Michael Robbins
Acting
Born: November 14, 1930 · London, England, UK
Died: December 11, 1992 (aged 62)
Highest Rated
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?
Known for
Doctor Who
1963
The Pink Panther Strikes Again
1976
Victor/Victoria
1982
The Great Muppet Caper
1981
The Avengers
1961
The Saint
1962
Children of the Damned
1964
One Foot in the Grave
1990
Holiday on the Buses
1973
Mutiny on the Buses
1972
The New Statesman
1987
Villain
1971
Photos (1)
Movies (41)
The Pink Panther Strikes Again
Jarvis
Victor/Victoria
Manager of Victoria's Hotel
The Great Muppet Caper
Henderson
Children of the Damned
(uncredited)
Crossplot
Garage Attendant
The Bargee
Bargee
Villain
Barzun
Holiday on the Buses
Arthur Rudge
Mutiny on the Buses
Arthur Rudge
Zeppelin
Cockney Sergeant
The Looking Glass War
Truck Driver
No Sex Please - We're British
Car Driver
The Merry Wives of Windsor
Nym
Adam Bede
Thias Bede
On the Buses
Arthur Rudge
Man About the House
Doorman
Doctor Who: The Visitation
Richard Mace
Up the Junction
Figgins
The Whisperers
Mr Noonan
The Ties That Bind Us
Richard Mace (archive footage)
All the Way Up
Taxi Driver
That's Your Funeral
2nd Funeral Director
Just Ask for Diamond
The Fat Man
Till Death Us Do Part
Fred
Lunch Hour
Harris
Act of Murder
Van Driver
Danger! Men Working
Second Labourer
A Prize of Arms
Orford
One Foot in the Grave: The Man In The Long Black Coat
Mr Killick
Rattle of a Simple Man
George (organiser)
Murder Rap
Det. Sgt. Praed
Lost In London
Bill
What a Crazy World
Percy
The Bone Yard
Sergeant Strickland
The Saint and the Brave Goose
Beeky
The Hunting of Lionel Crane
Sergeant Billings
Soap Opera in Stockwell
Bert
Blinker's Spy-Spotter
Policeman
Dead Man's Chest
Sergeant Harris
You in Your Small Corner
Georgie
The Drummer and the Bloke
Jack
TV Shows (54)
The Avengers
Henry Farrow · 3 eps
The Avengers
Cavell · 1 eps
Doctor Who
Richard Mace · 4 eps
Minder
McQueen · 1 eps
The Wednesday Play
Sergeant Strickland · 1 eps
The Wednesday Play
Albert Barking · 1 eps
The Wednesday Play
Jack · 1 eps
The Wednesday Play
Henry Whittaker · 1 eps
The Wednesday Play
Sergeant Billings · 1 eps
The Saint
Harry · 2 eps
The Saint
Smith · 1 eps
ITV Saturday Night Theatre
Michael Vint · 1 eps
The Bill
2 eps
Thirty-Minute Theatre
Harris · 1 eps
Z-Cars
1 eps
Rumpole of the Bailey
Cyril Timson · 1 eps
Theatre 625
Tom · 1 eps
No Hiding Place
2 eps
The Sweeney
Kevin Lee · 1 eps
Dempsey and Makepeace
Simmons · 1 eps
Gideon's Way
Smith · 1 eps
Dixon of Dock Green
Charlie Mills · 1 eps
In Sickness and in Health
Rail Worker · 1 eps
Centre Play
Swaffer · 1 eps
Return of the Saint
Beeky · 1 eps
One Foot in the Grave
1 eps
You Rang, M'Lord?
Twelvetrees Senior · 1 eps
The New Statesman
Mad Eddie · 1 eps
On the Buses
Arthur Rudge · 61 eps
Callan
1 eps
Justice
Eddie · 1 eps
Sherlock Holmes
1 eps
Edgar Wallace Mysteries
Sergeant Harris · 1 eps
Department S
Burton · 1 eps
The Good Life
Mr. Bulstrode · 1 eps
Redcap
Private Pendlebury · 1 eps
Londoners
Shaw · 1 eps
The Main Chance
Gerry Baxter · 1 eps
Dick Turpin
Sgt. Bullock · 1 eps
George and Mildred
1 eps
The Man in Room 17
C.P.O. Bradshaw · 1 eps
The Cannon & Ball Show
Police Seargent · 1 eps
Murder Most English: A Flaxborough Chronicle
Pumphrey · 2 eps
Fresh Fields
Mr. Pringle · 1 eps
Mixed Blessings
Fred Fachetti · 1 eps
Never Mind the Quality, Feel the Width
1 eps
The Chinese Detective
1 eps
You Can't Win
1 eps
Armchair Theatre
Dave · 1 eps
Brendon Chase
Sergeant Bunting · 13 eps
The Bounder
Bert · 2 eps
Thick as Thieves
8 eps
The Count of Monte Cristo
Caderousse · 2 eps
Judge Dee
1 eps