In Memory of Rob Knox (Marcus Belby)
Aug 22, 2015
HP Cast
Yesterday (21st August) marked what would have been Robert Knox (Marcus Belby)’s birthday. The eighteen year old actor was tragically killed on 24th May 2008, reportedly trying to protect his brother from a violent incident involving a stabbing.
According to a statement by his parents in The Telegraph Rob was:
“kind and thoughtful and would always help out others – he would always spend his last penny on other people instead of himself. The life and soul of the party, he was very outgoing, loved sports, and would always strike up a conversation with people. He was respectful to others and adored by all his family and friends. He was an asset to the family.”
His role as Marcus Belby in Harry Potter and The Half Blood Prince kickstarted his acting career, and Knox was also due to appear in Harry Potter and The Deathly Hallows.
Following his death, a concert for Rob was held at St. John the Evangelist Church on 2nd May 2009, The Bexley Film Festival also changed their name to The Rob Knox Film Festival to pay tribute to him.
At the premiere of Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince, the cast and crew wore white wristbands as tribute (below), and various cast members attended his funeral.
Emma Watson and Daniel Radcliffe wearing white ribbons at ‘Harry Potter and the Half Blood Prince’ premiere in 2009
Mugglenet has also recently reported on a church bench dedicated to the memory of Robert Knox, fundraised by a group of teens from the National Citizen Service. The article included a quote from Sally Knox, Rob’s mother:
“They were just so moved by Rob’s story, and it made them really think about the choices they make…I was nearly crying when they told me. It’s just amazing because when Rob first died we did some enquiries, but this is the first time I have been able to secure something like that in Rob’s memory… It’s a lovely place to sit and remember him.”
Sally and Collin Knox – Rob’s parents – also set up The Rob Knox Foundation , dedicated to not only remembering their son, but also preventing street violence and knife crime through educational talks. The Foundation’s website states that talks are given in schools, groups and institutions across the U.K. to raise awareness of street violence:
“The talks are based on Robs story and what happened to him with dicussions around what choices young people can make to keep safe and what they can do to to stop this happening in the future.”
Join us as we raise our wands to Rob’s memory, and visit The Rob Knox Foundation’s website here to see how you can help to prevent tragedies like this from happening in the future!
