Remembering Rob Knox

We recently wrote about the memorial bench dedicated to Harry Potter actor Rob Knox, who was murdered in 2008 while protecting his younger brother. Rob portrayed Ravenclaw student Marcus Belby in Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince and died only four days after completing his time on the Potter set.

In reading about the National Citizen Service group of teens who were inspired by Rob’s story, we decided to learn more about the Rob Knox Foundation in hopes that today, on what would have been Rob’s 26th birthday, we could also inspire others while keeping his memory alive. His parents give a personal glimpse at who Rob was via the foundation’s website:

Rob was a typical teenager with a great sense of humour; he loved to spend time with his large circle of friends who often looked to him to organize their nights out. Rob had many attributes[:] he was loving, caring, thoughtful, generous and kind, to name but a few. He also had a strong belief in doing the right thing, always putting others before himself. A prime example of this was the bravery he had shown when helping catch two men who assaulted someone whilst he was working for Marks and Spencer in Bluewater Shopping Centre. Rob received a posthumous merit award from Kent Police for outstanding professional conduct.

The Rob Knox Foundation is more than simply a way to remember a young man taken too soon from those who loved him. The aim for the organization is to make a positive impact in the lives of young people while raising awareness and preventing street violence and knife crime. His parents, Sally and Colin, have continued to tell Rob’s story by visiting schools, youth groups, young offenders in institutions, and various groups throughout the UK. The couple facilitate conversations that focus on the choices a young person can make to remain safe and to ensure a violence-free future.

A film festival is also held in Rob’s honor, dedicated to supporting and showcasing those who are pursuing their dreams of working within the film industry, just as Rob did.

He loved sport, rugby and martial arts, but from a young age his main ambition was to pursue his dream of becoming an actor. His first break came in 2003 when he applied to a newspaper advert, winning the chance to appear in Channel Four’s ‘Trust me I’m A Teenager’. He also went on to appear in Junior Master Chef, The Bill, the 2004 film King Arthur, and alongside actor Nicholas Lyndhurst in the BBC sitcom After You’ve Gone.

As we wish peace and comfort to Rob’s family today, we are reminded of Dumbledore’s words in Goblet of Fire as he leads the students and staff of Hogwarts in honoring Cedric’s memory.

He was a good and loyal friend, a hard worker, he valued fair play. His death has affected you all, whether you knew him well or not. Remember Cedric. Remember, if the time should come when you have to make a choice between what is right and what is easy, remember what happened to a boy who was good, and kind, and brave … Remember Cedric Diggory.

These words seem to capture Rob – how he lived and how he died. While Rob never got to see himself on screen in the sixth Harry Potter film, we continue to remember him and we raise our wands in his memory.

To learn more about Rob’s story or how you can get involved with his foundation, visit the website here.