Robert Daws (born 4 May 1959) is an English actor, and crime fiction author. He is best known for his television roles, including Tuppy Glossop in Jeeves and Wooster (1990–93), gruff cricketer Roger Dervish in the comedy Outside Edge (1994–96), mini-cab firm owner Sam in the sitcom Roger Roger (1996–2003), and East Yorkshire GP Dr Gordon Ormerod in the period medical drama The Royal (2003–11).

Robert Daws
Born (1959-05-04) 4 May 1959 (age 65)
Occupation(s)Actor, author
Years active1980–present
Spouse
(m. 2003)
Children3

Acting career

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Daws was trained at RADA. Daws appeared in the 1982 stage play On Your Way, Riley! with Brian Murphy and Maureen Lipman. He played Tuppy Glossop in the early 1990s ITV version of Jeeves and Wooster.[1] He played pompous cricket captain Roger Dervish alongside Brenda Blethyn in the award-winning ITV comedy-drama Outside Edge 1994–96, for which he was nominated for Best Comedy Actor at the British Comedy Awards.[citation needed]

Daws has also appeared in a number of one-off dramas including the 1997 BBC drama, The Missing Postman, Sword of Honour (Channel 4), Take a Girl Like You (BBC), Mystery of Men (BBC) and in 1996 he starred in a pilot of what would become the long-running series Roger Roger, a comedy-drama which ran until 2003. Daws starred as Sam Mountjoy, the co-owner of Cresta Cabs. Daws also appeared as Ernie Rayner in the three-part prequel to Only Fools and Horses, Rock and Chips (BBC).

He played Mike Spicer in Midsomer Murders "Hidden Depths" (2005), and Hamish Rafferty in "The Curse of the Ninth" (2017).

Daws plays the trumpet, as evidenced when in 1994 he appeared as a guest in the final episode of the BBC comedy series A Bit of Fry and Laurie (series four) and played over the credits, accompanied by Hugh Laurie on the piano.[citation needed]

Daws appeared as Dr. Gordon Ormerod in the long-running ITV drama series The Royal, the last scenes of which showed Ormerod fighting for his life after an attack at the hospital.

Robert Daws played a recurring role in Robin of Sherwood as King John's herald, Hubert de Guiscarde in the episodes "The Greatest Enemy" and "The Sheriff of Nottingham".

In November and December 2009, he appeared in Public Property by Sam Peter Jackson at the Trafalgar Studios.[2]

In May and June 2010, he appeared in Coronation Street as Gail McIntyre's barrister as part of her murder trial storyline where she was wrongly accused of murdering husband Joe McIntyre.

From July 2010 to 11 September 2010, Daws appeared as Dr Watson in The Secret of Sherlock Holmes at the Duchess Theatre. In this production, Sherlock Holmes was played by Peter Egan. Daws also appeared as Jim Hacker in the West End production of Yes, Prime Minister and the national tour of Blackbird by David Harrower, for which he was nominated for Best Actor in the Manchester Evening News Drama Awards. He also appeared in the first Classic Comedy Company productions of Ten Times Table and How the Other Half Loves, by Alan Aykbourn. Also, Michael Frayn's Alarms and Excursions.

He appeared as Charles Pooter in a new adaptation of Diary of a Nobody and as John Carlisle, in an episode of New Tricks (Series 8, episode 9) which was first shown on BBC1 on 29 August 2011. He played Gavin Dibbs the husband of the new GP in Port Wenn in an episode of Doc Martin (Series 5, episode 1) first shown on ITV on 12 September 2011.[3]

He played appeared as the father in Jack Whitehall's episode of the British holiday series Little Crackers,[4] and portrays Mayor Len Winkler in Ben Elton's comedy series, The Wright Way, for BBC One.[5]

He portrayed Arthur Lowe (June 2019) on BBC Radio 4, in Dear Arthur, Love John and Ronnie Barker in Goodnight from Him and John Betjeman in New Fame. New Love (BBC Radio 4). He also co-created the BBC Radio detective series Trueman and Riley and played Trueman in all three series.

In 2014, he began filming Poldark as Dr Thomas Choake. (BBC 2015–2019)

In 2016, he appeared in the BBC TV series Father Brown as Robert Twyman, and as John Green in Death in Paradise. He also starred as Professor James Cheeseman in the horror movie The Unfolding. He also appeared in Agatha Raisin "Love from Hell" as Ted Huxley (2019). Also as psychotic drug baron Shank, in Sky's black comedy series, Sick Note (2019)

In 2022-2023, he appeared in 7 episodes of the BBC series Sister Boniface Mysteries as Chief Constable Hector Lowsley. He starred as Peter Weiss in the 2023 film The Piper.[6]

Literary career

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Daws worked with best-selling mystery writer Adam Croft on a radio-play adaptation of Croft's 2011 book, Exit Stage Left,[7] which was released in 2012 with Daws playing the lead character Kempston Hardwick. Daws and Croft present the crime fiction podcast 'Partners In Crime'.

Daws' first crime novella, The Rock, was published in July 2012.[8] This was followed in September 2016 with a sequel, The Poisoned Rock.[9] A third volume of the series, The Killing Rock, was published in 2020.[10]

Personal life

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Daws was born in Leigh-on-Sea, Essex.

Since February 2003 he has been married to Amy Robbins (his co-star in The Royal, who played Dr. Jill Weatherill, who later became his screen wife).[11] They have two daughters, Elizabeth and May, and a son, Benjamin.[11] They live in Ampthill, Bedfordshire, where Robert compered the town's first Proms in June 2009 and helped to set up the Ampthill Literary Festival.

Filmography

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Film

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Year Title Role Notes
2001 Trumps Robert Short film
2001 Arthur's Dyke Arthur
2006 Land of the Blind Jones
2016 The Unfolding Professor Chessman
2017 Amazon Adventure Charles Darwin
2017 An Unkind Word Tom Spurlock Short film
2018 Swimming with Men Michael Blore
2019 Car Keys Keith Short film
2023 The Piper Peter Weiss
TBA The Chelsea Cowboy Tony Block

Television

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Year Title Role Notes
1980 The Squad Mike Jenkins 2 episodes
1985 There Comes a Time Peter James 7 episodes
1985 Fresh Fields Barman Episode: "Alarums and Excursions"
1985 John and Yoko: A Love Story John Dunbar Television film
1985–1986 Robin of Sherwood Hubert de Giscard 2 episodes
1986 Unnatural Causes Vicar Episode: "Partners"
1988 Screen Two Adrian Vowchurch Episode: "Dead Lucky"
1988 The Great Escape II: The Untold Story Kidder Television film
1988 Game, Set, and Match Academic Episode: "London Match: Part 2"
1988 The Dirty Dozen Mitchell Episode: "Don Danko"
1989 A Woman of Substance Roger Episode: "The Contract"
1989 London's Burning Dave Episode: 2.8
1990–1993 Jeeves and Wooster Tuppy Glossop 8 episodes
1990 Chain Police Sergeant in Court Episode: "Vicky Elliott"
1991 The House of Eliott Piggy Garstone 4 episodes
1991 Birds of a Feather Mark Episode: "Schooling"
1992–1993, 2012 Casualty Simon Eastman/Hugh Blakeley 12 episodes
1993 Lovejoy Stevens Episode: "The Colour of Mary"
1993 Paul Merton: The Series Jacket Owner/Gerald/Submarine Captain 2 episodes
1994–1996 Outside Edge Roger Dervish 22 episodes, nominated for British Comedy Award for Best Actor in 1995
1994 Woof! Mr. Farthington Episode: "Goodbye Mrs. Chips"
1995 The Bill Michael Swift Episode: "Is That the Time?"
1995 A Bit of Fry and Laurie Self Episode: 4.7
1996, 1998–2003 Roger Roger Sam 17 episodes
1997 Embassy Peter Nevin Television film
1997 The Missing Postman Peter Robson Television film
1997 Pie in the Sky Carver Episode: "Squashed Tomatoes"
1997 Out of Sight Mr. Pincher Episode: "Little Tommy Dawkins"
1999 The Mystery of Men Oscar Mansfield Television film
2000, 2003 Heartbeat Anthony Mottram/Dr. Gordon Omerod 2 episodes
2000 Take a Girl Like You Dick Thompson 3 episodes
2001 Sword of Honour Major Hound Television film
2001 Office Gossip Rod Battle 6 episodes
2003–2011 The Royal Dr. Gordon Omerod 87 episodes
2005, 2017 Midsomer Murders Hamish Rafferty/Mike Spicer 2 episodes
2007 You Can Choose Your Friends Simon Snell Television film
2007 The Marchioness Disaster Cannon John Jeffrey Television film
2010 Coronation Street Detective Ron Zef Episode: "Laughing on the Inside"
2010 The Slammer Adam Fairley 3 episodes
2010-2011 Rock & Chips Ernie Rayner 3 episodes
2011 New Tricks John Carlisle Episode: "Half Life"
2011 Doc Martin Gavin Dibbs Episode: "Preserve the Romance"
2011 Little Crackers Michael Episode: "Jack Whitehall's Little Cracker: Daddy's Little Princess"
2013 The Wright Way Mayor Len Winkler 4 episodes
2014 Holby City Will Tudor-Bass Episode: "Self Control"
2015–2018 Poldark Dr. Choake 9 episodes
2016 Father Brown Robert Twyman Episode: "The Sins of the Father"
2016 Death in Paradise John Green/Marcus Knight Episode: "Lost in Identity"
2018 Sick Note Shank 3 episodes
2020 Agatha Raisin Ted Huxley Episode: "Love from Hell"
2022–present Sister Boniface Mysteries Chief Constable Hector Lowsley 6 episodes
2022 The Man Who Fell to Earth Wyant Bridge Episode: "New Angels of Promise"

Select stage credits

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Year Title Role Notes
2001-2002 Caught in the Net John Smith
2006 Summoned by Betjeman John Betjeman
2008 Blackbird Ray
2009 Public Property Geoff
2010 The Secret of Sherlock Holmes Dr. Watson Replaced Philip Franks
2011 The Diary of a Nobody Pooter
2012 Yes, Prime Minister Jim Hacker
2014 The Perfect Murder Victor Smiley Written by Peter James
2017 How the Other Half Loves Frank Foster
2019-2020 Ten Times Table Ray
2021 The Cherry Orchard Pishchik

Select audio credits

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Year Title Role Notes
2002-2012 Trueman and Riley Detective Inspector Trueman BBC Radio 4/BBC Radio 7
2012 Dear Arthur, Love John Arthur Lowe BBC Radio 4
2013 Goodnight from Him Ronnie Barker BBC Radio 4
2013 Sword of Honour Arthur Box-Bender BBC Radio 4
2017 Torchwood One: Before the Fall: Through the Ruins Soren/Lord Jacobin Big Finish
2017 The Erpingham Camp Erpingham BBC Radio 3
2017 The War Master: Only the Good: The Sky Man Anvar Big Finish
2018 Doctor Who: The Early Adventures: The Dalek Occupation of Winter Gaius Majorian Big Finish
2021 Doctor Who: The Third Doctor Adventures: The Devil's Hoofprints Sir Basil Hexworthy Big Finish
2024 Doctor Who: The Twelfth Doctor Adventures: Sunstrike The Quartermaster / Howard Big Finish

Bibliography

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  • The Rock (2012)
  • The Poisoned Rock (2016)
  • The Killing Rock (2020)

References

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  1. ^ Biography RobertDaws.com, 2009; Retrieved 29 October 2011
  2. ^ Logan, Brian. "Review: Public Property". The Guardian. Retrieved 6 April 2024.
  3. ^ "Doc Martin" (Press release). ITV1. 30 August 2011. Archived from the original on 11 October 2011. Retrieved 13 September 2011.
  4. ^ "Little Crackers 2011, Episode 2 - Jack Whitehall's Little Cracker". British Comedy Guide. Retrieved 6 April 2024.
  5. ^ "The Wright Way". British Comedy Guide. Retrieved 6 April 2024.
  6. ^ Johnson, Squires. "'Piper' – Horror Movie Starring Elizabeth Hurley Set for World Premiere at FrightFest 2023". BloodyDisgusting. Retrieved 6 April 2024.
  7. ^ Adam Croft's blog
  8. ^ "The Rock" – via Amazon UK.
  9. ^ Daws, Robert (10 September 2016). The Poisoned Rock: A Sullivan and Broderick Murder Investigation. White Hat Books.
  10. ^ "Killing Rock (A Sullivan and Broderick Murder Mystery) Paperback – July 1, 2020". Amazon. Retrieved 6 April 2024.
  11. ^ a b "Robert Daws and Amy Robbins". OK!. Northern and Shell. Archived from the original on 18 November 2009. Retrieved 3 March 2010.
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