Last update: July 30, 2011
Biography
What's he doing now?
Robert just did a one-time-only
show: Hello, Dolly!
Not sure what his plans are for
a next project.
Date of birth (location)
31 January 1950
Hobart, Tasmania, Australia
Locations
Grew up in Glenorchy
Moved to Sydney in 1975
Current location
Melbourne, Australia
Spouse
Robyn Silver (? – present)
Emerson (b.1983) and Hayden (b.1986)
Emerson (aka Em-Town) currently sings in a band called Soulphonic.
Hayden (aka Hayden James Weston) acts and produces with his own
production company, Dark Heart Productions, with a long-time friend.
Pets
2 black miniature poodles
Hobbies
Gardening, tennis, golf
Favorite music
Joe Cocker, Phil Collins
Fan of...
Hawthorn Hawks (AFL)
Dreams
He wished he could write children’s books but hasn’t had time to do that yet.
He has narrated some audio books.
About Robert
10 July 1978. ‘Major Barbara has vigour and spirit’. 1978 NIDA graduates. Dir. Clark.
‘Among the best student performances I have seen [John Howard, Robert Grubb]’.- Harry Kippax (.pdf-file!)
[He] is a charmingly normal person, generous and giving, with a blokey, self-deprecating
sense of humour. – Bushfire Blonde, a fan who met him.
"Harry Bright (Robert Grubb) is also good with the songs that he's been allocated, able to
hold long notes without even looking like he's about to collapse" - ABBAMAILer Kathy
Robinson Melbourne, Australia about Robert in Mamma Mia!
"He's an excellent stage-actor." - Lenore Smith in an interview October, 1993.
Career
Around 1970 Robert played in a band called Proctor, in Hobart.
His father was a butcher and his mother a housewife. With them not being into
the filmbiz at all, Robert became an electrician for about 10 years, before deciding
he wanted to be an actor at 26. From then on he studied acting at
NIDA (National Institute of Dramatic Arts), to which he got accepted on Christmas Eve, 1976
and from where graduated in 1978. He then joined the South Australian Theatre. In 1979
Robert got nominated for an AFI award for best actor in a supporting role in My Brilliant Career.
In 2002 he got nominated for a Helpmann Award for Best Male Actor in a Musical for Mamma
Mia! And in 2004 he finally won a Helpmann Award for Best Male Actor in a Supporting Role in
a Musical (for his role as Pop in We Will Rock You). In 2000, he produced, directed and played in
Enoch Arden, a project he’d been thinking about doing for 7 years. This got him a
Green Room Award Nomination. In 2009 he got nominated for a Helpmann Award again for Best
Supporting Actor in a Musical for My Fair Lady. He still finds it rewarding to play. In between
all his performances Robert has found time to narrate 2 children's books and give an extensive
interview for a book about acting.
Quotes
"There is not a lot of television film work at the moment in Australia, which I've come to
decide that's what I'm really interested in. I love the stage. I really enjoy working on
stage. I feel very confident on stage. But now I wanna do more film... tv..." - Robert in an
interview, 1993
"I love to sing" - Robert in an interview, 1993
"It will probably take its time, but as time goes on I hope that the audience will see me as
Robert Grubb, and not as Dr Standish." - Robert in an interview by a Swedish magazine, 1992
(Well, don't you worry, Mr. Grubb. We do.
)
Trivia
- While filming The Flying Doctors, Robert was the only one who actually needed emergency
treatment. He twisted his knee, which came out of the joint and he needed surgery, when he
('Geoff') was running down a hillside with a stretcher to get to a man who was caught under a
car. (The episode in which this happened was "Billy and Pete")
- While filming The Flying Doctors, Robert never actually flew in a plane. It was too much of a
hassle and danger, not to mention expensive, to film up in the air.
Rumored Sightings (Not confirmed. Let me know if you have more info or a picture to proof it!)
- Robert was apparently seen, working at a service station for cars (name tag and all) at
Courtney and Patterson, Heidelberg
"I was lucky enough to have Robert looking after me when I took my car to be serviced at Courtney and Patterson,
Heidelberg, last Thursday [June 8, 2006, ed.]. He was so nice and courteous and it occurred to me that actors are
ideally suited to customer service. [...] [J]ust a car service department - nothing very exciting. He was soothing
customers who were cross about the chaos due to works in the service department. I was quite surprised because
he was just walking around talking to customers with his name badge on. [...] It looked like he was just working
there between acting jobs to me. He was very good at looking after people though from what I saw." - Angela Hennel
Sources: IMDB, NIDA, Bushfire Blonde's Diary, Lenore Smith Fansite, German Flying Doctors Fanclub,
WWRY-fansite, Queen fansite, radio interview, several interviews, Lucas Crandles
