Sir Tony Robinson - ‘I learned comedy as a defence mechanism’

Recorded with a live audience in Cambridge, this captivating conversation delves deep into the life and career of a cultural force of the last half-century. Known of course for his iconic role as Baldrick in Blackadder, Sir Tony's sharp intelligence and dry humour have had a formative influence on generations.

In this candid discussion, he opens up about the unexpected turns and profound challenges that have shaped his extraordinary journey as an actor, presenter, documentary maker and writer.

You'll hear his deeply personal reflections on fatherhood, insights into the creative process behind his recently announced novel, and the powerful lessons learned from a lifetime of experiences, both public and private.

Prepare for an engaging, wise, and moving conversation that explores the transformative power of vulnerability and the importance of finding meaningful connection. This is a unique opportunity to hear a national treasure like never before.

✨ IN THIS EPISODE:

00:00 Intro

00:45 Tony Robinson's Early Life and Career

03:13 Fatherhood and Family

04:55 Writing and Publishing a Novel

10:50 The Impact of Blackadder

13:16 Challenges and Conflicts in Blackadder

16:33 Height and Personal Insecurities

20:42 Childhood and Adolescence Struggles

22:41 Growing Up in the Shadow of WWII

24:49 The Ups and Downs of Gambling

27:28 Early Career and Poker Lessons

29:29 Child Actor Earnings and Capitalism

34:23 Dealing with Alzheimer's in the Family

37:03 Reflecting on Personal Failures

44:56 Finding Meaningful Relationships

💬 QUOTES TO REMEMBER:

“The trick is to minimise when you’re losing.”

“If someone gouges the oak tree when it's young, it's almost obscene. When you look at it, it's horrible. But gradually, as the oak grows older and wider and bigger, and the bark becomes more twisted and more sophisticated, that gouge becomes not only a thing of beauty, but probably the most beautiful and defining thing about that oak tree."

🔗 LINKS + MENTIONS:

Sir Tony’s new book: The House of Wolf

Elizabeth’s upcoming one-off show at Cadogan Hall on 21 Sep for her new novel One of Us: ⁠⁠https://www.fane.co.uk/elizabeth-day⁠

Elizabeth’s Substack: ⁠https://theelizabethday.substack.com/⁠

Join the How To Fail community: ⁠https://howtofail.supportingcast.fm/#content

📚 WANT MORE?

Stephen Merchant, on height, stand-up and turning 50 https://listen.sonymusic-podcasts.link/ighNsQn7

Richard Osman, on professional failure, food addiction and his fear of joining in https://link.chtbl.com/oo_ct3h3

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Website: ⁠www.elizabethday.org⁠

Substack: https://theelizabethday.substack.com/

Elizabeth and Sir Tony Robinson answer YOUR questions live in Cambridge in our subscriber series, Failing with Friends. Join our community of subscribers here: ⁠howtofailpod.com⁠

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Production & Post Production Coordinator: Eric Ryan

Live Show Engineer: Will Kontargyris

Sound Engineer: Matias Torres

Assistant Producer: Suhaar Ali

Senior Producer: Hannah Talbot

Executive Producer: Carly Maile

How to Fail is an Elizabeth Day and Sony Music Entertainment Production.

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