Patrick Robinson (actor)

Patrick Robinson (born 6 November 1963) is an English actor, best known for playing the character of staff nurse and later charge nurse (in early years of the show) and in later years, Consultant Martin "Ash" Ashford in the long-running medical drama series Casualty on BBC One.

Early life
Robinson was the fifth of seven children born to a Jamaican-immigrant electrician father and his English-born wife. Robinson joined the South East London School Drama Group aged 14. The cousin of footballer and TV personality Ian Wright, Robinson was offered a trial at Southampton F.C., which he turned down to attend additional drama classes.

After studying architecture for a year, he left to join the Robert Stigwood organisation as a messenger boy. He then graduated from the London Academy of Music and Dramatic Art.

Career
On graduation he started his career in theatre, and then joined the Royal Shakespeare Company, spending two seasons in Stratford-upon-Avon and then two in London.

He left the RSC to join the cast of Casualty in the character of Martin "Ash" Ashford, from 1990 to 1996.

After leaving the series, he appeared as CIA agent Leon Washington in the 2003 action film Belly of the Beast, alongside Steven Seagal.

Robinson also appeared in an episode in the last series of the popular CBBC drama The Story of Tracy Beaker (TV Series) as Crash Daniels's abusive father Theo.

In late 2007, he played former slave Thomas Peters who went on to become a leader in Sierra Leone, in a stage adaptation of Rough Crossings by historian Simon Schama at the Liverpool Playhouse.

From 2008 he appeared as Detective Constable Jacob Banks in the ITV police drama The Bill. In 2009 he participated in Let's Dance for Comic Relief with Lisa Maxwell dancing a routine based on Riverdance.

In March 2011, he was appearing as a German cavalry officer 'Friedrich' in the New London Theatre production of War Horse.

On 25 January 2013 it was announced that Robinson would be returning to Casualty to reprise his role as Martin "Ash" Ashford but as a locum consultant.

In 2013, Patrick participated in the eleventh series of Strictly Come Dancing. His dance partner was Anya Garnis, a new professional dancer that year. They were voted out in the semi-final. Patrick returned to Casualty in 2016 as part of the anniversary celebrations. In September 2015, he joined series 5 of Sky 1's Mount Pleasant as Policeman Cameron Miller, and returned for series 6 in September 2016.

Personal life
Married, the couple have three daughters and one son. The family lives in Stratford-upon-Avon.

A supporter of Arsenal F.C., he plays regularly for the club's ex-pro and celebrity team. He also plays street hockey with the Ashmead Cruisers, a team that he co-founded in 1980, and which have twice been runners-up in the national street hockey tournament in the 1980s.

He is also the cousin of Arsenal F.C Legend Ian Wright.