Michael Robbins

Michael Robbins

Birthdate
November 14, 1930 (94 years old)
Place of Birth
London, England, UK
Date of Death
December 11, 1992
Known For
Acting

Details

Birthdate
November 14, 1930 (94 years old)
Place of Birth
London, England, UK
Date of Death
December 11, 1992
Known For
Acting

Biography

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?

Michael Robbins's LGBTQ+ Titles

Victor/Victoria
Victor/Victoria
Manager of Victoria's Hotel

Acting (85)

1992
Adam Bede as Thias Bede
1990
You Rang, M'Lord? as Twelvetrees Senior (1 episode)
1990
One Foot In the Grave (1 episode)
1988
Just Ask for Diamond as The Fat Man
1987
The New Statesman as Mad Eddie (1 episode)
1985
Lost In London as Bill
1985
Dempsey and Makepeace as Simmons (1 episode)
1984
Fairly Secret Army as Sgt. Major Throttle (13 episodes)
1984
The Bill (2 episodes)
1984
Fresh Fields as Mr. Pringle (1 episode)
1982
The Merry Wives of Windsor as Nym
1982
Victor/Victoria as Manager of Victoria's Hotel
1982
The Bounder as Bert (2 episodes)
1982
Doctor Who: The Visitation as Richard Mace
1982
Legacy of Murder as Marley (1 episode)
1982
Brendon Chase as Sergeant Bunting (13 episodes)
1981
The Great Muppet Caper as Henderson
1981
The Chinese Detective (1 episode)
1980
Murder Rap as Det. Sgt. Praed
1979
Minder as McQueen (1 episode)
1979
The Cannon & Ball Show as Police Seargent (1 episode)
1979
How's Your Father (14 episodes)
1979
The Saint and the Brave Goose as Beeky
1979
Dick Turpin (1 episode)
1978
BBC Television Shakespeare (1 episode)
1978
Return of the Saint as Beeky (1 episode)
1978
Mixed Blessings (22 episodes)
1977
Murder Most English as Pumphrey (7 episodes)
1976
The Pink Panther Strikes Again as Jarvis
1976
George and Mildred (1 episode)
1975
Rumpole of the Bailey (1 episode)
1975
The Good Life as Mr. Bulstrode (1 episode)
1975
The Sweeney as Kevin Lee (1 episode)
1974
Man About the House as Doorman
1974
Thick As Thieves (8 episodes)
1973
Soap Opera in Stockwell as Bert
1973
Black and Blue (1 episode)
1973
No Sex Please: We're British as Car Driver
1973
Holiday on the Buses as Arthur Rudge
1972
That's Your Funeral as 2nd Funeral Director
1972
Mutiny on the Buses as Arthur his brother in law
1971
Justice as Eddie (1 episode)
1971
On the Buses as Arthur Rudge - Stan's Brother-in-Law
1971
Villain as Barzun
1971
Zeppelin as Cockney Sergeant
1970
All the Way Up as Taxi Driver
1970
The Hunting of Lionel Crane as Sergeant Billings
1970
The Looking Glass War as Truck Driver
1969
Crossplot as Garage Attendant
1969
Department S as Burton (1 episode)
1969
The Main Chance as Gerry Baxter (1 episode)
1969
Judge Dee (1 episode)
1969
On the Buses (74 episodes)
1969
Till Death Us Do Part as Fred
1968
Horizontal Hold as TV Repairman
1968
The Drummer and the Bloke as Jack
1968
Up the Junction as Figgins
1967
The Whisperers as Mr Noonan
1967
Callan (1 episode)
1967
Never Mind the Quality, Feel the Width (1 episode)
1966
You Can't Win (1 episode)
1966
Adam Adamant Lives! (1 episode)
1965
Dead Man's Chest as Sergeant Harris
1965
The Man In Room 17 as C.P.O. Bradshaw (1 episode)
1965
Gideon's Way as Smith (1 episode)
1964
Rattle of a Simple Man as George (organiser)
1964
Redcap (1 episode)
1964
The Count of Monte Cristo as Gaspard Caderousse
1964
The Bone Yard as Sergeant Strickland
1964
Sherlock Holmes (1 episode)
1964
Children of the Damned
1964
The Bargee as Bargee
1963
Doctor Who as Richard Mace (4 episodes)
1963
What a Crazy World as Percy
1962
A Prize of Arms as Orford
1962
The Saint as Harry (2 episodes)
1962
The Saint as Smith (1 episode)
1962
You in Your Small Corner as Georgie
1962
Studio Four as Humphrey Place (1 episode)
1962
Z-Cars (1 episode)
1962
Lunch Hour as Harris
1961
Danger! Men Working as Second Labourer
1961
The Avengers as Cavell (1 episode)
1961
The Avengers as Henry Farrow (3 episodes)
1959
No Hiding Place (2 episodes)