Robert Carlyle, OBE (born 14 April 1961) is a Scottish film and television actor.

Early life

Carlyle was born in Maryhill, Glasgow, the son of Elizabeth, a bus company employee, and Joseph Carlyle, a painter and decorator. He was raised by his father after his mother left when Carlyle was four years old. He left school at 16 without qualifications and went to work for his father as a painter and decorator, however he continued his education by attending night classes at Cardonald College in Glasgow.

Career

Carlyle became involved in drama at the Glasgow Arts Centre at the age of 21 (having been inspired by reading Arthur Miller's The Crucible), and subsequently graduated from the Royal Scottish Academy of Music and Drama. In 1991, he and four friends founded an acting company and guest starred in The Bill. He first came to the attention of the public as murderer Albie Kinsella in an episode of Cracker opposite Robbie Coltrane (in which he killed the character DCI David Bilborough, played by Christopher Eccleston). He soon landed the role of Highland policeman Hamish Macbeth in the eponymous BBC comedy-drama.