Robert Bruce

Robert Bruce (3 November 1943 – 2 March 2009), born John Charles Young, was a Scottish-born professional wrestler and talent agent in Auckland, New Zealand.

Biography Bruce was born in Musselburgh, near Edinburgh in Scotland. He was born John Charles Young, but adopted the stage name of Robert the Bruce, later shortened to Robert Bruce, and kept the name when he quit wrestling. In the ring he played the quintessential villain who prefaced every low blow with an evil smirk, once saying "Honestly, it's better being a bad guy. I suppose it's the underlying evil you may have. You get a lot more fun."

He began wrestling in London in 1967, and toured the United Kingdom, South Africa, Japan, Australia, New Zealand and Fiji, eventually settling in New Zealand in the 1970s after wrestling John da Silva there for the Commonwealth championship in 1972. He held the Commonwealth Heavyweight Title on and off over a five-year period, and wrestled for the World Title. In 1972, he had a small role as one of the bouncers in the Korova Milk Bar in the film A Clockwork Orange.

Bruce retired from wrestling due to injuries to his back and elbows, and decided to form a talent agency in 1978 when he realised that there was no such company in New Zealand. The Robert Bruce Agency was nicknamed the "Ugly Bruce" agency, as Bruce claimed his first clients were his former wrestling friends seeking roles as ugly people, thugs or stuntmen. His later clients included well-known New Zealand actors such as Cliff Curtis, the late Kevin Smith, Robbie Magasiva, Frankie Stevens, Jackie Clarke and Temuera Morrison. He was an animal lover, and was a vice-patron of the Royal New Zealand Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals.

Bruce died suddenly and unexpectedly after a short illness on 2 March 2009; his age at the time of his death was reported as unknown by some sources,