British television stalwart Robson Green talks hitting a landmark birthday this month and a life in entertainment.
Multifaceted Robson Green has been a constant on our screens for decades, such is his renowned work as an actor, television presenter and singer, with the charismatic entertainer turning 60 this month.
Born in December 1964, in Hexham, Northumberland, Green’s acting career began in the late Eighties, first as Jimmy Powell in BBC’s Casualty, before gaining widespread recognition in the role of Fusilier Dave Tucker, part of popular television drama series Soldier Soldier.
It was a slightly coincidental role, as Green wanted to join the RAF as a teenager, though decided against it after a fortnight at a training camp.
“They do say fiction mirrors real life, and that was certainly the case for me,” he begins. “It was a role that really captured the public’s imagination at the time, and is still one of my greatest achievements, although I would never have dreamed that was to be my fate when I decided against the RAF.”
Instead, leaving school with five O-levels, Green briefly became a draughtsman whilst acting part-time.
“My dad, also Robson Green, worked in the coal mines and I recall him coming home with his face smeared in coal dust, with me wondering why it was so dark. Even as a little kid, I thought, ‘this doesn’t seem like a job meant for people’, so I was never going to follow that!”
His portrayal of Tucker was so compelling it catapulted him to stardom, leading to other notable roles, including Dr. Tony Hill in Wire in the Blood, which showcased his versatility and established him as a household name in UK TV.
Aside from acting, Green has also enjoyed success as a singer as, alongside fellow Soldier Soldier actor Jerome Flynn, he released a cover of The Righteous Brothers’ Unchained Melody, which became an unexpected chart-topping hit in 1995. This success was followed by an album and further singles, marking a brief but memorable stint in the music industry.
“The music thing was a strange spin-off that we never expected,” he says. “We just went along with it, and it was a whirlwind, but when it wound up I think we’d had enough of an insight into that industry to realise acting was more our thing!”
Yet Green’s talents don’t end there – he is also a seasoned television presenter, and his enthusiasm for quiet times casting a rod out into the serenity of lakes has led him to create and host programmes such as Extreme Fishing with Robson Green, where he travels the world seeking out the most challenging fishing experiences.
“It’s the classic getaway from the fuss of real life – I would recommend it to anyone!”
