Biography
Born in Maryhill, Glasgow, Scottish actor Robert Carlyle has repeatedly amazed audiences with his chameleon-like ability to inhabit a range of characters. Known for his commitment to roles, Carlyle has often altered his lifestyle and physical appearance to better understand a character. Before playing a homeless man, he went to live in the Waterloo area of London where the film was set; for a role as a bus driver, he passed the test for a PCV license in a Glasgow Leyland Atlantean bus.
Carlyle broke into the international eye in the 1996 Danny Boyle film Trainspotting. However, it was Carlyle's turn as the down-and-out Gaz in Peter Cattaneo's The Full Monty that brought him fully into the spotlight. The film was a sleeper hit, winning both box-office millions and five Oscar nominations, including one for Best Picture. Carlyle himself won the BAFTA award for Best Performance by an Actor in a Leading Role for his performance and the cast won the SAG award for Outstanding Performance by a Cast.
Other notable works include Antonia Bird's Priest with Tom Wilkinson, the critically acclaimed and very controversial story of the moral struggles of a gay priest, in which he played the priest's lover; Alan Parker's adaptation of Frank McCourt's Pulitzer winning autobiography Angela's Ashes with Emily Watson; the James Bond film The World Is Not Enough with Pierce Brosnan; 28 Weeks Later, the sequel to Danny Boyle's zombie film directed by Juan Carlos Fresnadillo, and the Emmy nominated television movie Hitler: The Rise of Evil, in the title role of Hitler.
In 2005, he was nominated for Outstanding Supporting Actor in a Miniseries or a Movie for Human Trafficking, a Lifetime network movie dealing with the horrible reality of the buying and selling of young girls into prostitution. Carlyle starred as Dr. Nicholas Rush on the SyFy series Stargate Universe, a performance for which he won the 2010 Gemini Award for Best Performance by an Actor in a Continuing Leading Dramatic Role. Carlyle can also be seen as Rumpelstiltskin in the hit ABC series Once Upon A Time.
Actor
Movies | |
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2023 |
The Performance |
2022 |
North of Normal |
2019 |
Yesterday |
2017 |
T2 Trainspotting |
2015 |
Barney Thomson |
2012 |
California Solo |
2009 |
The Tournament |
The Unloved (TV movie) |
|
Zig Zag Love (TV movie) |
|
2008 |
24: Redemption (TV movie) |
I Know You Know |
|
Stone of Destiny |
|
Summer |
|
2007 |
28 Weeks Later |
Flood |
|
2006 |
Born Equal (TV movie) |
Eragon |
|
2005 |
Class of '76 (TV movie) |
Dead Fish |
|
Human Trafficking (TV movie) |
|
Marilyn Hotchkiss' Ballroom Dancing and Charm School |
|
The Mighty Celt |
|
2004 |
Gunpowder, Treason & Plot (TV movie) |
2003 |
Hitler: The Rise of Evil (TV movie) |
2002 |
Black and White |
Once Upon a Time in the Midlands |
|
2001 |
The 51st State |
To End All Wars |
|
2000 |
The Beach |
There's Only One Jimmy Grimble |
|
1999 |
Angela's Ashes |
Plunkett & Macleane |
|
Ravenous |
|
The World Is Not Enough |
|
1997 |
Face |
Full Monty |
|
1996 |
Carla's Song |
Trainspotting |
|
1995 |
Go Now! |
1994 |
Being Human |
Priest |
|
1993 |
Safe (TV movie) |
1992 |
Advocates II (TV movie) |
Tender Blue Eyes |
|
1991 |
Riff-Raff |
1990 |
Silent Scream |
Documentaries | |
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2023 |
Choose Irvine |
2016 |
Versus: The Life and Films of Ken Loach |
2013 |
Once Upon a Time: The Price of Magic (TV movie) |
2010 |
Gerard Kelly: A Celebration (TV movie) |
2007 |
28 Weeks Later: The Infected |
2004 |
Hitler and I: Reflections of Evil |
1999 |
And the Word Was Bond |
Film-Fest DVD: Issue 1 - Sundance |
|
The James Bond Story (TV movie) |
|
1996 |
Citizen Ken Loach |
Music videos | |
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2002 |
Oasis - Little By Little |
Short | |
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2009 |
The Man Who Walked Around the World |
1994 |
Marooned |
Director
Movies | |
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2015 |
Barney Thomson |
Series | |
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2010 |
SGU Stargate Universe |
Pathogen (S02E04) |