Overview
- Karl Davis portrayed Robert Sugden from 2001 to 2005, with a one-off return in 2009 for his father’s funeral.
- Ryan Hawley has played Robert since 2014 after the role was recast by Emmerdale.
- Davis said in 2016 that he has not watched the newer portrayal and noted, "It's not my role anymore."
- He has described being confronted by viewers over controversial plots, including being scolded in public and once hit with a handbag.
- Since leaving the soap, Davis has appeared in series including Game of Thrones and Happy Valley, and in September 2025 it was reported he was cast in Waterloo Road as Tony Walters.