# Robert Glenister
**Robert Glenister** (Robert Lewis Glenister, born 1960) is an English actor best known for playing the con man Ash "Three Socks" Morgan in the BBC series *[Hustle](https://www.edgepedia.org/hustle-tv-series)* and Nicholas Blake, a [Home Secretary](https://www.edgepedia.org/home-secretary), in the BBC spy drama *Spooks*.[1](https://youngtheatre.co.uk/archive/yt/patrons/robert_gleinister/) • [2](https://www.tvmaze.com/people/50840/robert-glenister) He was born in Watford, Hertfordshire, and works across television, theater, film, and radio.[1](https://youngtheatre.co.uk/archive/yt/patrons/robert_gleinister/) • [3](https://www.tvinsider.com/people/robert-glenister/)
| Key fact | Detail |
|---|---|
| Born | 1960, Watford, Hertfordshire, England[1](https://youngtheatre.co.uk/archive/yt/patrons/robert_gleinister/) • [3](https://www.tvinsider.com/people/robert-glenister/) |
| Signature roles | Ash "Three Socks" Morgan in *Hustle* (all eight seasons, 2004–2012); Nicholas Blake in *Spooks*[4](https://www.irishnews.com/arts/2019/08/07/news/robert-glenister-on-brian-friel-hustle-and-working-with-brother-philip-one-day-1679268/) |
| First TV appearance | The sitcom *Sink or Swim*, 1980[1](https://youngtheatre.co.uk/archive/yt/patrons/robert_gleinister/) |
| Family | Son of director John Glenister; older brother of actor Philip Glenister[1](https://youngtheatre.co.uk/archive/yt/patrons/robert_gleinister/) |
| Youth theater | Member of The Young Theatre at Harrow, 1970–1978; patron of its Beaconsfield successor group since 2006[1](https://youngtheatre.co.uk/archive/yt/patrons/robert_gleinister/) |
| Recent television | DI Kevin Salisbury in *Sherwood* (2022); Martin Copeland in *Suspicion* (2022)[2](https://www.tvmaze.com/people/50840/robert-glenister) |
| Marriages | Ex-wife actress Amanda Redman (daughter, Emily); current wife Celia Glenister (son, Thomas)[1](https://youngtheatre.co.uk/archive/yt/patrons/robert_gleinister/) |
## Early life and training
Educated at Hatch End High School, Glenister began acting at age ten in 1970, when he became a member of The Young Theatre at Harrow. He stayed with the group for about eight years, appearing in productions including *The Innocents* (1973) and *The Thwarting of Baron Bolligrew* (1974).[1](https://youngtheatre.co.uk/archive/yt/patrons/robert_gleinister/) The Harrow group closed in 1983, and in 2006 he became a patron of its sister group in [Beaconsfield](https://www.edgepedia.org/beaconsfield).[1](https://youngtheatre.co.uk/archive/yt/patrons/robert_gleinister/)
Acting runs in the family. His father, John Glenister, is a television director whose credits include *Rumpole of the Bailey* and Dennis Potter's *Casanova*, and his younger brother Philip played DCI Gene Hunt in *[Life on Mars](https://www.edgepedia.org/life-on-mars-british-tv-series)* and *Ashes to Ashes*.[1](https://youngtheatre.co.uk/archive/yt/patrons/robert_gleinister/) • [5](https://www.yahoo.com/entertainment/robert-glenister-interview-many-men-131500129.html) Glenister made his own first television appearance in the sitcom *Sink or Swim* in 1980.[1](https://youngtheatre.co.uk/archive/yt/patrons/robert_gleinister/)
## Television career
**Hustle and Spooks.** Glenister is most closely identified with Ash "Three Socks" Morgan, the fixer of the BBC long-con drama *Hustle*, a role he played in all eight seasons of the show from 2004 to 2012 alongside [Robert Vaughn](https://www.edgepedia.org/robert-vaughn).[4](https://www.irishnews.com/arts/2019/08/07/news/robert-glenister-on-brian-friel-hustle-and-working-with-brother-philip-one-day-1679268/) At the same time he had a regular role as Nicholas Blake, ultimately a traitorous ex-home secretary, in the spy serial *Spooks*. From 2006 to 2010 he was starring in both series, often filming them in the same week: *Hustle* during the week and *Spooks* on Sundays.[4](https://www.irishnews.com/arts/2019/08/07/news/robert-glenister-on-brian-friel-hustle-and-working-with-brother-philip-one-day-1679268/)
His earlier television credits include *The Caves of Androzani*, a 1984 *Doctor Who* serial opposite his *Sink or Swim* co-star [Peter Davison](https://www.edgepedia.org/peter-davison), *Only Fools and Horses*, *A Touch of Frost*, *Prime Suspect: The Lost Child*, *Soldier Soldier*, and the miniseries *Hitler: The Rise of Evil* (2002–03).[6](https://www.imdb.com/name/nm0322563/) • [3](https://www.tvinsider.com/people/robert-glenister/) Later work includes the 2011 drama *Appropriate Adult*, in which he played Detective Superintendent John Bennett; the 2016 series *Paranoid*, as the lead character Bobby Day; *The Great Train Robbery* (2013); and a return to *Doctor Who* in 2020 as [Thomas Edison](https://www.edgepedia.org/thomas-edison).[2](https://www.tvmaze.com/people/50840/robert-glenister) • [3](https://www.tvinsider.com/people/robert-glenister/) • [7](https://www.allocine.fr/personne/fichepersonne-141194/filmographie/)
In 2022 he appeared in three high-profile series: the BBC's *Sherwood*, playing Detective Inspector Kevin Salisbury across six episodes; Apple TV+'s *Suspicion*, as Martin Copeland; and the Welsh-language thriller *The Light in the Hall* (*Y Golau*).[2](https://www.tvmaze.com/people/50840/robert-glenister) He also played Jasper Chiswell in the *Strike* episode *Lethal White* (2020) and appeared in the ITV drama *Grace*.[2](https://www.tvmaze.com/people/50840/robert-glenister) • [8](https://www.itv.com/presscentre/print/pdf/node/16041)
## Stage career
Glenister has worked extensively in theater, with productions ranging from the [Royal Shakespeare Company](https://www.edgepedia.org/royal-shakespeare-company) (*Measure for Measure*, *The Tempest*, *The Spanish Tragedy*, *Little Eyolf*) to the National Theatre (*Great Britain*, *Never So Good*, *Fathers and Sons*), the Donmar Warehouse (*The Late Middle Classes*), the Royal Court (*The Winterling*) and the West End.[9](https://www.whatsonstage.com/stage-names/robert-glenister/) Shakespeare roles include Hamlet at the Sheffield Crucible, a performance he counts among his worst experiences: one critic wrote that [Richard Briers](https://www.edgepedia.org/richard-briers)'s Hamlet had been described as being "like that of a demented typewriter" and that Glenister "runs a close second".[10](https://www.theguardian.com/lifeandstyle/2022/jul/23/robert-glenister-i-wish-i-wasnt-quite-as-arrogant-when-i-got-successful)
In 2017 he starred as Dave Moss in the West End revival of *Glengarry Glen Ross* opposite [Christian Slater](https://www.edgepedia.org/christian-slater); during a performance he passed out on stage, an incident he has called his most embarrassing moment.[4](https://www.irishnews.com/arts/2019/08/07/news/robert-glenister-on-brian-friel-hustle-and-working-with-brother-philip-one-day-1679268/) • [10](https://www.theguardian.com/lifeandstyle/2022/jul/23/robert-glenister-i-wish-i-wasnt-quite-as-arrogant-when-i-got-successful) Recent theater work includes the [Harold Pinter](https://www.edgepedia.org/harold-pinter) plays *Moonlight* and *Nightschool* at the Harold Pinter Theatre, *Alys Always* at the Bridge Theatre, and Sorin in Chekhov's *The Seagull* at the Harold Pinter Theatre in 2022.[4](https://www.irishnews.com/arts/2019/08/07/news/robert-glenister-on-brian-friel-hustle-and-working-with-brother-philip-one-day-1679268/) • [10](https://www.theguardian.com/lifeandstyle/2022/jul/23/robert-glenister-i-wish-i-wasnt-quite-as-arrogant-when-i-got-successful) • [6](https://www.imdb.com/name/nm0322563/)
In 2019 he took part in the annual Lughnasa FrielFest in Derry and Donegal, playing Teddy in a promenade staging of [Brian Friel](https://www.edgepedia.org/brian-friel)'s 1979 play *Faith Healer* alongside [Patrick Bergin](https://www.edgepedia.org/patrick-bergin) and Dearbhla Molloy. He had worked with Friel earlier in his career in the playwright's adaptation of Turgenev's *Fathers and Sons* at the National Theatre.[4](https://www.irishnews.com/arts/2019/08/07/news/robert-glenister-on-brian-friel-hustle-and-working-with-brother-philip-one-day-1679268/)
## Radio and collaboration with his brother
Although both Glenister brothers have had long careers, they acted together on screen only once by 2019, in a 2016 Radio 4 adaptation of [Sam Shepard](https://www.edgepedia.org/sam-shepard)'s *True West* directed by Robert's wife, Celia de Wolff.[4](https://www.irishnews.com/arts/2019/08/07/news/robert-glenister-on-brian-friel-hustle-and-working-with-brother-philip-one-day-1679268/) Glenister has continued to work in radio drama throughout his career.[1](https://youngtheatre.co.uk/archive/yt/patrons/robert_gleinister/)
## Personal life
Glenister's ex-wife is the actress [Amanda Redman](https://www.edgepedia.org/amanda-redman), with whom he has a daughter, Emily. He and his current wife, Celia Glenister, a radio drama producer and director, have a son, Thomas.[1](https://youngtheatre.co.uk/archive/yt/patrons/robert_gleinister/) In a 2022 interview he named his greatest achievement as simply "that I'm still here", and said he would change his early arrogance once he became successful.[10](https://www.theguardian.com/lifeandstyle/2022/jul/23/robert-glenister-i-wish-i-wasnt-quite-as-arrogant-when-i-got-successful)
## References
1. [Robert Glenister: A Patron of The Young Theatre, Young Theatre archive](https://youngtheatre.co.uk/archive/yt/patrons/robert_gleinister/)
2. [Robert Glenister, TVmaze](https://www.tvmaze.com/people/50840/robert-glenister)
3. [Robert Glenister - Actor, TV Insider](https://www.tvinsider.com/people/robert-glenister/)
4. [Robert Glenister on Brian Friel, Hustle and working with brother Philip, The Irish News (7 August 2019)](https://www.irishnews.com/arts/2019/08/07/news/robert-glenister-on-brian-friel-hustle-and-working-with-brother-philip-one-day-1679268/)
5. [Robert Glenister interview: 'Many men of a certain age feel let down by the system', Yahoo Entertainment](https://www.yahoo.com/entertainment/robert-glenister-interview-many-men-131500129.html)
6. [Robert Glenister, IMDb](https://www.imdb.com/name/nm0322563/)
7. [Robert Glenister: Filmographie, AlloCiné](https://www.allocine.fr/personne/fichepersonne-141194/filmographie/)
8. [Grace series four press pack, ITV Press Centre (May 2023)](https://www.itv.com/presscentre/print/pdf/node/16041)
9. [Who is Robert Glenister? Stage and screen credits, WhatsOnStage](https://www.whatsonstage.com/stage-names/robert-glenister/)
10. [Robert Glenister: 'I wish I wasn't quite as arrogant when I got successful', The Guardian (23 July 2022)](https://www.theguardian.com/lifeandstyle/2022/jul/23/robert-glenister-i-wish-i-wasnt-quite-as-arrogant-when-i-got-successful)
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*Topic: Encyclopedia › Arts and culture › Screen and stage › Film and television › Screen people and creators › Screen actors of the Anglosphere and Europe › English actors: 2000s onward › Surnames F to Gu*
*Initially written Sep 17, 2026 · Reviewed: Sep 17, 2026; Sep 30, 2026; Oct 25, 2026 · Edited: Oct 12, 2026; Oct 15, 2026; Oct 25, 2026 · Last review: Oct 25, 2026*
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