- At 6'5", he is the tallest actor ever to have won an Oscar. The tallest actor ever nominated was James Cromwell at 6'7".
- After the September 11 attacks, he tried to fly out of New York City to be with Susan Sarandon and their children in Hollywood. Upon finding out that all flights were grounded, he and a friend drove from New York City to Los Angeles in a 56-hour trip that began on the morning of September 12, 2001.
- During an interview with Charlie Rose regarding the 10-year anniversary of The Shawshank Redemption (1994), he said he regarded that film, Bull Durham (1988), Dead Man Walking (1995), and Mystic River (2003) as the highlights of his career so far.
- Lived with Susan Sarandon from 1988 to 2009. They have two sons.
- He has appeared in two films that have been selected for the National Film Registry by the Library of Congress as being "culturally, historically or aesthetically" significant: Top Gun (1986) and The Shawshank Redemption (1994).
- Revealed on The Colbert Report (2005) that of all the movies he's made, Bull Durham (1988) is his favorite.
- Apparently "discovered" Jack Black, having given him his first film role in Bob Roberts (1992). The two remain good friends today and he has appeared in 3 films with him.
- Admits that he only did Howard the Duck (1986) for the money.
- Is good friends with John Cusack, in addition to being his co-star in six films: Bob Roberts (1992), Cradle Will Rock (1999), High Fidelity (2000), The Player (1992), The Sure Thing (1985), and Tapeheads (1988).
- Directed two actors in Oscar nominated performances: Susan Sarandon and Sean Penn. Sarandon won the award for her performance in Dead Man Walking (1995).
- Was kicked off his high school hockey team for fighting.
- Son of musician Gil Robbins and actress Mary Robbins. His father was a member of the folk-music group The Highwaymen.
- Has a brother, David Robbins and sister Adele Robbins.
- By age 12, he was already a member of the Theater for the New City, an avant-garde acting troupe.
- Graduated with honors from UCLA with a degree in Drama (1981).
- His favorite movie is the Akira Kurosawa masterpiece Seven Samurai (1954).
- Called for Hollywood boycott of Elizabeth Hurley and Proctor & Gamble products in 2000 after she crossed a picket line to make a commercial for a P&G product. At a pro-union rally in New York he said, "We're bringing her [Hurley] to trial after this is over. She won't get away with it!" Apparently she did "get away with it" whatever "it" was, since nothing came to pass in the intervening seven years.
- Despite his reputation as a ultra-liberal activist (which has frequently led him to be the target of Republican criticism), Robbins has donated significant amounts of money to Republican, as well as Democratic, candidates for public office. This includes $500.00 he gave to the ultimately successful 2006 U.S. congressional campaign of Michele Bachmann, R-MN, who is a prominent and vocal far-right opponent of nearly every Democratic and liberal proposal and policy.
- As co-presenters of the Academy Awards in 1993, he and his former partner, Susan Sarandon, seized a chance to bring public attention to the plight of a few hundred Haitians with AIDS who had been interned in Guantánamo Bay.
- Has played in the Heroes of Hockey game at the National Hockey League's All-Star Game.
- He was awarded a Star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame at 6801 Hollywood Boulevard in Hollywood, California on October 10, 2008.
- Considers himself the worlds biggest New York Rangers fan. He claims to own every highlight video released of their 1994 Stanley Cup Championship season. He is also a big New York Mets fan.
- Father, with Susan Sarandon, of Jack Henry Robbins (born May 15, 1989) and Miles Robbins (born May 4, 1992).
- A longtime Green Party member (along with partner Susan Sarandon), he was repeatedly criticized by other Hollywood stars for voting for Ralph Nader in the controversial 2000 election. He wrote a small essay about why he made the choice in the August 6, 2001 edition of "The Nation", a monthly progressive magazine. (August 2001)
- Played in the Boston Bruins Legends Classic Hockey Game (January 2010).
- Attended anti-war rally in London on February 15, 2003.
- He has English, one eighth Norwegian, Scots-Irish/Northern Irish, Scottish, German, French/French-Canadian, and distant Dutch, ancestry.
- Serves as the artistic director and member of the board of directors of the Actors' Gang theater company.
- Was in attendance at Chris Penn's funeral.
- Was considered for the role of Dr. Doom in Fantastic Four (2005) and Eddie Darko in Donnie Darko (2001).
- Ranked #60 in Empire (UK) magazine's "The Top 100 Movie Stars of All Time" list. (October 1997)
- Was considered for the role of Charles Van Doren in Quiz Show (1994), when Steven Soderbergh was offered the opportunity to direct it.
- LA Weekly cover story detailed his struggle taking creative control of the Actors' Gang, the theater company he founded in 1981. Many longtime members of the group left the company during the controversy. (August 2001)
- Chosen by Empire magazine as one of the 100 Sexiest Stars in film history (#94). (1995)
- He is in Mar del Plata (Argentina) in a cinema festival with Susan Sarandon. (March 2006)
Contribute to this page
Suggest an edit or add missing content