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 younger version of Niall, a nerdy character bullied yet fascinated by his hyper-macho half-brother Ruben, portrayed by Stuart Campbell in youth scenes and later by Gadd. Robertson's performance has been widely praised, and he shares a collaborative approach with Jamie Bell, who plays the older Niall. "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 joked.
The Core Conflict: Toxic Masculinity and Co-dependence
The series centers on the troubled relationship between Niall and Ruben, who clash, unite, betray, and fight, embodying different forms of male dysfunction. Robertson explains, "It's the holding on to stuff. 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." While hesitant to label the manosphere, Robertson notes, "This show is looking into where all that begins," particularly pointing to the influence of school environments.
From Glasgow School to Acting Career
Robertson grew up in the west of Scotland and understood the brutal school dynamics depicted in Half Man. "Kids can be brutal," he said. Initially aspiring to be a footballer, he made YouTube sketches with friends and secretly dreamed of acting. A school teacher encouraged him after a school show performance. However, breaking into acting proved challenging. "Acting is a really middle-class game and as someone from a working-class background it was tricky. The working-classness that I used to think was my weakness, I now see as my strength," Robertson stated.
Role Models and Future Aspirations
Robertson draws inspiration from actors like Stephen Graham, Eddie Marsan, and James McAvoy, who also came from working-class backgrounds. "People like that say, 'I came from this kind of background, you can do it as well,'" he said, and he hopes to join their ranks. Robertson and Campbell have become close friends, though fame hasn't fully hit yet. He recounted a restaurant incident where they received free cake, thinking it was recognition, but the waiter explained, "Oh, cos we're shutting soon and they're out of date." Robertson laughed, "We were like, 'Oh. OK.'"
Half Man is available on BBC iPlayer now.
