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?
Known for
Doctor Who
Richard Mace
The Saint
Harry
The Saint
Smith
Minder
McQueen
The Avengers
Henry Farrow
The Avengers
Cavell
The Bill
Z-Cars
No Hiding Place
Theatre 625
Tom
Rumpole of the Bailey
Cyril Timson
The Sweeney
Kevin Lee
Justice
Eddie
Dixon of Dock Green
Charlie Mills
Callan
Studio 4
Humphrey Place
Dempsey and Makepeace
Simmons
The Main Chance
Gerry Baxter
Return of the Saint
Beeky
In Sickness and in Health
Rail Worker
Sherlock Holmes
The New Statesman
Mad Eddie
Department S
Burton
Dick Turpin
Sgt. Bullock
On the Buses
Arthur Rudge
Crane
Jennings
Gideon's Way
Smith
Redcap
Private Pendlebury
The Good Life
Mr. Bulstrode
Murder Most English: A Flaxborough Chronicle
Pumphrey
The Chinese Detective
Never Mind the Quality, Feel the Width
Mixed Blessings
Fred Fachetti
George and Mildred
One Foot in the Grave
Story Parade
Edward Cowley
Centre Play
Swaffer
Up the Junction
Figgins
Adam Adamant Lives!
The Count of Monte Cristo
Gaspard Caderousse
You Rang, M'Lord?
Twelvetrees Senior
The Hunting of Lionel Crane
Sergeant Billings
Londoners
Shaw
The Whisperers
Mr Noonan
Fresh Fields
Mr. Pringle
Black and Blue
Bert
The Man in Room 17
C.P.O. Bradshaw
The Cannon & Ball Show
Police Seargent
The Ties That Bind Us
Richard Mace (archive footage)
Victor/Victoria
Manager of Victoria's Hotel
The Pink Panther Strikes Again
Jarvis
Fairly Secret Army
Sgt. Major Throttle
The Bounder
Bert
The Great Muppet Caper
Henderson
Crossplot
Garage Attendant
Armchair Theatre
Dave
The Merry Wives of Windsor
Nym
Thick As Thieves
Judge Dee
Brendon Chase
Sergeant Bunting
All the Way Up
Taxi Driver
Soap Opera in Stockwell
Bert
You Can't Win
Mutiny on the Buses
Arthur Rudge
The Bargee
Bargee
Children of the Damned
Zeppelin
Cockney Sergeant
Villain
Barzun
Adam Bede
Thias Bede
Lunch Hour
Harris
The Looking Glass War
Truck Driver
No Sex Please - We're British
Car Driver
Just Ask for Diamond
The Fat Man
Legacy of Murder
Marley
A Prize of Arms
Orford
The Saint and the Brave Goose
Beeky
Man About the House
Doorman
On the Buses
Arthur Rudge
Lost In London
Bill
Act of Murder
Van Driver
One Foot in the Grave: The Man In The Long Black Coat
Mr Killick
Holiday on the Buses
Arthur Rudge
The Drummer and the Bloke
Jack
The Bone Yard
Sergeant Strickland
Doctor Who: The Visitation
Richard Mace
Murder Rap
Det. Sgt. Praed
Till Death Us Do Part
Fred
Rattle of a Simple Man
George (organiser)
Horizontal Hold
TV Repairman
That's Your Funeral
2nd Funeral Director
Dead Man's Chest
Sergeant Harris
What a Crazy World
Percy
You in Your Small Corner
Georgie
Danger! Men Working
Second Labourer
Blinker's Spy-Spotter
Policeman