Ryan Hawley

Hawley, son of Christine and Steve, spent his childhood partly in Sheffield and partly in the UAE due to his parents' work, making him a Third Culture Kid.^[1]

In school, Hawley took A-Level Media Studies and took part in numerous school plays, subsequently realising his dream of becoming a film director was very difficult.^[1] Hawley went to university and trained to become an actor at The Royal Central School of Speech and Drama in London, England.^[2]

Hawley's acting career began in 2007, when he began to appear in a number of television series, films and stage productions. He made his television debut in the pilot of the American series Life Is Wild as Tim. In 2013, he appeared as Andy Thatcher in Devil's Pass, a Russian-British horror film.

In 2014, Hawley was cast in his most prominent role as Robert Sugden on the ITV soap opera Emmerdale, becoming the fourth actor to portray the character.

He has received critical acclaim for his portrayal and has been nominated for several awards, including "Best Villain" and "Best Actor" at The British Soap Awards.^[3]

In June 2019, it was announced that Hawley would be leaving Emmerdale after five years.^[4] His exit aired on 1 November of that year. In May 2025, Despite initially being reported as a guest stint, it was confirmed soon after that he was being reintroduced permanently.^[5]

In 2013, Hawley married Daisy Prestes de Oliveira.^[6] Together they have a son, born in 2021.^[7] They welcomed a second son together in 2023.

In 2025, he revealed he was living with his family in Brazil for about a year between 2023 and 2024, but moved back to the UK to resume his role in Emmerdale.^[8]