Bruce Robinson facts for kids

Quick facts for kids Bruce Robinson
Robinson in 2016
Born	(1946-05-02) 2 May 1946 (age 79) London, England
Alma mater	Royal Central School of Speech and Drama
Occupation	Actor screenwriter director
Years active	1967–present
Spouse(s)	Sophie Windham ​ (m. 1984)​
Partner(s)	Lesley-Anne Down (1969–1979)
Children	2
Awards	BAFTA Award for Best Adapted Screenplay 1984 The Killing Fields

Bruce Robinson (born 2 May 1946) is an English actor, director, screenwriter, and novelist. He is well-known for writing and directing the film Withnail and I (1987). This movie has both funny and sad parts. It is set in London in the late 1960s. The story was inspired by his own life as an actor who was trying to make it.

He was also nominated for an Academy Award for his work on the film The Killing Fields (1984). As an actor, he has worked with famous directors like Franco Zeffirelli and François Truffaut.

Early Life of Bruce Robinson

Bruce Robinson was born in London, England. He grew up in a town called Broadstairs in Kent. He went to the Charles Dickens Secondary Modern School. His mother was Mabel Robinson. His father was an American lawyer named Carl Casriel. They had a short relationship during World War II.

Bruce Robinson's Film Career

Bruce Robinson and Lesley-Anne Down in the late 1970s

Robinson at the premiere of The Rum Diary

When he was young, Bruce Robinson wanted to be an actor. He was accepted into the Central School of Speech and Drama in London. His first movie role was as Benvolio in Franco Zeffirelli's Romeo and Juliet (1968). He also appeared in other films like The Music Lovers (1970) and The Story of Adèle H. (1975).

After a few years of not finding much acting work, he started writing screenplays. A famous producer, David Puttnam, asked him to write the script for The Killing Fields (1984). For this work, Robinson was nominated for an Academy Award. He also won a BAFTA award. He briefly returned to acting in 1998 in the film Still Crazy.

Robinson is probably most famous for Withnail and I (1987). This film is based on his own experiences as an actor who was struggling to find work. The character 'Withnail' is said to be based on his friend, Vivian MacKerrell. The character 'I' (Marwood) is based on himself. Even though the film did not make a lot of money at first, it became a "cult film" later. This means it became very popular with a certain group of fans. The movie also helped start the acting career of Richard E. Grant.

Robinson directed two more films: How to Get Ahead in Advertising and Jennifer 8. He found that making movies in Hollywood was sometimes difficult. So, he decided to focus more on writing. He wrote scripts for films like Return to Paradise (1998) and In Dreams (1999).

Robinson eventually returned to directing with a film called The Rum Diary (2011). This movie starred Johnny Depp. In 2012, his short book Paranoia in the Launderette was made into a film called A Fantastic Fear of Everything, starring Simon Pegg. Robinson has also written a screenplay for his novel The Peculiar Memories of Thomas Penman. He also wrote a book about the mystery of Jack the Ripper.

Bruce Robinson as an Author

Bruce Robinson is also a successful writer. His first published book was The Peculiar Memories of Thomas Penman in 1998. This novel is partly based on his own childhood in Broadstairs, Kent. In 2000, a book called Smoking in Bed: Conversations with Bruce Robinson was published. It contained interviews with Robinson.

Since becoming a father, Robinson has written two children's books. These are The Obvious Elephant (2000) and Harold and the Duck (2005). Both books were illustrated by his wife.

He spent about 15 years researching the mystery of Jack the Ripper. This research became his book They All Love Jack: Busting the Ripper (2015). In his book, Robinson suggests that songwriter Michael Maybrick was the person responsible for the killings.

Bruce Robinson's Personal Life

Bruce Robinson married artist Sophie Windham in 1984. They live in England. They have two children, a daughter named Lily and a son named Willoughby.

Filmography

Director/writer

Actor

• Romeo and Juliet (1968) as Benvolio
• The Other People (1968) as Colin
• Baby Love (1969) as Man in Nightclub (uncredited)
• Tam-Lin (1970) as Alan
• The Music Lovers (1971) as Alexei Sofronov
• Private Road (1971) as Peter Morrissey
• The Story of Adèle H. (1975) as Lt Albert Pinson
• Los viajes escolares (1976) as Óscar
• The Brute (1977) as Mark
• Kleinhoff Hotel (1977) as Karl Axel
• Harry's War (1981) as IRS Agent #2
• How to Get Ahead in Advertising (1989) as The Boil (voice, uncredited)
• Still Crazy (1998) as Brian Lovell

See also

In Spanish: Bruce Robinson para niños