Tristan Gemmill was born on 6th June 1967 in Royal Tunbridge Wells, Kent. At the age of fifteen his family emigrated to Australia where he studied drama at Melbourne University, remaining in that country for the next ten years. After his return to Britain one of his first television roles was in 1998 in The Mrs Bradley Mysteries and two years later in January 2000 he appeared in Coronation Street as Will Griffiths, the drugs counsellor for Leanne Battersby's addiction.
After this he went on to have a series of starring and regular roles in The Bill, London's Burning, Grass, Nancherrow, Distant Shores, Strictly Confidential, Cape Wrath and Casualty.
He is married to actress Emily Hamilton.
He returned to Coronation Street in the role of Tracy Barlow's ex-husband Robert Preston in July 2015, taking over the part from Julian Kay.