Robin Lord Taylor

ROBIN LORD TAYLOR

Date of Birth: June 4, 1978

Robin Lord Taylor grew up in the small town of Shueyville, Iowa, but developed an interest in acting because his mother often took him to see touring theatre productions in Chicago. He began performing in high school plays, including the role of Peter Van Daan in The Diary of Anne Frank. He went on to study theater at Northwestern University.

In 2000, Robin moved to New York City, where he began acting in plays. He made his television debut in 2005 with a guest appearance on the long-running series Law & Order, then made two more appearances in 2008 and 2010 as different characters. Robin's first role in a film was as a drug dealer in the indie production The House is Burning (2006), which screened at several film festivals. His next screen role was in Universal Pictures' Accepted (2006), starring Justin Long. Other small roles in movies followed, including playing a "punk kid" in Step Up 3D, but it was his role as Oswald Cobblepot — aka the Penguin — on Fox's new TV show Gotham that brought him into the spotlight.

Robin had initially auditioned to be the creepy Todd on Breaking Bad's final season, but didn't get the role. However, he left an impression on casting director Sherry Thomas, who made a note to bring Robin back in when the right role for him came in.

When she was given the casting notes for Gotham, she immediately thought of Robin and called him in to audition for the role of Penguin. He landed it, shot to stardom when Gotham debuted as Fox's highest-rated fall drama in more than a decade.

Robin, who is openly gay, is married but is keeping the name of his spouse private. He lives in New York City, where Gotham is filmed.

Filmography:

Cold Comes the Night (2013)
Would You Rather (2012)
The Melancholy Fantastic (2011)
Another Earth (2011)
Return (2011)
Step Up 3D (2010)
Last Day of Summer (2009)
August (2008)
Assassination of a High School President (2008)
Accepted (2006)
The House Is Burning (2006)