20 Facts About Robert Gillespie

Robert Gillespie is the eldest child of Magdalena Katalin Singer, from Budapest, Hungary; and James William Robert Gillespie, who was of Scottish descent, from Toronto, Canada.

Robert Gillespie was born in Lille, but the family left France in 1940 after Hitler's invasion of the country.

Robert Gillespie was educated at Sale Grammar School, and trained as an actor at RADA between 1951 and 1953.

Robert Gillespie entered the theatrical profession at a time when every playscript had to be approved by the Lord Chamberlain's Office, or risk prosecution.

Robert Gillespie witnessed the day Brendan Behan used the F-word on BBC Television which rocked the Corporation.

Robert Gillespie is especially interested in this period of enormous transition and has written about it.

From drama school, Robert Gillespie joined the Old Vic Company in 1953 and found an unexpected mix of acting styles used on the stage in each production.

Richard Burton and Claire Bloom headed the company, and Robert Gillespie expected them firmly to deploy a modern style of acting.

In sharp contrast, Robert Gillespie found Joan Littlewood's claim to ground-breaking innovation to be dubious and unfounded.

Robert Gillespie joined her Theatre Workshop company, based at the Theatre Royal, Stratford, for three productions in 1956 and left by mutual agreement while rehearsing a fourth.

Robert Gillespie performed in David Lan's Paradise at the Royal Court Theatre, John Arden's The Hero Rises Up at the Roundhouse, Peter Hall's Playhouse Theatre production of Tennessee Williams' The Rose Tattoo.

Robert Gillespie was the star of the Brian Cooke situation comedy Keep It in the Family, playing the harassed cartoonist Dudley Rush, a part that Cooke wrote especially for him.

Robert Gillespie appeared in many British television series, mostly from the 1960s to 1980s.

Robert Gillespie's credits include The Saint, The Avengers, Doomwatch, The Sweeney, The New Avengers, Survivors, Warship, The Professionals, Mary's Wife, I Woke Up One Morning, Return of the Saint, Bonjour La Classe and Secret Army.

Robert Gillespie has appeared in New Tricks, with James Bolam, as well as Jimmy McGovern's Broken, alongside Sean Bean.

Robert Gillespie appeared in Woody Harrelson's ambitious live-action movie Lost in London, playing the part of the mystic cabbie and later took part in the Mike Leigh project Peterloo.

Robert Gillespie wrote a celebrated sketch for Ned Sherrin's BBC TV show That Was the Week That Was in 1963.

Robert Gillespie has directed many plays for the stage, including seventeen productions at the King's Head Theatre in Islington between the 1970s and mid-1980s, starting with The Love Songs of Martha Canary which starred Heather Sears.

Robert Gillespie created his own production company, Jane Nightwork Productions, in 2000.

Robert Gillespie toured a two-handed drama in London and the Home Counties on the topic of death.