CSI: crime scene investigation

“Dr Albert Robbins” (Robert David Hall)

Born to a single mother in an era when everyone came from a two-parent household, Albert Robbins spent his life as an underdog. Spurned by his peers, he took solace in books from an early age, discovering an aptitude for academia. His mother worked as a nurse, so Robbins spent most nights in the local hospital. The doctors and nurses unofficially adopted him, and they not only gave him free reign of the premises, they allowed him to assist in any number of activities the chronically short-handed facility required. From stocking shelves as a ten-year-old to assisting in simple surgeries as a teenager, Robbins knew more about the hospital than some of the doctors who worked there.

After completing his residency at Johns Hopkins, Al Robbins opened a clinic in the then-run-down inner harbor area of Baltimore. He worked as a general practitioner for twenty years before the chronic budget shortfalls and the predatory practices of the newly powerful HMOs forced him to close the clinic’s doors. Strictly out of academic curiosity, he became an Assistant Coroner for the Arlington, Virgina police department, where he worked his way up to Coroner in two years.

Many years of fighting the good fight eventually left him drained, and after shifting into what felt like a natural career change for him (medicine is all about life and death), he and his wife and their three children packed up and moved to Las Vegas. He’s free to pursue his own interests, both at work and at home, and that’s the way he likes it right now. His medical career has somewhat followed the path he envisioned for himself, but his personal life has far exceeded his wildest expectations. His wife and children have replaced books as the center of his life, and nothing will ever change that.

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After 20 years in the business, veteran character actor Robert David Hall is equally at home in film and television.

It was his role as a burn survivor in Michael Apted's Class Action (starring Gene Hackman and Lawrence Fishburne) that closely parallels his life.  In 1978, an 18-wheel truck struck Hall's car.  He was severely burned when his gas tank exploded, leading to the amputation of both legs.  Today, Hall walks comfortably on two artificial legs.

In 1998, he won the Harold Russell Award from the Media Access Office, presented to the actor who serves as a role model for other disabled peers. In addition to serving with other national organizations, he also serves on the Board of the Directors of the National

Organization on Disability, and recently completed his term as a National Board Member of the Screen Actors Guild, marking the first time in the history of the union that an actor with a physical disability has served on the board.

On March 23, 2005, he had the honor of giving the closing remarks at the presentation of the Franklin Delano Roosevelt International Disability Award for the year 2004, to King Abdullah II of Jordan at the United Nations General Assembly.

 His appearance in Class Action led to television guest-starring roles in Brooklyn South, Touched by An Angel, L.A. Law, and The West Wing. He also appeared in the role of "Samson" in the TNT Emmy-winning mini-series Andersonville, directed by John Frankenheimer. Hall's additional feature work has included roles in The Negotiator, starring Kevin Spacey and Samuel L. Jackson, and the Recruiting Sergeant in StarshipTroopers.

In demand as a public speaker, Hall spends time speaking to various organizations including the Youth Leadership Forum for Students with Disabilities, the Amputee Coalition of America and World Burn Congress.                                                                                                                                    

In addition to acting, Hall is a voice-over talent, and can be heard in many national spots.

He also has a keen interest in music. He plays guitar and, in the past, has sung in several bands.  For more than four years, he was the daytime voice and music director of KNX-FM, formerly a legendary CBS alternative music station in Los Angeles.

Hall, who was graduated from UCLA, is a husband and father of an adult son (Andrew). Hall was born in East Orange, NJ. He and his wife Judith live in the Los Angeles area. His birth date is November 9.