Honestly, if you grew up in the UK or have spent any time bingeing BBC classics, Robert Lindsay is probably already living rent-free in your head. Maybe you know him as the perpetually annoyed dentist Ben Harper. Or perhaps you’re old enough to remember him shouting "Power to the People!" from a balcony in Tooting.
He's everywhere.
Robert Lindsay isn't just another British actor who "did a bit of telly." He’s a triple-threat powerhouse who somehow managed to dominate the West End, Broadway, and prime-time sitcoms simultaneously. It's a rare career. Most actors pick a lane. Lindsay? He basically built his own motorway and drove a scooter down it.
The Citizen Smith Years: Freedom for Tooting!
Before he was a household name, Lindsay was Walter Henry "Wolfie" Smith. If you haven't seen Citizen Smith, you're missing out on a specific kind of 1970s magic. Created by John Sullivan—the genius who later gave us Only Fools and Horses—the show followed Wolfie, a self-proclaimed Marxist "urban guerrilla."
He wore a black beret. He had an Afghan coat. He led the Tooting Popular Front, which consisted of about four guys in a pub.
It was silly, but Lindsay played it with this manic, wide-eyed sincerity that made Wolfie weirdly lovable. He wasn't just a caricature; he was a dreamer who was utterly, hopelessly disorganized. The show ran from 1977 to 1980 and basically turned Lindsay into a superstar overnight. It's the kind of role that could have trapped him forever, but he had other plans.
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Why My Family Defined a Decade of Comedy
Fast forward to the year 2000. Most people thought Lindsay’s sitcom days were behind him. Then came My Family.
For eleven seasons, he played Ben Harper. Ben was a man who clearly loved his family but also clearly wished they would all just leave him alone for five minutes so he could read the paper. Playing opposite the brilliant Zoë Wanamaker, Lindsay turned the "grumpy dad" trope into an art form.
You've probably felt like Ben Harper at some point. That low-level simmer of domestic frustration? That’s his specialty.
Despite the show's massive popularity—it was the most-watched sitcom in the UK in 2008—the production wasn't always smooth sailing. Lindsay has been pretty vocal about the fact that he and Wanamaker often fought for better scripts. He once famously told The Guardian that some of the writing was "real dross" and they’d refuse to film certain scenes. That honesty is classic Lindsay. He cares about the work, even when it’s a mainstream multicam sitcom.
The Heavyweight Stuff: G.B.H. and Beyond
If you only know him for the laughs, you're only getting half the story. In 1991, Lindsay starred in Alan Bleasdale’s G.B.H. and it was a total game-changer.
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He played Michael Murray, a corrupt, ambitious, and deeply troubled politician. It was dark. It was intense. It was nothing like Wolfie Smith. This performance earned him a BAFTA for Best Actor, proving to everyone that he could handle heavyweight drama just as easily as a punchline.
He almost played the lead in Cracker (the role that eventually went to Robbie Coltrane), but he turned it down. He didn't want to get pigeonholed into "dark" roles. He’s always been picky like that.
Must-Watch Robert Lindsay Movies and TV Shows
If you're looking to dive into his filmography, don't just stick to the hits. Here is a chaotic mix of the big stuff and the weird gems:
- Horatio Hornblower: He played Captain (and later Admiral) Pellew. He brought a massive amount of gravitas to this series. If you like tall ships and naval discipline, this is your jam.
- Fierce Creatures (1997): A spiritual successor to A Fish Called Wanda. Lindsay plays Sydney Lotterby. It’s a bit of a cult classic for John Cleese fans.
- Wimbledon (2004): He’s the tennis club manager. It's a small role, but he steals every scene he's in.
- Nightingales: A very strange, surreal 90s sitcom about three night watchmen. It’s bizarre and brilliant.
- Maleficent: Mistress of Evil (2019): Yes, he’s in the Disney world too. He played King John.
- Galavant: He played Chester Wormwood in this musical comedy series. It perfectly combined his love for singing with his knack for being a bit of a villain.
The Stage Legacy (Which You Can't Ignore)
You can't talk about Robert Lindsay movies and tv shows without mentioning the stage. He is one of the few actors to win an Olivier and a Tony for the same role: Bill Snibson in Me and My Girl.
He’s a song-and-dance man at heart. Whether he was playing Fagin in Oliver! or more recently appearing in Anything Goes at the Barbican, there is a physical energy to his work that comes directly from his theatre background. He doesn't just deliver lines; he uses his whole body.
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What most people get wrong about Robert Lindsay
People often think he’s just "that guy from the sitcoms."
That’s a mistake. Lindsay is a classically trained RADA graduate who has done everything from Hamlet to Richard III. He’s played Tony Blair twice in satires (The Trial of Tony Blair and A Very Social Secretary). He's a chameleon.
The reason he stays relevant is that he never settled. He could have played "Ben Harper 2.0" for the last twenty years and made a fortune. Instead, he does voice work for documentaries like Seven Wonders of the Industrial World, appears in edgy shows like Generation Z (2024), and continues to take risks on stage.
How to explore his work today
If you want to see the best of Robert Lindsay, start with the classics but branch out.
- Watch the first season of Citizen Smith. It’s a fascinating time capsule of 70s Britain and shows his raw comedic talent.
- Find G.B.H. on a streaming service or DVD. It is arguably his best acting, period.
- Check out his episode of "Who Do You Think You Are?" It’s a really moving look at his actual life and his grandfather’s history at Gallipoli.
- Look for his "Extras" cameo. He plays a hilariously egotistical version of himself in the Ricky Gervais show, which tells you everything you need to know about his sense of humor.
He’s an actor’s actor who somehow became a populist hero. Whether he’s wearing a crown, a dentist’s tunic, or a revolutionary’s beret, Robert Lindsay always feels like the real deal.