Robert Pugh was born on 3 November 1948 in Tyntetown, Wales. He was raised by his grandmother in South Wales and developed an early interest in acting.

He trained at the Rose Bruford College, which helped launch his professional acting career. He began working in theatre before moving into television and film roles across the UK.

Pugh built a strong reputation as a character actor, appearing in productions such as Casualty, The Bill, and later internationally recognised series including Game of Thrones.

He also worked as a narrator on The Repair Shop, voicing the programme for series 2–4 when it aired on BBC Two and BBC One.

After his narration role, he continued acting in television and film, maintaining a steady presence in British drama while keeping his personal life relatively private.