After almost two decades working as an actor, Robbins stepped behind the camera and made his directorial debut with the independent drama The Sublime and Beautiful, which premiered at the Slamdance Film Festival. His second feature as director, the modern-day western The Scent of Rain and Lightning starring Maika Monroe, received critical acclaim.
Early life
Robbins was born in Karamürsel, Turkey, where his father served in the United States Navy.[1] Robbins has one brother. His parents divorced when he was little and his mother remarried. Robbins had a strong connection with his stepfather, who passed away in April 2013. Robbins's biological father along with his brother struggled with alcoholism.[2] After earning a degree in Business Marketing, Robbins attended the American Academy of Dramatic Arts in New York City.[1] Soon after, he began to perform on Broadway, working also as an acting coach for a while.[3] Robbins currently resides in Los Angeles.[4]
Robbins made his directorial debut with the independent drama The Sublime and Beautiful, which he also wrote and stars in as David Conrad, a father who loses his children in a car accident.[7] Shot in only 12 days on a budget of $30,000,[8] the film premiered at the 2014 Slamdance Film Festival.[7] Writing for Variety, film critic Ronnie Scheib stated that Robbins "brings nothing new to Hollywood's dead-children genre".[9]
Robbins directed his second film, The Scent of Rain and Lightning, starring Maika Monroe. Based on the 2010 novel of the same name by Nancy Pickard, the story centers on Jody Linder (Monroe), a young woman who finds out the man responsible for murdering her parents has been released from prison.[10][11] Having its world premiere at the Atlanta Film Festival,[12] the film garnered a positive reception from critics; in his review for The Hollywood Reporter, Frank Scheck opined that it was "a well-acted, intelligent thriller".[13]
Filmography
Film
†
Denotes productions that have not yet been released
