Craig Roberts
Quick Facts
Biography
Craig Haydn Roberts (born 21 January 1991) is a Welsh actor and director. He is best known for playing the lead role of Oliver Tate in Submarine, a coming-of-age comedy-drama, and the character Rio in the television series The Story of Tracy Beaker (2004–2005).
Early life
Roberts was born on 21 January 1991 in Newport, Wales, the son of Alison and Haydn Roberts. He was raised in Bargoed, Caerphilly. Roberts attended Lewis School Pengam, Pengam in Caerphilly. He has one sister, Chelsea, and two half sisters, Natalee and Angharad.
Career
Roberts began his television career with roles in the dramas Care (2000) and Little Pudding (2003). Following these he was given roles in the television series The Story of Tracy Beaker (2004-2006) and Casualty (2005-2008) and played vampire fanatic Robin Branagh in Young Dracula (2006-2008). He also appeared in the dramas Kiddo (2005) and Scratching (2006).
On stage, Roberts toured Britain in 2008 with Y Touring Theatre Company playing young Ryan in Full Time, a play that explores racism, sexism and homophobia in football; in January 2009 he played the evil queen's sidekick Drax in the pantomime Snow White at Worthing.
In 2010, Roberts had worldwide success playing the teenage lead role in the film Submarine, based on the 2008 novel by Joe Dunthorne. The film was directed by Richard Ayoade and also starred Paddy Considine and Yasmin Paige.
Since then Roberts has appeared in the BBC Three television show Being Human (2011, 2012) and in the online spin-off series Becoming Human (2011) as Adam.
In 2012, he starred in The Killers' music video for "Here with Me" with Winona Ryder, directed by Tim Burton.
In late 2012, Roberts started working on a short television comedy he wrote and directed, titled "The Sheepish Approach".
In 2014, he starred in the film Jolene: The Indie Folk Star alongside Charlotte Ritchie and Rosamund Hanson. He played the role of Dom in the seventh series of the TV show Skins, and also played "Assjuice" in the 2014 film Neighbors. He also appeared in the Manic Street Preachers video for Show Me the Wonder and directed the music video for the Los Campesinos! single "Avocado, Baby" from their album No Blues.
In 2015, Roberts made his feature directorial debut with Just Jim, which he also wrote and starred in.
On 9 October 2015, Amazon Studios released season one of Red Oaks, an original comedy series, in which Roberts stars alongside Paul Reiser. Season 2 was released in late 2016.
Roberts starred in the 2016 film The Fundamentals of Caring alongside Paul Rudd. Roberts played Trevor, a quick-witted 18-year-old boy with Duchenne muscular dystrophy. The film was premiered at the Sundance Film Festival in January 2016 and released on Netflix in June 2016.
Filmography
Year | Production | Role | Notes |
---|---|---|---|
2000 | Care | Craig, Pauline's Child | TV movie |
2003 | Little Pudding | TV movie | |
2004–2005 | The Story of Tracy Beaker | Rio Wellard | TV series (2 series 2004–2005) |
2005 | Kiddo | Jay | TV movie |
Casualty | Darren Smith/Jordan Philpot | TV series (2 episodes: 2005–2008) | |
2006 | Scratching | Mike | short |
2006–2008 | Young Dracula | Robin Branagh | TV series (seasons 1 and 2, 27 episodes: 2006–2008) |
2010 | Submarine | Oliver Tate | |
2011 | Being Human | Adam | TV series (2 episodes: "Adam's Family", "Hold the Front Page") |
Becoming Human | Adam | web series | |
Jane Eyre | John Reed | ||
2012 | Red Lights | Ben | |
The First Time | Simon Daldry | ||
Comes a Bright Day | Sam Smith | ||
2013 | Skins | Dominic | Series 7, episodes 1 & 2 |
Benny and Jolene | Benny | ||
The Power Inside | Neil | Web series | |
The Double | Detective | ||
2014 | Neighbors | Assjuice | |
22 Jump Street | Spencer | ||
Premature | Stanley | ||
ALT | Milo | ||
2015 | Kill Your Friends | Darren | |
Just Jim | Jim | Also director and writer | |
2015–present | Red Oaks | David | Lead Role |
2016 | The Fundamentals of Caring | Trevor | Netflix Original |