If you follow popular culture, you may have heard of Robin Pattinson. The actor is famous for his role as Alan Harper in the long-running television series, ‘Casualty’. But did you know that he’s has also appeared in television shows such as ‘Game of Thrones’ and ‘The Fall’?
Fans of ‘Casualty’ may recognize Robin as the character Dr Alan Harper. For those who haven’t watched the show, here’s a short recap. Dr Alan Harper is a brilliant surgeon but has a very dark secret. While most of the doctors at the hospital he works at seem quite happy going about their day-to-day lives, Harper is actually haunted by his past. He frequently thinks about a patient he lost during an operation years ago, and his guilt pushes him to take extreme measures to keep that patient alive. To do this, he sometimes resorts to questionable means, including performing unnecessary surgeries and using experimental surgeries on the the patients. This makes him an outcast among his peers and puts him in danger of losing his job.
The Casualty Series
Now, let’s get back to Robin. Like many good British actors before him, he began his career in regional theatre before coming to the big screen. He made his television debut in 2006 in the medical drama, ‘Casualty’. Although the show was cancelled soon after, Robin’s small role as Dr Alan Harper later became famous. Since then, he has appeared in several other British TV shows, including ‘Secret Diary of a Call Girl’, ‘The Disappearance of Madeleine McCann’ and ‘Death of a Salesman’.
In 2019, Robin starred alongside John Lithgow and Alfred Molina in the miniseries, ‘The Accident’. Here’s a short recap of the story. Grace (played by Emily Mortimer) is an alcoholic who has been having an affair with her married boss, Adam (Adam Robert). After a night of heavy drinking, the two of them fall off a balcony and into a tree. Unfortunately, the accident leaves Adam paralyzed and dependent on Grace for care. She is forced into a role she never saw herself in and has to become a caregiver.
Robin’s Next Move
Shortly after the death of ‘Casualty’, Robin decided to leave his role as an established TV actor and take a risky leap into theatre. In 2011, he founded the production company, Tiger Aspect Productions and began working on a new project. His first production, The Mayor of Casterbridge, was a huge success. Not only did it premiere at the Edinburgh Fringe Festival that year, but it also transferred to London’s West End. The Mayor of Casterbridge is the story of John Fairwood, a man who, after many years of toiling in obscurity, becomes the mayor of his small English town. Fairwood is a complex character whose motives are questioned by many of the townspeople, especially by his former employees and rival candidates for mayor.
More On Robin
After The Mayor of Casterbridge, Robin focused on character roles. His next play was Machinal, about a married woman’s affair with an older man. The play had its premiere at the Hampstead Theatre in London in 2016. It was received with critical acclaim and starred Robin alongside Penelope Cruz and Holliday Grainger. That same year, he also portrayed Charles II in the play, The Restoration. In 2017, it was announced that Robin would be joining the cast of the long-running radio series, ‘Downton Abbey’ as Lord Gillingham. In this role, he’ll play the uncle of Meera, the Duchess of Sutherland. Fans of the show may know that Meera is the daughter of the Duke of Sutherland and Lady Rose MacClare. If all this has piqued your interest in Robin, check out his filmography below.
As mentioned above, Robin began his film career in 2006 in the medical drama, ‘Casualty’. He played Dr Alan Harper, the character he is best known for on television. In addition to ‘Casualty’, he has appeared in films such as Alpha and Omega, The Deep, The Reluctant King, The Fall and Game of Thrones. In 2019, he starred in the miniseries, ‘The Accident’.
There’s a lot more to Robin than we’ve covered here. If you’d like to learn more, check out his official website. You can also follow him on Twitter and Instagram.