his career, eleven series as Ben Harper in *My Family* (2000–2011). Critics loathed it for its thin plots and unfunny dialogue. We have not reviewed it and will not judge it at length here. What we will say is that a sitcom dad is a small room for a man who can do what Lindsay did with one arm, and he stayed in it for a decade. Since then there has been steady work in series such as *Hornblower*, *Galavant* and *Sherwood*, and Fagin on stage in 1997 for those who saw it. Anyone deciding whether to give him an evening should start with *G.B.H.*, and should expect it to take seven. The rest of the career reads like a man waiting for another writer to hand him a character who cannot keep his own arm down. ## Biography Robert Lindsay is an English actor born on 13 December 1949 in Ilkeston, Derbyshire. He trained at the Royal Academy of Dramatic Art after studying drama at Clarendon College in Nottingham. Lindsay has worked extensively in theatre, including with the Royal Shakespeare Company and in musicals such as *Me and My Girl*, for which he received a Tony Award and Olivier Awards. On television he is known for roles including Wolfie Smith in *Citizen Smith* (1977–1980), Michael Murray in the 1991 series *G.B.H.* (for which he won a BAFTA), Captain Pellew in *Hornblower* (1998–2003) and Ben Harper in *My Family* (2000–2011). His film credits include *Fierce Creatures* (1997), *Wimbledon* (2004), *Grace of Monaco* (2014) and *Maleficent: Mistress of Evil* (2019). He has been married to dancer and actress Rosemarie Ford since 2006. *Sources: en.wikipedia.org, imdb.com.* ## On Fi1m (4) - *Sherwood* (2022), Fi1m 82, as Franklin Warner — [page](https://film.one/tv/sherwood.md) - *Extras* (2005), Fi1m 81, as Robert Lindsay — [page](https://film.one/tv/extras.md) - *G.B.H.* (1991), Fi1m 85, as Michael Murray — [page](https://film.one/tv/g-b-h.md) - *The Good Life* (1975), Fi1m 85, as Reform School Youth — [page](https://film.one/tv/the-good-life.md) ## Complete filmography (103) Every credit, newest first. Titles without a page can be requested for review on the HTML page. - *Missed Call* (2026), series, Acting - *Generation Z* (2024), series, as Morgan - *Vermeer: The Greatest Exhibition* (2023), as Narrator - *A Midsummer Night's Dream* (2022), as Oberon - *Dodger Special: Christmas* (2022), as William Lamb - *Sherwood* (2022), series, as Franklin Warner — Fi1m 82, [page](https://film.one/tv/sherwood.md) - *Anything Goes* (2021), as Moonface Martin - *The World's Most Beautiful Landscapes* (2021), series, as Narrator - *Britain's Most Beautiful Landscapes* (2021), series, as Narrator - *McDonald & Dodds* (2020), series, as Max Crockett - *Maleficent: Mistress of Evil* (2019), as King John - *Rembrandt: From the National Gallery, London and Rijksmuseum, Amsterdam* (2018), as Narrator - *Movie Musical Greats with Hugh Jackman* (2017), Acting - *Genius* (2017), series, as Hermann Einstein - *The Impressionists: And the Man Who Made Them* (2015), Acting - *Galavant* (2015), series, as Chester Wormwood - *Grace of Monaco* (2014), as Aristotle Onassis - *Atlantis* (2013), series, as Daedalus - *Richard Wilson - Both Feet In the Army* (2013), as (archive footage) - *Spy* (2011), series, as The Examiner - *Doctors and Nurses at War* (2009), series, Acting - *The Trial of Tony Blair* (2007), as Tony Blair - *Gideon's Daughter* (2005), as Sneath - *Jericho* (2005), series, as D.I. Michael Jericho - *A Very Social Secretary* (2005), as Tony Blair - *Space Race* (2005), series, as Narrator (voice) - *Friends & Crocodiles* (2005), as William Sneath - *Extras* (2005), series, as Robert Lindsay — Fi1m 81, [page](https://film.one/tv/extras.md) - *Broadway's Lost Treasures II* (2004), as Bill Snibson (segment "Me and My Girl") - *Wimbledon* (2004), as Ian Frazier - *Brambly Hedge: Classic Collection* (2004), as Narrator (Voice) - *Hornblower: Duty* (2003), as Admiral Sir Edward Pellew - *Hornblower: Loyalty* (2003), as Admiral Sir Edward Pellew - *The Day the Earth was Born* (2002), series, Presenter - *Don't Eat the Neighbours* (2001), series, as Rabbit - *Hawkins* (2001), as Luke Hawkins - *Hornblower: Retribution* (2001), as Sir Edward Pellew - *Hornblower: Mutiny* (2001), as Sir Edward Pellew - *Victoria Wood with All the Trimmings* (2000), as Various Characters - *My Family* (2000), series, as Ben Harper - *Babies at 50* (2000), as Narrator - *Castaway 2000* (2000), series, as Narrator (voice) - *The Enchanted World of Brambly Hedge: Poppy's Babies: The Construction of a New Home* (2000), as Narrator - *Jack the Ripper: An On-Going Mystery* (2000), as Narrator - *Trouble at the Big Top: Death of the Dome* (2000), as Narrator - *The Enchanted World of Brambly Hedge: Sea Story: The Adventure to Find More Salt* (1999), as Narrator - *Oliver Twist* (1999), series, as Fagin - *Hornblower: The Frogs and the Lobsters* (1999), as Sir Edward Pellew - *Hornblower: The Duchess and the Devil* (1999), as Captain Pellew - *The Enchanted World of Brambly Hedge - The Secret Staircase: The Midwinter Festivities* (1998), as Narrator - *Hornblower: The Examination for Lieutenant* (1998), as Sir Edward Pellew - *Hornblower: The Even Chance* (1998), as Captain Sir Edward Pellew - *Hornblower* (1998), series, as Sir Edward Pellew - *Divorcing Jack* (1998), as Michael Brinn - *Fierce Creatures* (1997), as Sydney Lotterby - *Remember Me?* (1997), as Jamie - *The Enchanted World of Brambly Hedge* (1996), series, as Narrator (voice) - *Brambly Hedge: Autumn Story: Primrose's Stormy Night* (1996), as Narrator - *Brazen Hussies* (1996), as Billy Bowman - *The Office* (1996), as Norman Platt - *Jake's Progress* (1995), series, as Jamie Diadoni - *The Wimbledon Poisoner* (1994), series, as Henry Farr - *Trouble at the Top: Nightmare at Canary Wharf* (1994), as Narrator - *Genghis Cohn* (1993), as Otto Schatz, Commissioner of Police - *Absolutely Fabulous* (1992), series, as Pete — Fi1m 81, [page](https://film.one/tv/absolutely-fabulous.md) - *The Job* (1992), as Narrator (voice) - *G.B.H.* (1991), series, as Michael Murray — Fi1m 85, [page](https://film.one/tv/g-b-h.md) - *Nightingales* (1990), series, as Carter - *Strike It Rich* (1990), as Bertram - *Confessional* (1989), series, as Thomas Kelly - *Tales from the Crypt* (1989), series, as Glynn Fennell - *Bert Rigby, You're a Fool* (1989), as Bert Rigby - *Communicators From Hell* (1989), Acting - *Bosses From Hell* (1989), Acting - *Colleagues From Hell* (1989), Acting - *Teams from Hell* (1989), Acting - *Sales People from Hell* (1989), Acting - *Screen Two* (1985), series, as Otto Schatz - *Give Us a Break: Hustle Bustle Toil and Muscle* (1984), as Mickey Noades - *Much Ado About Nothing* (1984), as Benedick - *Royal Variety Performance 1984* (1984), Acting - *Natural World* (1983), series, Acting - *Give us a Break* (1983), series, as Mickey Noades - *Cymbeline* (1983), as Iachimo - *King Lear* (1983), as Edmund - *A Midsummer Night's Dream* (1981), as Lysander - *Seconds Out* (1981), series, as Pete Dodds - *All's Well That Ends Well* (1981), as First French Lord - *The Best of the Adventures* (1981), as Tom (archive footage) (uncredited) - *Twelfth Night* (1980), as Fabian - *The BBC Television Shakespeare* (1978), series, as Fabian - *Citizen Smith* (1977), series, as Wolfie Smith - *The Val Doonican Music Show* (1977), series, Acting - *Adventures of a Taxi Driver* (1976), as Tom - *Get Some In!* (1975), series, as Jakey Smith - *Three for All* (1975), as Tom - *The Good Life* (1975), series, as Reform School Youth — Fi1m 85, [page](https://film.one/tv/the-good-life.md) - *The Crazy Kill* (1975), as Policeman at Roadblock - *Centre Play* (1973), series, as Toby, Ken - *That'll Be The Day* (1973), as Terry Sutcliffe - *ITV Saturday Night Theatre* (1969), series, as Sam - *Omnibus* (1967), series, Acting - *Trouble at the Top: Century 105 FM Launch*, as Narrator ## Gallery - ![Robert Lindsay](https://film.one/media/person/167055/gallery-25a02f302688.jpg) Robert Lindsay — Image via TMDB - ![Robert Lindsay](https://film.one/media/person/167055/gallery-dab0e399e5e4.jpg) Robert Lindsay — Image via TMDB - ![Robert Lindsay](https://film.one/media/person/167055/gallery-72957f0e7b27.jpg) Robert Lindsay — Image via TMDB ## Awards ### Other awards — 2 won - Theatre World Award 1987: Theatre World Award (won) - Tony Award for Best Actor in a Musical 1987: Tony Award for Best Actor in a Musical (won) *From Wikidata, which records wins more completely than nominations.* --- © Fi1m Ltd. Written by AI under a human editor; checked against sources before publication. Quote with attribution and a link to the canonical URL. Canonical: https://film.one/person/robert-lindsay