Acting · London, England, UK · Born November 14, 1930
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?
MovieThe Ties That Bind Us
2008
as Richard Mace (archive footage)
MovieAdam Bede
1992
as Thias Bede
MovieOne Foot in the Grave: The Man In The Long Black Coat
1991
as Mr Killick
TVYou Rang, M'Lord?
1990
as Twelvetrees Senior
TVOne Foot in the Grave
1990
MovieJust Ask for Diamond
1988
as The Fat Man
TVThe New Statesman
1987
as Mad Eddie
MovieLost In London
1985
as Bill
TVIn Sickness and in Health
1985
as Rail Worker
TVDempsey and Makepeace
1985
as Simmons
Fairly Secret Army
1984
as Sgt. Major Throttle
TVThe Bill
1984
TVFresh Fields
1984
as Mr. Pringle
MovieThe Merry Wives of Windsor
1982
as Nym
MovieVictor/Victoria
1982
as Manager of Victoria's Hotel
TVThe Bounder
1982
as Bert
MovieDoctor Who: The Visitation
1982
as Richard Mace
Legacy of Murder
1982
as Marley
TVBrendon Chase
1982
as Sergeant Bunting
MovieThe Great Muppet Caper
1981
as Henderson
TVThe Chinese Detective
1981
MovieMurder Rap
1980
as Det. Sgt. Praed
TVMinder
1979
as McQueen
TVThe Cannon & Ball Show
1979
as Police Seargent
MovieThe Saint and the Brave Goose
1979
as Beeky
TVDick Turpin
1979
as Sgt. Bullock
TVReturn of the Saint
1978
as Beeky
TVMixed Blessings
1978
as Fred Fachetti
TVMurder Most English: A Flaxborough Chronicle
1977
as Pumphrey
MovieThe Pink Panther Strikes Again
1976
as Jarvis
TVGeorge and Mildred
1976
Operation Patch
1976
as George Cosserat
TVRumpole of the Bailey
1975
as Cyril Timson
TVThe Good Life
1975
as Mr. Bulstrode
TVThe Sweeney
1975
as Kevin Lee
MovieMan About the House
1974
as Doorman
TVThick as Thieves
1974
MovieSoap Opera in Stockwell
1973
as Bert
Black and Blue
1973
as Bert
MovieNo Sex Please - We're British
1973
as Car Driver
TVCentre Play
1973
as Swaffer
MovieHoliday on the Buses
1973
as Arthur Rudge
MovieThat's Your Funeral
1972
as 2nd Funeral Director
MovieMutiny on the Buses
1972
as Arthur Rudge
MovieBlinker's Spy-Spotter
1972
as Policeman
TVJustice
1971
as Eddie
MovieOn the Buses
1971
as Arthur Rudge
MovieVillain
1971
as Barzun
MovieZeppelin
1971
as Cockney Sergeant
MovieAll the Way Up
1970
as Taxi Driver
MovieThe Hunting of Lionel Crane
1970
as Sergeant Billings
MovieThe Looking Glass War
1970
as Truck Driver
MovieCrossplot
1969
as Garage Attendant
TVDepartment S
1969
as Burton
TVThe Main Chance
1969
as Gerry Baxter
TVJudge Dee
1969
TVOn the Buses
1969
as Arthur Rudge
TVITV Saturday Night Theatre
1969
as Michael Vint
MovieTill Death Us Do Part
1969
as Fred
Horizontal Hold
1968
as TV Repairman
MovieThe Drummer and the Bloke
1968
as Jack
MovieUp the Junction
1968
as Figgins
MovieThe Whisperers
1967
as Mr Noonan
TVNever Mind the Quality, Feel the Width
1967
TVCallan
1967
TVYou Can't Win
1966
MovieDead Man's Chest
1965
as Sergeant Harris
TVThirty-Minute Theatre
1965
as Harris
The Wednesday Thriller
1965
as Clerk of the Court
TVThe Man in Room 17
1965
as C.P.O. Bradshaw
TVLondoners
1965
as Shaw
TVGideon's Way
1965
as Smith
MovieRattle of a Simple Man
1964
as George (organiser)
TVRedcap
1964
as Private Pendlebury
MovieThe Count of Monte Cristo
1964
as Gaspard Caderousse
MovieThe Bone Yard
1964
as Sergeant Strickland
TVThe Wednesday Play
1964
as Sergeant Strickland
MovieAct of Murder
1964
as Van Driver
TVSherlock Holmes
1964
TVTheatre 625
1964
as Tom
Story Parade
1964
as Edward Cowley
MovieThe Bargee
1964
as Bargee
MovieChildren of the Damned
1964
as (uncredited)
TVDoctor Who
1963
as Richard Mace
MovieWhat a Crazy World
1963
as Percy
Crane
1963
as Jennings
MovieA Prize of Arms
1962
as Orford
TVThe Saint
1962
as Harry
MovieYou in Your Small Corner
1962
as Georgie
Studio 4
1962
as Humphrey Place
TVZ-Cars
1962
MovieLunch Hour
1962
as Harris
MovieDanger! Men Working
1961
as Second Labourer
TVThe Avengers
1961
as Henry Farrow
TVNo Hiding Place
1959
TVEdgar Wallace Mysteries
1959
as Sergeant Harris
TVArmchair Theatre
1956
as Dave
TVDixon of Dock Green
1955
as Charlie Mills
