Rob Kazinsky

Robert John Appleby, known professionally as Rob Kazinsky, was born on November 18, 1983, in Haywards Heath, Sussex, England, and grew up in Brighton. He developed an early interest in acting, studying theatre at the Guildford School of Acting from 2002 to 2005, where he graduated with full honors. His acting career began with a guest role in the CBBC children’s program The Basil Brush Show in 2005. This was followed by a more significant role as Casper Rose in the Sky One football drama series Dream Team from late 2005 to 2006, where his character became notably popular among viewers.

Kazinsky gained widespread recognition for his portrayal of Sean Slater in the BBC soap opera EastEnders, joining the cast in 2006. His performance earned him a significant following and critical acclaim, including seven awards from 23 nominations, such as two Best Actor Awards. He departed the show in 2009 but made several guest appearances in 2019, 2021, and 2022. Transitioning to Hollywood, Kazinsky secured a role in George Lucas’s World War II film Red Tails in 2012. He was initially cast as Fili in Peter Jackson’s The Hobbit: An Unexpected Journey (2012) but later withdrew due to personal reasons. In 2013, he appeared in the sixth season of HBO’s True Blood as Macklyn Warlow.

His career continued to expand with major film roles, including Chuck Hansen in Guillermo del Toro’s science-fiction monster film Pacific Rim (2013) and Orgrim Doomhammer (voice) in the fantasy adventure film Warcraft (2016). Kazinsky also took on a leading role in the Fox television series Second Chance (2016), playing Jimmy Pritchard. Further notable appearances include Randy in Hot Pursuit (2015), Rob in Mute (2018), Mark in For Love or Money (2019), and a cameo as Biker (The Don) in the Marvel Cinematic Universe film Captain Marvel (2019). More recently, he appeared as Perini in The Gray Man (2022) and is slated for upcoming projects like Star Trek: Section 31 (2025) and Maigret (2025).