Page "Andrew Robinson (actor)" Paragraph 4

Robinson's first feature film role was in 1971's Dirty Harry.

Don Siegel, the film's director, and Clint Eastwood picked Robinson for the role after seeing him in a production of Fyodor Dostoevsky's The Idiot.

Robinson was cast as the Scorpio Killer, the antagonist of the film.

The Scorpio Killer was heavily based on the contemporary, real life Zodiac Killer, and Robinson integrated many known aspects of that serial killer's personality into his acting, such as a disturbed sense of humour and a sadistic inclination to taunt his pursuers.

In the film, his character murders several young women, a young boy and a police officer, and takes hostage a school bus full of young children.

His portrayal was so convincing that he received death threats after the film's release.

Director Don Siegel noted that he cast Robinson because he had the face of " a choir boy.