As a child, he appeared in a 2008 stage production of A Christmas Carol and Mame, after which he had a main role in the television sitcom Melissa & Joey (2010–2015).

[4] Robinson initially attended Seattle Preparatory School, but left in the middle of his freshman year and moved to Los Angeles after booking a regular role on Melissa & Joey.

[7] He was accepted to New York University’s College of Arts and Sciences and attended in the summer to work on another season of Melissa & Joey.

Robinson made his professional acting debut at the age of eleven with a role in a stage adaptation of Charles Dickens' novel A Christmas Carol.

Because of the 2007–2008 Writers Guild of America strike, Robinson's family moved back to Washington where he continued to perform on stage in and around Seattle.

After reading the script, Robinson revealed that he broke his own rule to no longer play high schoolers because he saw the cultural importance of the film.