Robert Carlyle OBE (born April 14, 1961) is an acclaimed Scottish film actor known for his performances as psychopaths or killers.

Robert Carlyle was raised in Maryhill, Glasgow, Scotland, by his father Joseph, after his mother left him when he was only four. At the age of 21, after reading Arthur Miller (I)'s "The Crucible," he enrolled in acting classes at the Glasgow Arts Centre. In 1991, together with four other actors, he founded the Raindog theatre company (named after Tom Waits' album "Rain Dog," one of Carlyle's favorites), a company dedicated to innovative work.