Robert Llewellyn
A versatile British performer who brought meticulous physical comedy to a beloved sci-fi droid, then channeled his geeky passion into championing electric vehicles.
Born 1956 (age 70)·British actor·Birthday: March 10·Baby Boomers
Biography
To millions, Robert Llewellyn is Kryten, the fussy, guilt-ridden service mechanoid from the cult sci-fi sitcom 'Red Dwarf.' He didn't create the character but inherited it in the show's third season, imprinting it with a uniquely stiff-limbed physicality and a voice of wheedling logic that made the robot a fan favorite for decades. His career, however, stretches far beyond the confines of the mining ship. A founding member of the anarchic comedy group 'The Joeys' and a skilled writer, he has authored novels and stage shows. In the 2000s, he leveraged a different kind of enthusiasm as the host of 'Scrapheap Challenge,' where teams built bizarre machines from junk. That hands-on engineering curiosity evolved into his later life's work: a passionate advocacy for sustainable technology. Through his YouTube channel 'Fully Charged' and its expansion into global 'Everything Electric' expos, he became a leading, accessible voice in the electric vehicle and renewable energy conversation.
Baby Boomers
1946–1964
The largest generation in history at the time. Shaped by postwar prosperity, the Vietnam War, the sexual revolution, and Watergate. They questioned every institution their parents built — then ran them.
Robert was born in 1956, placing them squarely in the Baby Boomers. The events that shaped this generation — postwar prosperity, civil rights, Vietnam, and the counterculture — shaped the world they entered and the choices available to them.
#1 When Robert Was Born
The biggest hits of 1956
#1 Movie
The Ten Commandments
Best Picture
Around the World in 80 Days
#1 TV Show
I Love Lucy
Robert's Life & Times
The world at every milestone
1956Born
Elvis Presley appears on The Ed Sullivan Show
Gas: $0.30/galHome: $10,050Min wage: $1.00/hrPresident: Dwight D. Eisenhower"Heartbreak Hotel" — Elvis PresleyBest Picture: Around the World in 80 Days
1961Started school
Yuri Gagarin becomes the first human in space
Gas: $0.31/galHome: $12,500Min wage: $1.15/hrPresident: John F. Kennedy"Tossin' and Turnin'" — Bobby LewisBest Picture: West Side Story
1969Became a teenager
Apollo 11: humans walk on the Moon; Woodstock festival
Gas: $0.35/galHome: $15,550Min wage: $1.60/hrPresident: Richard Nixon"Sugar, Sugar" — The ArchiesBest Picture: Midnight Cowboy
1972Could drive
Watergate break-in; last Apollo Moon mission
Gas: $0.36/galHome: $19,550Min wage: $1.60/hrPresident: Richard Nixon"The First Time Ever I Saw Your Face" — Roberta FlackBest Picture: The Godfather
1974Could vote
Nixon resigns the presidency
Gas: $0.53/galHome: $22,600Min wage: $2.00/hrPresident: Gerald Ford"The Way We Were" — Barbra StreisandBest Picture: The Godfather Part II
1977Turned 21
Star Wars premieres; Elvis dies
Gas: $0.62/galHome: $31,800Min wage: $2.30/hrPresident: Jimmy Carter"Tonight's the Night" — Rod StewartBest Picture: Annie Hall
1986Turned 30
Challenger disaster; Chernobyl nuclear meltdown
Gas: $0.86/galHome: $66,600Min wage: $3.35/hrPresident: Ronald Reagan"That's What Friends Are For" — Dionne & FriendsBest Picture: Platoon
1996Turned 40
Dolly the sheep cloned
Gas: $1.23/galHome: $99,700Min wage: $4.75/hrPresident: Bill Clinton"Macarena" — Los del RioBest Picture: The English Patient
2006Turned 50
Twitter launches; Pluto reclassified as dwarf planet
Gas: $2.59/galHome: $174,700Min wage: $5.15/hrPresident: George W. Bush"Bad Day" — Daniel PowterBest Picture: The Departed
2016Turned 60
Donald Trump elected president; Brexit vote
Gas: $2.14/galHome: $181,700Min wage: $7.25/hrPresident: Barack Obama"Love Yourself" — Justin BieberBest Picture: Moonlight
2026Turned 70
Gas: $3.91/galPresident: Donald Trump
Key Achievements
- Portrayed the mechanoid Kryten in the long-running sci-fi comedy series 'Red Dwarf' from 1989 onwards.
- Created and hosted the popular YouTube channel and later global event series 'Fully Charged' (now 'Everything Electric'), focusing on electric vehicles and clean energy.
- Presented the engineering competition show 'Scrapheap Challenge' for many of its original UK series runs.
Did You Know?
Before acting, he worked as a welder and a makeup artist.
He wrote and performed a one-man stage show about the inventor Nikola Tesla.
Llewellyn is a dedicated electric vehicle owner and advocate, often detailing his experiences with them.
He provided the voice for the robot 'D.A.V.E.' in the video game 'Killer7.'
““I'm not an environmentalist, I'm not a tree hugger, I'm just a bloke who likes cars and technology.””
