Personal details
Born:
- Birthday: 1976-09-23
- Born Place: Stockport, Greater Manchester, UK
Also Known As:
Rob James-Collier, Роберт Джеймс-Колльер
Robert James-Collier
Robert James‑Collier (born 23 September 1976 in Salford, Greater Manchester) is a British actor best known for his compelling portrayal of Thomas Barrow in Downton Abbey and its three subsequent films, including The Grand Finale (2025). Originally on track for a business career—with a bachelor’s in business from Huddersfield and a master’s in marketing from Manchester—he discovered acting almost by chance, filling in for an absentee actor in a student film and soon leaving the corporate world behind. He debuted in TV in 2005 (Perfect Day, Down to Earth), then became a household name as Liam Connor on Coronation Street (2006–2008), earning awards like Inside Soap’s “Sexiest Male” and a British Soap Award for “Best Exit” . His breakthrough role came in 2010 as the scheming, conflicted footman Thomas Barrow—a role that spanned six seasons and earned him multiple Screen Actors Guild Ensemble Awards. He reprised Barrow in the 2019, 2022, and 2025 Downton Abbey films. Beyond Downton, James‑Collier has diversified his career: he starred in ITV’s The Level (2016), British horror The Ritual (2017—praised for its “fierce screen presence” by The Guardian), Ackley Bridge, Fate: The Winx Saga, and Channel 5’s thriller The Inheritance (2023). Despite fame, he continues to describe acting as “a struggle,” pushing to avoid typecasting. Away from acting, he is married to Lauren Chandiram, with whom he has a son, and in 2014 ran the London Marathon in support of the Chilterns MS Centre . With his return as Thomas in The Grand Finale, James‑Collier continues to exhibit the emotional depth and versatility that define his career.
