Robert Kazinsky’s early life and family
Robert Kazinsky was born in Haywards Heath on 18th November 1983 - under the name Robert John Appleby.
The son of Phyllis and Paul Appleby, Robert grew up in Brighton with his older brother, Michael.
He was educated at Hove Park School in Hove, from 1995-2000., although he was later expelled from both here and his college.
During his time at school, the budding actor appeared in their productions of Bugsy Malone and A Midsummer Night's Dream, and achieved a grade B in his drama GCSE in 2000.
Robert Kazinsky's heritage
Robert is Jewish, descended from immigrants from Poland and Russia. He took his grandfather's middle name - Kazinsky - as his stage name.
Basil Brush & Dream Team
Robert Kazinsky made his acting debut in 2005 during in an episode of the CBBC children's show The Basil Brush Show, playing a character named Sven Garley.
While there’s no denying that these were humble beginnings indeed, Robert’s talent was hard to deny - and he was soon snapped up for the role of Casper Rose in Sky One's Dream Team.
Robert starred in the football drama from late 2005 until 2006, when he was killed off towards the end of the ninth series.
Sean Slater & EastEnders
Sean first arrived in Walford on 22nd August in 2006, to take revenge on the man who caused him to lose his job in the Army.
But, while trailing his victim, Sean was suddenly distracted by the sight of his sister Stacey (Lacey Turner), whom he had lost contact with for seven years.
And history was made.
Rob said at the time: "I've grown up with EastEnders so I can't quite believe I'll soon be part of the Slater family."
And, when asked to describe his character’s personality, he said: “He’s a violent person with a violent disposition. He lashes out. He can’t differentiate between friend or foe and he won’t allow anyone to get close to him.
“He’s not naturally aggressive; he chooses to be because it gets a reaction. It’s a cry for help. The reason he challenges the alpha male characters in the Square is that he wants a father figure. He wants someone who can basically run him into the ground, then take him under his wing.
“He’s a nice guy, a good kid. He does the things he does because he just wants someone to help him. He’s a charming, affable guy when he wants to be. It’s just that you don’t cross him, ever.”
Despite his thuggish nature, Sean proved to be a hit with fans - particularly the female ones - and Rob quickly entered the Soap Hunk Hall of Fame.
He enjoyed some seriously meaty storylines during his time on the soap, which included burying Max Branning (Jake Stone) alive, being framed for the assault of Patrick Trueman (Rudolph Walker), and his VERY rocky relationship with Roxy Mitchell (Rita Simons).
Texting scandal
In January 2007, Robert was suspended from EastEnders for a period of two months, following allegations he had sent raunchy, inappropriate text messages to a model.
The character was temporarily written out of the soap, with a statement released by the BBC which explained: "Following the story in the Sunday People on 7 January 2007, EastEnders executive producer Diederick Santer has taken the decision to suspend Robert Kazinsky from early February for a period of two months.
“In addition, Robert Kazinsky would like to apologise for any offence caused to EastEnders' viewers and for bringing the show into disrepute."
Quitting EastEnders
In January 2008, it was revealed that Sean Slater would be written out of EastEnders due to Robert’s decision to quit the show.
Speaking about his decision, Robert said: “If I had done everything I wanted to do as an actor before I joined EastEnders I would have wanted to stay forever.
“I have really enjoyed my time with the show - it's such a wonderful place to work and it's become more like a second home to me. I'll be sad to leave."
The actor made his final appearance as Sean in January 2009, where he was seen escaping from an icy lake.
At the time, he told This Morning that he would not be pursuing his Hollywood dreams, insisting he would instead begin an apprenticeship as a mechanic.
He said: “With the writers' strike and the newly confirmed actors' strike, it's not the best time to go (To America).”
Robert Kazinsky on leaving EastEnders: ‘It was scary’
“It’s a scary thing to quit a show like EastEnders because it’s a hard thing to move on from, especially the age I was, 25. It was hard to give up a regular wage at a young age when I had a mortgage.
“At the same time I was a single guy, I had no commitments so if there was a time to do it, it was then.”
Red Tails & Pacific Rim
George Lucas offered Robert Kazinsky a part in his Second World War fighter film Red Tails - and, all of a sudden, Rob’s Hollywood dreams were back on the table.
In the film, Kazinsky played a "pilot who has to adapt to being among African-American comrades”. And it reawakened his passion for acting.
He told Yahoo: “It was never my actual intentional plan to [go to America].
“I did a movie called ‘Red Tails’, met a girl on it, and then moved to LA to be with her. And that was that, like two years later I was making movies.”
He added: “It wasn’t, you know, a quick transition for sure.
“But it’s been slowly and by increments. There was never a plan, there was never an ambition. There was never a worded dream. Just a dream that I didn’t dare to dream coming true.”
Rob went on to land a role in Guillermo del Toro's Pacific Rim… not to mention an AWESOME part in True Blood.
True Blood
Robert Kazinsky really made is name in the states when he landed a role in HBO’s True Blood.
In the show, he played a faerie-vampire hybrid named Ben (aka Macklyn Warlow), with a strong attraction to Anna Paquin's character, Sookie.
His character, despite vain a seriously dark side, proved to be a hit with fans, and was the main antagonist of the series' sixth season.
But, as always, evil doesn’t pay, and Ben met an untimely demise in the episode Radioactive.
Robert Kazinsky on getting naked: ‘It’s pretty damn terrifying’
When Robert Kazinsky starred in HBO’s True Blood, he was forced to strip off and get naked - a lot.
And, despite rocking a pretty awesome bod, Rob admitted he was more than a little shy about getting his kit off.
He told The Mirror: “I have never had to be naked before and it was only embarrassing for me because everybody else was so accustomed to it after six seasons. But for me it was pretty damn terrifying.
“No one cared apart from me. They were like, just take your clothes off, now, we are running out of time. But it was absolutely jaw-dropping and terrifying. And it came out OK, I hope."
“You get given a day’s notice and I was up all night stressing about it and how bad I am going to look next to Joe. I am a redhead and very pale and in a stark moonlight I do glow. I have a glowing ass.
“It is weird looking at yourself in that situation on screen too. It is not something people usually do.
“But everyone is so friendly and treats it as just a scene. You essentially remove your ego then your clothing and as the shame begins, the ego drops off.”
Second Chance
Robert Kazinsky has been busy promoting his role in Second Chance, Fox’s new sci-fi/crime drama hybrid.
The show follows the story of Jimmy Pritchard, a frail old man living out his final years in disgrace after a corruption scandal ended his law-enforcement career.
But, just as you may have guessed from the title, Jimmy gets a second chance at life.
When two modern-day Dr Frankensteins give him a full makeover, Jimmy finds himself in a young, muscular, and VERY attractive body.
Will Robert Kazinsky’s character use his super-human strength for good or for evil? And will he make the most of his ‘second chance’?
Robert Kazinsky on overcoming debilitating injuries: ‘I was never the same afterwards’
Even though he’s only in his 30s, Robert has been through the wars - and recently revealed that an injury left him unable to walk and in a great deal of pain.
Speaking to Star Telegram, he said: “I’ve had some fairly severe injuries which have kept me unable to walk for months and months at a time.
“When you get a serious injury, you’re never the same afterward. That’s the worst thing. You can never run as fast after you’ve blown out a knee.
“As you get older, there’s a slow breaking-down process.
“It’s horrible and, unfortunately, it’s an inevitable part of life.”
Rumoured EastEnders return: Will Robert Kazinsky return as Sean Slater?
Fans have been speculating that Sean Slater could be the secret son of Kat Moon - but would RObert Kazinsky ever return to EastEnders?
Well, speaking back in 2013, the actor did predict that Sean could one day make a comeback to Albert Square.
"My good friend Dominic [Treadwell-Collins] did just take over running it and so I am pretty sure he will ask me to come back at some point.
“At the minute, it is not viable that I could come back for any length of time because I don't live in this country and I don't particularly want to pay tax here.
"I live in America and I have done for five years, but never say never," he commented to the Belfast Telegraph.
He also said that he would love to return if his character’s former lover, Roxy Mitchell, was ever written out of the soap.
Talking to Digital Spy he said, "I've always said that whatever happens if Rita ever leaves, I want to be in her exit storyline...
“I’d love to do that."
Robert Kazinsky on dating: ‘I’m looking for a woman with a brain!’
Robert famously dated Britain’s Got Talent judge Alesha Dixon at one point, but is currently single.
He told the Belfast Telegraph: "I'm married to my job. I'm obsessed with my work and I run myself into the ground every single day.
“Unfortunately a lot of other pursuits have to take a back seat.”
He did, however, reveal to The Mirror exactly what he’s looking for in his dream woman.
“Intelligence, sense of humour is vitally important,” the talented actor said.
“If you have that it’s probably game on. Not having those two makes even the world’s most beautiful woman really dull.”
Warcraft stardom
Robert Kazinsky is currently promoting his next big movie, Warcraft.
Based on the popular World of Warcraft games, Rob is set to play an orc named Orgrim in Duncan Jones’ movie adaptation.
And it seems as if it’s a movie he’s VERY passionate about, as he once tweeted that he is a longtime WoW player, with 463 days /played and several max level characters.
The actor also let slip that his love of the game once caused a girlfriend to dump him.
“It would all be really really sad and pathetic if I wasn’t doing this movie, which has totally made it OK,”he joked at Comic Con.
“She left me because of Warcraft. And now I’m like, ‘Well, psht, who won this round?'”
It honestly looks as if Rob is going to win big time, as a teaser of the film was met with a HUGELY positive response at Comic Con.
And, while Rob may be unrecognisable as Orgrim, we predict its the beginning of bigger and better things for the English thespian.
Are you a big fan of Robert Kazinsky? Follow him on Twitter over at @RobertKazinsky now!