Robert Carlyle
Born: 14 April 1961
Where: Glasgow
The actor who first thrilled as the psychotic Begbie in Danny Boyle's Trainspotting has now made a name for himself as a performer of international repute.
From Gaz, the stripping fixer in The Full Monty, to Bond villain Victor "Renard" Zokas in The World Is Not Enough, to Danny Boyle's The Beach, Carlyle has demonstrated his versatility.
He was raised in the tough Glasgow suburb of Maryhill by his father after his mother deserted him when he was four.
Having quit school at the age of 16 without any qualifications, Carlyle earned a living painting and decorating with his father.
At the age of 21, after reading Arthur Miller's 'The Crucible', he enrolled in acting classes at the Glasgow Arts Centre and later the Royal Scottish Academy of Music and Drama.
In 1991, together with four other actors, he founded the Raindog theatre company (named after Tom Waits' album 'Rain Dog).
His professional debut was in A Midsummer Night's Dream with the Scottish Chamber Orchestra and his screen debut was Silent Scream.
Carlyle was then offered his first starring role in Ken Loach's Riff Raff and dropped out of the lead role in Shallow Grave, which was eventually taken over by Ewan McGregor.
By this time Robert's TV career was also taking off with Hamish Macbeth, but he soon returned to the big screen again with Carla's Song.
His role as the psychopathic Begbie in Trainspotting wowed audiences and critics and and the male stripper comedy The Full Monty brought him a Best Actor BAFTA.
In 1997 he co-starred with Ray Winston in the British heist movie Face and the cannabalism drama Ravenous with Guy Pearce.
Michael Apted then cast Carlyle as the lethal assassin Renard in The World Is Not Enough opposite Pierce Brosnan's James Bond and he also starred in the Irish drama Angela's Ashes.
He reteamed with Danny Boyle for The Beach with Leonardo DiCaprio while subsequent movies included There's Only One Jimmy Grimble and The 51st State.
In 2002, he starred in Shane Meadow's Once Upon A Time in the Midlands which he followed with the Australian courtroom drama Black and White.
Recent work includes the offbeat comedy Marilyn Hotchkiss' Ballroom Dancing and Charm School alongside Marisa Tomei.
