Robin of Sherwood remains stubbornly alive in the cultural memory. Not preserved in amber, but rewatched, argued over, and quoted by people who know exactly when British television briefly decided to be strange, mystical, and politically sharp all at once.
Michael Praed. Robin of Loxley
- Born: 1 April 1960, Berkeley, Gloucestershire
Praed’s Robin is intense, fatalistic, and quietly terrifying when crossed. He left after series one, which turned his version of Robin into something closer to legend than character.
Robin of Loxley is not a cheerful folk hero. He is a man chosen by forces he barely understands. His journey is about fate, sacrifice, and the cost of being marked for greatness.
Character role and significance
- Serves as Herne’s chosen son, tying Robin Hood directly to pagan mythology
- Struggles with destiny versus free will throughout series one
- Acts as a spiritual leader as much as a military one
- His death cements the show’s willingness to reject comfort and tradition
Praed’s departure freezes this Robin in tragedy. He does not grow old, compromise, or soften. He becomes myth inside the story itself.
Notable film and TV appearances since
- Dynasty
- Dempsey and Makepeace
- The Secret Diary of Adrian Mole
- Extensive stage work including Billy Elliot the Musical
He later focused on theatre and arts education, choosing craft over constant visibility.
Jason Connery. Robert of Huntingdon
- Born: 11 January 1963, Rome, Italy
Connery’s Robin is more political and pragmatic. He feels like a leader learning how power actually works.
Robert of Huntingdon represents the human side of rebellion. Where Loxley is chosen, Robert chooses.
Character role and significance
- A dispossessed noble forced into outlaw life
- Brings political awareness and class tension to the narrative
- Focuses on justice, strategy, and leadership rather than prophecy
- Gradually earns loyalty rather than inheriting it
This Robin reflects a shift in the series toward social realism. He argues, doubts, and learns, which gives the later episodes their grounded tone.
Notable film and TV appearances since
- Robin of Sherwood series two and three
- Smallville
- Shoebox Zoo
- Later work as a television director
His era of the show has aged well, especially for viewers who prefer grounded rebellion over mysticism.
Ray Winstone. Will Scarlet
- Born: 19 February 1957, Hackney, London
Winstone’s Will Scarlet is volatile, loyal, and always on the edge of violence.
Will Scarlet is anger given human form. He is loyal, but loyalty does not make him gentle.
Character role and significance
- Embodies the violence bred by oppression
- Acts as Robin’s most dangerous ally and greatest liability
- Represents the cost of living permanently on the edge
- Frequently challenges Robin’s moral restraint
Will is what happens when injustice has no safety valve. Winstone plays him as barely contained, which keeps every scene tense.
Notable film and TV appearances since
- Scum
- Sexy Beast
- The Departed
- Beowulf
- King Arthur
This role sits right at the start of a career built on raw presence.
Mark Ryan. Nasir
- Born: 14 June 1963, Birmingham
Nasir remains one of the show’s smartest creations. He is not exotic decoration. He is competent, principled, and allowed his own inner life.
Nasir is discipline and faith, sharpened by experience far beyond England.
Character role and significance
- A Moorish warrior displaced by crusading violence
- Operates under a personal code rather than Christian law
- Serves as the band’s most skilled fighter
- Challenges English insularity without speeches or lectures
Nasir’s quiet authority makes him one of the most modern characters in the series. He never needs explanation.
Notable film and TV appearances
- The Bill
- Sharpe
- Extensive voice acting work including Transformers and Doctor Who audio dramas
Ryan’s later influence is strongest in voice work, where his career has been quietly prolific.
Nickolas Grace. Sheriff of Nottingham
- Born: 21 November 1947, West Ham, London
- Status: Alive in 202
- The Sheriff is not just a villain. He is the system wearing silk.
- Character role and significance
- Represents Norman authority and corruption
- Uses theatre and cruelty as tools of power
- Understands fear better than loyalty
- Acts as a dark mirror to Robin’s leadership
This Sheriff is theatrical, cruel, and faintly amused by his own wickedness.
Notable film and TV appearances
- Brideshead Revisited
- The Madness of King George
- Into the Woods
- Long stage career with the Royal Shakespeare Company
Grace understood that a villain who enjoys himself is far more unsettling.
Robert Addie. Guy of Gisbourne
- Born: 10 February 1960, London
- Died: 2 November 2003
Guy of Gisbourne in Robin of Sherwood is not a simple henchman. He is pride, ambition, and resentment given armour. Where the Sheriff rules through systems, Guy rules through fear and personal violence.
Character role and significance
- Acts as the Sheriff’s enforcer and political weapon
- Embodies Norman military brutality rather than bureaucratic power
- Obsessed with honour, status, and recognition
- Functions as Robin’s physical and ideological opposite
- Represents what happens when loyalty is rooted in ego rather than belief
Addie plays Guy as permanently wounded by rejection. He is dangerous not because he enjoys cruelty, but because he believes he deserves more than the world has given him. That sense of grievance makes him volatile and unpredictable.
Unlike later adaptations, this Guy is not charming or romanticised. He is harsh, rigid, and emotionally cornered. His rivalry with Robin feels personal, almost intimate, driven by envy as much as politics.
Notable film and TV appearances
- Robin of Sherwood
- Bergerac
- Excalibur
- Doctors
Robert Addie’s death in 2003 cut short a career that increasingly leaned toward strong character roles. His Guy of Gisbourne remains one of the most unsettling interpretations of the character, precisely because it refuses to soften him.
Judi Trott. Lady Marian
- Born: 1963, London
Marian is conscience without sermon.
Character role and significance
- Navigates court politics while aiding the outlaws
- Represents moral resistance within the system
- Refuses to be passive or ornamental
- Acts as a bridge between worlds rather than a prize to be won
Her Marian feels closer to a modern political operator than a medieval love interest.
Trott’s Marian is political, observant, and morally firm.
Notable film and TV appearances
- Robin of Sherwood
- Minimal screen work beyond the series
She later moved into education and youth theatre. Her Marian feels more modern now than many later versions.
Phil Rose. Friar Tuck
- Born: 10 April 1952, England
Friar Tuck is belief under pressure.
Character role and significance
- Represents faith rooted in compassion rather than doctrine
- Provides ethical grounding for the group
- Acts as healer, mediator, and occasional confessor
- Understands when law and morality part ways
Rose’s Tuck is gentle but not weak. His authority comes from empathy, not rank.
Notable film and TV appearances
- Robin of Sherwood
- Only Fools and Horses
- The Professionals
- The Bill
Rose remained closely connected to the show’s legacy until his death in 2021.
Peter Llewellyn Williams. Much
- Born: 1954, Wales
- Status: Alive in 2026
Williams played Much, stepping away from broad comedy and leaning into a harder, more cynical survivor.
Much evolves from nervous follower into hardened survivor.
Character role and significance
- Reflects the ordinary person drawn into rebellion
- Shows how outlaw life changes people over time
- Acts as audience surrogate in later episodes
- Becomes less comic as the series darkens
His arc mirrors the show’s loss of innocence.
Notable film and TV appearances
- Doctor Who
- Blake’s 7
- Survivors
His version of Much reflects how the series itself darkened as it went on.
Clive Mantle. Little John
- Born: 3 June 1957, Bristol
Little John is stability.
Character role and significance
- Acts as second in command and emotional anchor
- Balances Will’s volatility and Robin’s idealism
- Represents physical strength used responsibly
- Holds the group together when leadership fractures
Mantle plays him with warmth that avoids sentimentality.
Mantle’s Little John is physically imposing but emotionally open, which gives the band its sense of family.
Notable film and TV appearances
- Casualty
- Holby City
- The Vicar of Dibley
He became one of British television’s most recognisable long running drama actors.
Roderick Horn. Herne the Hunter
- Born: 1930, England
- Died: 2017
Herne is myth walking among men.
Character role and significance
- Pagan guardian of the greenwood
- Embodies ancient belief clashing with Norman Christianity
- Acts as mentor, manipulator, and tragic figure
- Represents a world fading but not gone
Without Herne, the series would lose its soul. Horn makes him feel ancient rather than eccentric.
Herne is the soul of the series. Pagan, tragic, and quietly unnerving.
Notable film and TV appearances
- Robin of Sherwood
- Doctor Who
- The Avengers
Horn’s performance is the reason the show still feels uncanny rather than quaint.
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Title: Robin of Sherwood Cast. Where Are They Now in 2026
Meta description: A fully updated 2026 guide to the cast of Robin of Sherwood, including corrected roles, birth and death details, major film and TV appearances, and why the series still endures.
