Robert Carlyle is a Scottish actor known for his roles in movies like Trainspotting (1996), The Full Monty (1997), Angela’s Ashes (1999), and The World is Not Enough (1999). A recipient of the Order of the British Empire (OBE), Carlyle has also appeared in TV shows like Hamish Macbeth (1995-’97) and Stargate Universe (2009-’11). For his role in The Full Monty, Carlyle has won a BAFTA Award for Best Actor in a Leading Role.

Early Life
Robert Carlyle was born in Glasgow, Scotland, to Elizabeth and Joseph Carlyle. Following the separation of his parents when he was just four, Carlyle was raised by his father, who was a painter and decorator. After a difficult childhood, Carlyle dropped out of school when he was just 16, but continued schooling through night classes and self-education.

At the age of 21, Carlyle joined the Glasgow Arts Centre and became actively involved in theatre, having been inspired by Arthur Miller’s play The Crucible. Subsequently, he graduated from the Royal Scottish Academy of Music and Drama and co-founded the Raindog Theatre Company along with four other friends. It was from here that Carlyle made his entry into the movies.

Personal Life
Carlyle married make-up artist Anastasia Shirley in 1997, and the couple have three children: Ava, Harvey and Pearce Joseph. The family resides in Glasgow, Scotland. The actor is good friends with his Trainspotting co-star Ewan McGregor. In an interview, Carlyle credited his father for his success, and admitted that hasn’t seen his estranged mother since he was four.

He is also a big fan of club football, and supports the Scottish football club Rangers F.C.

Movie Career

Carlyle made his film debut in 1990 with a supporting role in the biographical crime drama Silent Scream, which won several awards at the Berlin International Film Festival and the BAFTA Scotland. In the same year, he debuted as a leading man in the comedy-drama Riff-Raff, which was well-received and was nominated by the Belgian Syndicate of Film Critics for a Grand Prix award. His next major film role came in the controversial romantic drama Priest (1994), where he played the gay lover of a Catholic priest. Despite receiving strong backlash from the the Catholic Church, the film was nominated for a BAFTA award, won a Teddy Award at the Berlin International Film Festival and was named the Best New British Feature Film at the Edinburgh International Film Festival.

In 1996, Carlyle starred alongside Ewan McGregor, Jonny Lee Miller, Ewen Bremner and Kelly Macdonald in the black comedy-drama Trainspotting. The movie was a landmark in the history of British cinema, went on to win several awards and has become a cult classic over the years. Carlyle’s portrayal of the violent, psychopathic Francis “Franco” Begbie, which won him a Satellite Award for Best Supporting Actor that year, remains one of his most popular and iconic roles. In the same year, the actor played the lead in Carla’s Song, a romantic drama set against the backdrop of a war-torn Nicaragua. The film was well-received, and was awarded The President of the Italian Senate’s Gold Medal at the Venice Film Festival.

The year 1997 was another high point in the actor’s career, where he played the lead role in the comedy-drama The Full Monty. The movie, which told the story of six unemployed men who form an unlikely crew of male strippers, did phenomenally well - both critically and commercially. The comedy swept the awards season that year, and for his portrayal of Gary Schofield, Carlyle won a BAFTA Award for Best Actor in a leading role. However, his next three films - Face (1997), Plunkett and Macleane (1999) and Ravenous (1999) - failed to make much impact critically or commercially.

In 1999, Carlyle played the antagonist Victor Renard Zokas in the Bond movie The World is Not Enough. Despite the mixed reviews, the film did well at the box office, earning over $360 million worldwide. The biographical drama Angela’s Ashes, which was based on Frank McCourt’s memoir of the same name, was released in the same year and earned Carlyle an Empire Award nomination for Best British Actor.

The early and mid-2000’s were a mixed bag for the actor, where he appeared in a slew of middling movies and TV shows which were met with varying degrees of success. Notable among these were the 2000 adventure drama The Beach, To End All Wars (2001), Black and White (2002), Once Upon a Time in the Midlands (2002) and Eragon (2006). In 2007, Carlyle appeared in 28 Weeks Later, which was a sequel to Danny Boyle’s 2002 post-apocalyptic horror thriller 28 Days Later. The movie opened to generally favourable reviews and did well at the box office.

In 2008, Carlyle starred in the British drama Summer, where he played a man who revisits his past and tries to redeem himself even as he takes care of his terminally ill childhood friend. The movie won two BAFTA Scotland awards - for Best Film and Best Direction. This was followed by I Know You Now (2008) and The Tournament (2009), both of which failed to impress. After a three-year hiatus, the actor returned with the drama California Solo (2012), which saw him playing a Scottish expatriate who, in the face of deportation from the U.S., is forced to confront the demons of his past. The movie was well-received by the critics and currently holds a 67% approval rating on the review aggregator website Rotten Tomatoes.

In 2015, Carlyle turned director with the comedy thriller The Legend of Barney Thomson. The film won two BAFTA Scotland awards - for Best Actress and Best Feature Film. Carlyle also won the Audience Award at the Monte Carlo Comedy Film Festival for his work in the movie. In 2017, the actor reprised his role as Francis “Franco” Begbie in T2 Trainspotting, the sequel to the 1996 black comedy Trainspotting.

Television Career
Carlyle began his career in television with a guest role in the Scottish detective series Taggart (1990). Between 1995 and 1998, he starred in the hit comedy-mystery series Hamish Macbeth. For his portrayal of the titular character in the series, Carlyle earned multiple BAFTA nominations. In 1998, he played the lead in the miniseries Looking After Jo Jo. The series, which has since gained a cult following, earned Carlyle yet another BAFTA nomination.

The actor portrayed two historical characters on TV in the early 2000’s: Adolf Hitler in Hitler: The Rise of Evil and King James I in Gunpowder, Treason and Plot. In 2015, Carlyle earned a Primetime Emmy nomination for Outstanding Supporting Actor in a Miniseries with the crime-drama Human Trafficking. He continued to appear in TV movies like Born Equal (2006), The Last Enemy (2008) and 24: Redemption (2008), where he starred alongside Colin Firth, Benedict Cumberbatch and Kiefer Sutherland respectively.

Between 2009 and 2011, Carlyle played the protagonist in the science fiction television series Stargate Universe, which won him a Gemini Award for Best Actor in a Continuing Leading Dramatic Role. Since 2011, he has portrayed Mr.Gold/Rumplestiltskin in the fantasy television series Once Upon A Time.