Mitchell Robertson, the 28-year-old Scottish actor, has delivered a breakthrough performance in Richard Gadd's drama Half Man, a series exploring toxic masculinity. Robertson plays the youthful version of Jamie Bell's character Niall, a nerdish boy bullied yet mesmerized by his hyper-macho half-brother Ruben, portrayed by Stuart Campbell in youth scenes and later by Gadd.
A Carefully Drawn Role
Robertson's portrayal required close collaboration with Bell. "We shot first, so Jamie then got to watch what we were shooting and honestly, he did all the work in the continuation of the character. But if he wins any awards, he has to share them with me," Robertson said.
The characters Niall and Ruben are troubled, clashing, uniting, betraying, and fighting as different embodiments of male dysfunction. "It’s the holding on to stuff," Robertson explained. "And feeling shame. That’s really heavy on their shoulders, and manifesting differently. One really hides and retreats from himself and other people, and the other one chooses violence. At the same time, they have this really intense co-dependent relationship."
Exploring the Roots of Toxic Masculinity
Robertson is reluctant to mention the manosphere but said, "This show is looking into where all that begins." A key aspect is the impact of school environments. The series depicts a tough Glasgow school, one Robertson understood from personal experience. "Growing up in the west of Scotland — and I don’t want to put it down, because I love it — but kids can be brutal."
Robertson initially wanted to be a footballer until his late teens while making YouTube sketches with friends. "Secretly I thought it’d be great to be an actor but I didn’t grow up around actors. I had no idea where to start," he said. A school show and encouragement from a teacher set him on his path.
Overcoming Class Barriers
"Acting is a really middle-class game and as someone from a working-class background it was tricky," Robertson admitted. "The working-classness that I used to think was my weakness, I now see as my strength." He noted the importance of role models like Stephen Graham, Eddie Marsan, and James McAvoy, who have said, "I came from this kind of background, you can do it as well."
Newfound Friendship and Fame
Robertson and co-star Stuart Campbell have become close friends. However, recognition has been modest so far. "We were in a restaurant and one of the waiters offered us free cake. Me and Stuart were like, ‘Maybe they saw the show and just wanna give us free food.’ When the waiter came back I said, ‘How come you gave us a free cake?’ And she went, ‘Oh, cos we’re shutting soon and they’re out of date.’ We were like, ‘Oh. OK.’"
Half Man is available on BBC iPlayer now.
