Rob Knox true story: what happened to Marcus Belby actor in Harry Potter series, who killed him, cause of death

(K)Nox: The Rob Knox Story is a new documentary coming to ITVX this week which follows the fallout when a British actor is killed days after filming what may have become their big break.

Robert Knox, known as Rob, had just wrapped filming on his first major film, 2009 blockbuster Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince, which went on to make £934 million at the box office (it as the second-highest grossing film of the year behind only Avatar).

The one-off special documentary follows Knox’s family as they navigate life in the wake of their son’s death, the toxic role of the British media in the family’s grief, and the worrying trend of youth violence.

Those who feature in the documentary include Knox’s co-stars Tom Felton and Jim Broadbent, actor Ray Winstone, and Rob’s brother Jamie, who was there when Rob was killed.

What happened to Rob Knox?

Knox had his first screen role appearing in the fantasy film King Arthur in an uncredited role - he also appeared in two episodes of comedy series After You’ve Gone alongside Nicholas Lyndhurst, and in the short film Employee of the Dead.

He played Marcus Belby in the sixth instalment of the Harry Potter franchise, The Half-Blood Prince - the film was released in July 2009 more than a year after his death. Knox was stabbed to death by Karl Bishop in a bar brawl in Sidcup, London in May 2008, aged 18.

Knox had intervened in an altercation between his younger brother, Jamie, and Bishop who was threatening him with a knife. Bishop stabbed Knox five times, killing him. It was reported that the killing was revenge for a fight between Bishop and Knox that had occurred previously, with Bishop losing. The murder took place four days after Knox had filmed his last scene for the Harry Potter film.

Bishop, 22 at the time of the attack, was found guilty of Knox’s murder and sentenced to life in prison in March 2009 with a minimum of 20 years to be served before he will be eligible for parole. Bishop has six years left to serve before he will be eligible for parole. Knox’s Harry Potter cast members wore white ribbons at the film’s world premiere at Leicester Square in 2009.

Who did Rob Knox play in Harry Potter?

Know played Marcus Belby a Ravenclaw student at Hogwarts who was in the year above Harry Potter. Belby is invited to one of Professor Slughorn’s supper parties where he met Harry Potter, Hermione Granger, and Ginny Weasely.

Slughorn did not see the potential in him that he had hoped for and so quickly turned his attention away from Belby and focused instead on Harry Potter, the famous Boy Who Lived.

Despite the fact that Belby only features in the sixth Harry Potter novel, Belby had signed on to appear in the next film The Deathly Hallows, but was killed before filming began.

When is (K)Nox: The Rob Knox Story out?

The one-off documentary will arrive on streaming platrofrm ITVX on Thursday 23 February.