Robbie Kay
Robert Kay is a British actor whose credits include Fugitive Pieces, Heroes Reborn, Pinocchio, Pirates of the Caribbean: On Stranger Tides, and Peter Pan in the Once Upon a Time television series.
Career
Kay's family moved to the Czech Republic, where he saw a note for English-speaking children to be extras in a film on a school noticeboard. Despite a lack of previous acting experience, this led to him getting a speaking part in The Illusionist, but his scenes were eventually cut from the film.
After small roles in Hannibal Rising and My Boy Jack, the Canadian production company making Fugitive Pieces asked him to play the part of young Jakob, which involved a 9-week shooting schedule, three of which were on Greek islands.[1]
The people who made Fugitive Pieces had auditioned more than 150 boys before finding 10-year-old Robbie, who had been living in Prague for two years.[2] He spent a year studying acting, singing, and dancing at one of Britain's Stagecoach theatre schools.[2] Kay appeared in the 2008 miniseries Pinocchio, playing the title character. After finishing Pinocchio, he went on to play Sam, a boy diagnosed with leukemia in Ways To Live Forever screening in late 2010.[3] He appeared in Pirates of the Caribbean: On Stranger Tides, playing the Cabin Boy. More recently, he portrayed Peter Pan in Once Upon a Time.[4][5][6]
In March 2015, Kay was cast as a high school student named Tommy Clark in the TV series Heroes Reborn.[7]
Reception
Kay's work has been generally well received by the critics. Alicia Cox of Chatelaine wrote on his work in Fugitive Pieces: "Robbie Kay, who plays the young Jakob, gives a remarkable performance with little words and a lot of emotion. When he smiles (which isn't often) you can't help but be affected."[8]
Personal life
Kay was born in Lymington, Hampshire, England, to Ivan and Stephanie Kay. He moved to Brussels, Belgium, at an early age. He has two older sisters, Camilla and Fiona.[2]
In 2006, Kay and his family moved to Prague in the Czech Republic, where he attended the International School of Prague. He has been living in Houston, Texas, since 2011.[9]
Select filmography
Film
| Year | Title | Role | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2007 | Hannibal Rising | Kolnas's son | Credited as Robert Kay |
| My Boy Jack | Arthur Relp | ||
| Fugitive Pieces | Young Jakob | ||
| 2008 | Bathory | Pals | Voice |
| In Bruges | Young Harry | Deleted scenes | |
| 2010 | Made in Dagenham | Graham | |
| Ways to Live Forever | Sam McQueen | ||
| 2011 | Pirates of the Caribbean: On Stranger Tides | Cabin boy | |
| 2015 | Flight World War II | Nigel Sheffield | Credited as Robbie A. Kay |
| 2016 | Cold Moon | Ben Redfield | |
| 2017 | No Postage Necessary | Stanley | |
| 2018 | Blood Fest[10] | Dax | |
| Locating Silver Lake | Mack |
Television
| Year | Title | Role | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2008 | Pinocchio | Pinocchio | 2 episodes |
| 2013–2018 | Once Upon a Time | Peter Pan | 16 episodes |
| 2015–2016 | Heroes Reborn | Tommy Clark | Main role |
| 2017 | Grey's Anatomy | Christopher Daniels | Episode: "Back Where You Belong" |
| Sleepy Hollow | Logan MacDonald | 2 episodes | |
| 2019 | The Rookie | Simon Parks Jr. | Episode: "Homefront" |
Awards and nominations
| Year | Award | Category | Nominated work | Result |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2009 | Young Artist Awards | Best Performance in an International Feature Film – Leading Young Performers | Fugitive Pieces | Nominated |
| Best Performance in a TV Movie, Miniseries, or Special – Leading Young Actor | Pinocchio | Nominated | ||
| 2014 | Teen Choice Awards | Choice TV: Villain | Once Upon a Time | Nominated |
References
- ^ Old, David (29 July 2008). "Young acting star lands top role in Pinocchio". Evening Chronicle. Retrieved 17 February 2009.
- ^ a b c (PDF) (Press release). Samuel Goldwyn Films. 2008. Archived from the original (PDF) on 25 February 2009. Retrieved 17 February 2009.
- ^ "Way To Life Forever Plot Summary". IMDb. Retrieved 23 February 2014.
- ^ Starr, Liane Bonin (14 December 2018). "Interview: 'Once Upon A Time''s Peter Pan - Robbie Kay". UPROXX. Retrieved 25 September 2018.
- ^ "'Once Upon a Time' exclusive: Robbie Kay returning as Peter Pan!". ew.com. Retrieved 23 September 2016.
- ^ "Robbie Kay filmography". IMDb. Retrieved 23 February 2014.
- ^ Andreeva, Nellie. "Robbie Kay Cast In 'Heroes Reborn' NBC Event Series". Deadline.com. Retrieved 16 March 2015.
- ^ Cox, Alicia (7 September 2007). "Fugitive Pieces (review)". Chatelaine. Retrieved 17 February 2009.
- ^ "Robbie Kay Q&A". kidzworld (Interview). Retrieved 23 February 2014.
- ^ Spangler, Todd (4 August 2017). "Seychelle Gabriel to Star in Rooster Teeth's 'Blood Fest' Horror-Comedy Film". Variety. Retrieved 10 April 2018.