Twenty years ago, if you wanted a gritty, leather-clad archer with "boyband" hair and an attitude, you turned on BBC One at 7:00 PM on a Saturday. We didn't have the MCU in every pocket back then. We had Jonas Armstrong in a hoodie.
The robin hood tv cast from the 2006 series was, honestly, a bit of a gamble. The BBC wanted to drag the 15th-century legend into the 21st century with "lads and dads" appeal. It was filmed in Hungary, not Sherwood. It had a Saracen woman in the Merry Men. And it featured a villain so campy he made the original ballads look like a funeral.
Looking back, that cast didn't just play roles; they launched careers that ended up in The Hobbit, Downton Abbey, and Star Wars.
The Boy Who Would Be King (of Outlaws)
Jonas Armstrong was 25 when he got the call. He wasn't the hulking, bearded Robin Hood people expected. He was lean. He was "cheeky." He was basically a medieval insurgent with a very modern haircut.
Some people hated it. Critics called him too slight. But you know what? He had this frantic energy that worked. Since hanging up the bow in 2009, Armstrong has stayed busy, though he’s often pivoted to much darker stuff. You've probably seen him in Line of Duty or playing the tragic Barry Bennell in Floodlights.
He even showed up in a Tom Cruise blockbuster, Edge of Tomorrow. He played a character named Skinner, based—ironically—on a British football hooligan. It’s a long way from the righteous Earl of Locksley.
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Richard Armitage and the Gisborne Glow-Up
If we're being real, half the audience was watching for Sir Guy of Gisborne. Richard Armitage brought a brooding, "tortured soul" vibe to a character that is usually just a one-dimensional thug. He wore a lot of black leather. He glared a lot.
It worked.
Armitage used the show as a massive springboard. He went from being the Sheriff's muscle to Thorin Oakenshield in Peter Jackson's The Hobbit trilogy. Recently, he’s become the king of the Netflix thriller, starring in basically every Harlan Coben adaptation ever made (The Stranger, Stay Close, Fool Me Once). He’s the undisputed heavyweight champion of the robin hood tv cast in terms of global fame.
The Lady Marian Problem
Lucy Griffiths was only 19 when she was cast as Marian. This wasn't a "damsel in distress" version. She was the "Nightwatchman," a secret vigilante fighting the Sheriff from the inside.
Then came the Season 2 finale.
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The showrunners decided to kill her off to "rock the show." Fans were furious. There are still forum threads from 2008 where people are absolutely losing it over that decision. Griffiths moved on to Hollywood, landing a major role in HBO’s True Blood as Nora Gainesborough and later starring in Preacher.
She was even supposed to be the lead in the Constantine TV show, but the writers changed directions after the pilot. Talk about a "what if" moment.
The Merry Men: Where Are They Now?
The group dynamic was the heart of the show. It wasn't just Robin; it was the guys (and girl) in the forest.
- Sam Troughton (Much): The loyal, slightly neurotic manservant. Troughton has become a massive force in British theatre, particularly with the National Theatre and the RSC. He also popped up in the acclaimed Chernobyl miniseries.
- Joe Armstrong (Allan A Dale): The traitor-turned-hero. Joe (no relation to Jonas) has been a staple of prestige British TV like Happy Valley and Gentleman Jack.
- Harry Lloyd (Will Scarlett): The young, hot-headed carpenter. He left after Season 2 and went straight into Game of Thrones as Viserys Targaryen. You remember—the guy who got the "golden crown."
- Anjali Jay (Djaq): The Saracen chemist. She brought a much-needed brain to the group. She’s since appeared in Supernatural and the Night at the Museum movies.
- Gordon Kennedy (Little John): The veteran of the group. Kennedy has stayed active in UK drama and comedy, recently appearing in The Halcyon and Vera.
The Sheriff Who Chewed the Scenery
We have to talk about Keith Allen. His Sheriff of Nottingham (Vaisey) was a god-tier villain. He was a psychopath, sure, but he was a funny psychopath. He had these weird little catchphrases ("A clue: No!") and a sarcasm that felt like it belonged in a different show entirely.
Allen didn't even audition. He was a last-minute replacement after another actor dropped out, flying to Budapest with four days' notice. That chaotic energy defined the role. In real life, he's still a bit of a maverick, and yes, he is Lily Allen’s dad.
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Why the 2006 Series Still Hits Different
There’s something about mid-2000s TV. It had a specific "high-definition but low-budget" feel. The show was anachronistic on purpose. The costumes weren't historically accurate, and the dialogue was snappy and modern.
It paved the way for shows like Merlin. It proved that you could take a dusty old legend and make it feel like a Saturday night popcorn flick.
The later seasons got a bit weird. By Season 3, half the original cast was gone. They brought in David Harewood as Friar Tuck (who later became Martian Manhunter in Supergirl) and Lara Pulver as Isabella (who went on to play Irene Adler in Sherlock). Even with that talent, the show struggled to keep its footing without the central Robin-Marian-Gisborne triangle.
Practical Takeaways for Fans
If you're looking to revisit the show or follow the cast today:
- Streaming: The series is often available on BritBox or Amazon Prime, depending on your region. It’s worth a rewatch just to see how many "before they were famous" cameos you can spot.
- Audiobooks: If you miss the voices, Richard Armitage and Jonas Armstrong both recorded several Robin Hood audiobooks for the BBC that bridge the gaps between episodes.
- Modern Projects: Follow Richard Armitage on Netflix or Jonas Armstrong in recent ITV/BBC crime dramas like After the Flood (2024) to see how their styles have evolved since the Sherwood days.
The robin hood tv cast remains one of the best "talent incubators" in British television history. They took a show that could have been a forgotten kids' adventure and turned it into a cult classic that people are still dissecting nearly two decades later.
Check out the early episodes of Season 1 again. The chemistry is undeniable. Whether it was the leather, the stunts, or the Sheriff's iconic tantrums, that era of Sherwood still has a lot of heart.
To keep up with the cast's most recent work, keep an eye on British drama releases for 2026, as several members, including Joe Armstrong and Richard Armitage, have new miniseries currently in production or hitting streaming platforms this year.