Robert Kazinsky

Robert Kazinsky, born Robert John Appleby on 18 November 1983 in Haywards Heath, West Sussex, England, is an English actor whose career spans television, film, and video games. He grew up in a Jewish family, is fluent in Hebrew, and attended Hove Park School before honing his craft at the K‑Bis Theatre School in Brighton, where he performed in productions such as Bugsy Malone and A Midsummer Night’s Dream. From September 2002 to July 2005 he studied at the Guildford School of Acting, adopting his grandfather’s middle name as his professional surname. Kazinsky’s early screen work began with Israeli television commercials and a guest spot on the CBBC series The Basil Brush Show in 2005, shortly before landing the role of Casper Rose in Sky One’s football drama Dream Team (2005‑2006). He gained widespread recognition portraying Sean Slater in the BBC soap EastEnders (2006‑2009, with later guest returns in 2019, 2021, and 2022), a part that cemented his status in British popular culture despite a brief suspension in 2007 over personal controversies. His film debut came in 2012 with Red Tails, a World War II drama offered by George Lucas, and he subsequently appeared in high‑profile projects such as Guillermo del Toro’s Pacific Rim (2013) as Australian Jaeger pilot Chuck Hansen, and the fantasy epic Warcraft (2016) as the legendary Orc Warlord Orgrim Doomhammer. In television, Kazinsky headlined Fox’s short‑lived series Second Chance (2016) as a resurrected ex‑cop, and made cameo appearances in the Marvel Cinematic Universe’s Captain Marvel (2019). Throughout his career he has also contributed voice work to video games, leveraging his personal passion for gaming and his experience as an avid World of Warcraft player. Beyond the screen, Kazinsky is noted for his advocacy of mental‑health awareness, drawing on personal challenges faced during his time in the public eye, and he continues to engage with both UK and international audiences through varied genre projects and charitable endeavors.