In "Mr. Turner", who is the man in the red robe? [closed]

This question is pretty obscure, and I suspect that a good answer may not be forthcoming, but it's worth a shot:

In the biopic Mr. Turner (2014) there are several scenes filmed at the Royal Academy of Arts. In many of the shots, there is an older middle-aged man standing or walking. He is always wearing what appears to be a bright red silk or satin dressing-gown, in contrast to the dour black suits of most of the gentlemen present. His hair is quite striking as well: long wavy white hair, balding on top, with a substantial mustache (and possibly a beard) as well. (His hairstyle is not unlike the depiction of Wild Bill Hickok in Deadwood, on the far right in the linked photo.)

This character caught my eye when watching the movie, and I suspect that this was the director's intent. However, it's hard to figure out who he is. The character is briefly addressed as "Grout" by Mr. Turner himself, but no actor is listed on IMDb playing this role. So my questions are:

Who played this character?
Is this character based on a real person, as many characters in the movie are?

Best Answer

Unfortunately, I do not think this person is as significant as you think.

It appears that Mr "Grout" is nothing more than attendant/guard/docent type.

The robes would, I suspect, be the standard 'uniform' in that role.

There is no credit for "Grout" either by name or role in the movie credits either which also lends itself to the idea that this person/figure has little significance.