Robert Lewis Glenister (born 11 March 1960) is an English actor. He is best known for his television roles as Ash "Three Socks" Morgan in the crime drama seriesHustle (2004–2012) andNicholas Blake in the spy drama seriesSpooks (2006–2010).

Glenister was born in Watford on 11 March 1960.^[1] He is the son of Joan Fry Lewis and television directorJohn Glenister, and the older brother of actorPhilip Glenister. Until the age of eight he had a slightspeech impediment. After starting school, he began to show a talent for acting. He decided to pursue a professional acting career after being encouraged by his father and leaving Harrow Weald Grammar School. He started his career by taking several theatre roles.^[2]

Glenister made his television debut in the BBC sitcomSink or Swim, which ran from 1980 until 1982.^[3] He has also appeared in shows such asSoldier Soldier,^[4]Only Fools and Horses (as Myles the millionaire garden centre owner and chairman of the SWANS committee),^[5]A Touch of Frost^[6] andInspector George Gently^[7] as well as several films.

He had a starring role in the BBC dramaHustle as Ash Morgan, a high-level con-man who has to convincingly play various roles or characters to pull off a con and lure a 'mark'. He is the only actor who has appeared in every episode of the series. He has also had regular starring roles in the BBC dramaSpooks and appeared inSpartacus.^[8][9] He appeared as an Irish-American mob boss inBen Affleck's crime dramaLive by Night, which was released in December 2016.^[10] He has been cast twice inDoctor Who, playing Salateen inThe Caves of Androzani (1984) (opposite hisSink or Swim co-starPeter Davison) andThomas Edison in "Nikola Tesla's Night of Terror" (2020).^[11]

In June 2022 he appeared as Detective Inspector Salisbury inSherwood, a BBC serial written byJames Graham.^[12] In 2024, he plays Tony, a cab driver in theChannel 5 thriller seriesThe Night Caller.^[13]

Glenister married actorAmanda Redman in 1984; the couple had a daughter before they divorced in 1992.^[14] He later marriedBBC Radio producer and director Celia de Wolff, with whom he has a son.^[15]

In April 2019, it was reported that lawyers acting for a company owned by Glenister – Big Bad Wolff – had lost an appeal in a long-running battle withHM Revenue and Customs regarding liability forNational Insurance contributions.^[16] Glenister subsequently said that he would have to sell or remortgage his house as a result of the ruling, since he now faced a bill of £147,000 plus interest.^[17]

• Edward Voysey inThe Voysey Inheritance byHarley Granville Barker. Directed byGreg Hersov at theRoyal Exchange, Manchester. (1989)
• Prince Muishkin inThe Idiot byGerard McLarnon. World premiere directed byGreg Hersov at theRoyal Exchange, Manchester. (1991)
• Lord Gorin inAn Ideal Husband byOscar Wilde. Directed byJames Maxwell at theRoyal Exchange, Manchester. (1992)
• Astrov inUncle Vanya byAnton Chekhov. Directed byGreg Hersov at theRoyal Exchange, Manchester. (2001)
• Wilson Tikkel inGreat Britain byRichard Bean at theNational Theatre/Theatre Royal Haymarket, 2014–15.
• Dave Moss inGlengarry Glen Ross byDavid Mamet at ThePlayhouse Theatre 2017–2018^[10]
• Sorin inThe Seagull byAnton Chekhov at theHarold Pinter Theatre, London (2022)^[3]

• The Party Party 1987
• Paradise Lost – Christ (1992, 41 episodes, BBC Radio 4)
• Paradise Regained – Christ (1992, 9 episodes, BBC Radio 4)
• The Wench is Dead –Sgt. Lewis (1992, BBC Radio 4) oppositeJohn Shrapnel asInspector Morse
• Last Seen Wearing –Sgt. Lewis (1994, BBC Radio 4) oppositeJohn Shrapnel asInspector Morse
• The Sound of Fury (Mike Warner) –Stuart Colman (1994, BBC Radio 4) oppositeAnton Lesser asBilly Fury
• The Silent World of Nicholas Quinn –Sgt. Lewis (1996, BBC Radio 4) oppositeJohn Shrapnel asInspector Morse
• Barrymore Plus Four (1995)
• Mansfield Park – Edmund Bertram (1997, Classic Serial, BBC Radio 4)
• Ghost on the Moor – Graham (2001, Afternoon Play, BBC Radio 4)[1]
• A Game of Marbles – Lord Elgin (2004, Afternoon Play, BBC Radio 4)[2] oppositePaul Scofield
• The Woman in Black – Arthur Kipps (2004, 4 episodes, BBC Radio 5)
• Henry's Girls – Henry Purcell (2007, Afternoon Play, BBC Radio 4)
• The Fiery World – William Blake (2007, Drama on 3, BBC Radio 3)
• The Gibson – Saul Judd (2008, 6-part Drama, BBC Radio 4)
• The Time Machine – Time traveller (2009, Drama on 3, BBC Radio 3)
• The Journey – Stephen (2010, Afternoon Play, BBC Radio 4)
• The Exorcist –Father Damien Karras (2014, 2 episodes, BBC Radio 4) oppositeIan McDiarmid asFather Merrin

Alexandre Dumas."The Three Musketeers" [Athos] 1994 6 episodes Radio Play. BBC Radio 4

• Doctor Who: Absolution (2007) – Aboresh

• The Death of Kings (2008)
• The Gates of Rome (2010)
• The Cuckoo's Calling (2013)
• The Silkworm (2014)
• Career of Evil (2015)
• Lethal White (2018)
• Troubled Blood (2020)
• The Ink Black Heart (2022)
• The Running Grave (2023)

• Robert Glenister atIMDb

• 1960 births
• 21st-century English male actors
• 20th-century English male actors
• English male film actors
• English male radio actors
• English male television actors
• English male voice actors
• Glenister family (show business)
• Living people
• Male actors from Watford

• Articles with short description
• Short description matches Wikidata
• EngvarB from November 2017
• Use dmy dates from December 2022
• Articles with hCards