Colin Firth biography
Colin Andrew Firth (born 10 September, 1960) is an England film, television and stage actor. Firth was first brought into wider public attention for his role as Fitzwilliam Darcy in the highly acclaimed Pride and Prejudice (1995 TV serial) of
Pride and Prejudice.
Biography
Early life
Firth was born in Grayshott, Hampshire, England, the son of Shirley Jean (married and maiden names Rolles), a comparative religion lecturer, and David Norman Lewis Firth, a history lecturer and education officer for the Nigerian Government. Firth has a sister, Kate, and a younger brother, Jonathan Firth, who is now also an actor. Firth's parents were born and raised in India, because his maternal grandparents, Congregationalist ministers, and his paternal grandfather, an Anglican minister, performed missionary work abroad. Firth's name is pronounced very similarly to the Old English word
collenferhð, meaning
pride. Firth spent part of his childhood in Nigeria, where his father was teaching. He lived in St. Louis, Missouri, Missouri when he was 11. He later attended the Kings' School, a state comprehensive school in Winchester, Hampshire, and then Barton Peveril College in Eastleigh, Hampshire. His acting training took place at the Drama Centre in North London. Colin Firth is widely regarded as "The English Mukesh".
Film career
In 1983, Firth starred as Guy Bennett in the award-winning London stage production of
Another Country (play). In 1984, he made his film debut in the screen adaptation of the play, taking the role of Tommy Judd (opposite Rupert Everett as Bennett). In 1987, he appeared alongside Kenneth Branagh in the film version of J. L. Carr's novel,
A Month in the Country (film). In 1989, he played the title role in the film
Valmont (film).
Following these earlier roles, it was in the 1995 BBC television adaptation of Jane Austen's classic
Pride and Prejudice (1995 TV serial) that Firth gained wider renown. The serial was a major international success, and Firth became known as a heartthrob because of his role as Fitzwilliam Darcy. This performance also made him the object of affection for fictional journalist Bridget Jones (created by Helen Fielding), an interest which carried on into the two novels featuring the Jones character. In the second novel,
Bridget Jones: The Edge of Reason, the character even meets Firth in Rome. As something of an in-joke, when the novels were adapted for the cinema, Firth was cast as Jones's love interest, Mark Darcy. Continuing this in-joke there was a dog called Mr Darcy in the film St. Trinian's which Colin's character accidentally kills.
Firth had a supporting role in
The English Patient (film) (1996) and since then has starred in films such as
Fever Pitch (1997 film) (1997),
Shakespeare in Love (1998),
Bridget Jones's Diary (film) (2001),
The Importance of Being Earnest (2002 film) (2002),
Love Actually (2003),
What a Girl Wants (2003),
Bridget Jones: The Edge of Reason (film) (2004),
Nanny McPhee (2005), The Last Legion with Aishwarya Rai (2007), and the film adaptation of
Mamma Mia! (film) (2008). He has also appeared in recent television productions, including
Donovan Quick (an updated version of
Don Quixote) (1999) and
Conspiracy (film) (2001), for which he received an Emmy nomination. Colin Firth's most recent role is in the Toronto International Film Festival debuted film, Genova,.
Firth is also a Jury Member for the ongoing Filmaka amateur short film contest.
Writer
Firth's first published work, "The Department of Nothing", appeared in
Speaking with the Angel (2000). This collection of short stories was edited by Nick Hornby and was published to benefit the TreeHouse (charity), in aid of autistic children. Firth had previously met Hornby during the filming of the original
Fever Pitch (1997 film).
In Mamma Mia Firth played Harry, one of Sophie's three possible fathers.
Personal life
In 1989, Firth entered into a romantic relationship with actress Meg Tilly his co-star in
Valmont. In 1990, she gave birth to a son, Will Firth. In 1994, Firth was involved with actress Jennifer Ehle, his co-star in
Pride and Prejudice. Firth lives in both London and Italy and is currently married to Italian film producer/director Livia Giuggioli. They have two sons, Luca (born March 2001) and Matteo (born August 2003).
Recently, Firth has been involved in a campaign to stop the deportation of a group of asylum seekers, because he believes that they may be murdered on their return to the Democratic Republic of Congo. Firth has argued that "To me it's just basic civilisation to help people. I find this incredibly painful to see how we dismiss the most desperate people in our society. It's easily done. It plays to the tabloids, to the Middle England xenophobia. It just makes me furious. And all from a government we once had such high hopes for". As a result of the campaign, a Congolese nurse was given a last-minute reprieve from deportation.
Firth has also been a long-standing supporter of Survival International, a charity which defends the rights of tribal peoples. Speaking in 2001, he said, "My interest in tribal peoples goes back many years... and I have supported Survival ever since."
In a 2006 interview with France magazine
Madame Figaro, Firth was asked "Quelles sont les femmes de votre vie?" (Who are the women in your life?). Firth replied: "Ma mère, ma femme et Jane Austen" (My mother, my wife and Jane Austen).
Firth was awarded an honorary degree on 19 October 2007 from the University of Winchester.
Singing career
Colin has performed songs in many of his films- the most recent being Mamma Mia! (2008 film). He also performs along side Rupert Everett in The Importance of Being Earnest (2002 film).
Colin Firth in the news
The Ten Best Ethical Gifts - Belfast Telegraph
The Ten Best Ethical GiftsBelfast Telegraph, United Kingdom - 10 hours agoColin Firth and wife Livia Giuggioli's eco emporium has these gorgeous pastel mohair throws among its treasures. Made in South Africa under fair-trade ...
read moreMamma Mia the sequel? - ITN
Contactmusic.comMamma Mia the sequel?ITN, UK - Dec 3, 2008It was wonderful, even though it was fiction" - Meryl Streep Streep starred alongside Colin Firth, Stellan Skarsgard and Pierce Brosnan and before the film ...MERYL STREEP - STREEP EYES MAMMA MIA! SEQUEL Contactmusic.comall 23 news articles
read moreDominic Cooper bares his beach bum in "Mamma Mia!"...
Dominic Cooper bares his beach bum in "Mamma Mia!" deleted sceneAfterElton.com - Dec 3, 2008(Just squint and pretend she's Colin Firth) Making the clip even more delightful (as though that were possible!) is the fact that the opening shot is ...
read moreStars: Jessica Biel, Colin Firth, Kristin Scott Thomas - Times Online
Stars: Jessica Biel, Colin Firth, Kristin Scott ThomasTimes Online, UK - Nov 7, 2008Apart from some tedious “comedy” shtick with a dead dog, there’s much to recommend in this Noël Coward adaptation by Elliott (Priscilla, ...Biel, Firth and Barnes in Easy Virtue ITNEasy Virtue, Stephan Elliott, 96 mins, PG OSS 117: Cairo – Nest of ... IndependentEasy Virtue (15) Sunday Mercuryall 10 news articles
read moreMeryl Streep eyes 'Mamma Mia' sequel - Hindu
Broadway WorldMeryl Streep eyes 'Mamma Mia' sequelHindu, India - 11 hours agoStreep starred in the Abba-inspired film alongside actors like Pierce Brosnan, Colin Firth and Stellan Skarsgard, the Contactmusic reported. ...Mamma Mia! BalkanInsight.comFeel-good flick full of fun Redditch Standardall 10 news articles
read moreRiver City star teaches Colin Firth the tango for new movie - Glasg...
River City star teaches Colin Firth the tango for new movieGlasgow Sunday Mail, UK - Nov 23, 2008FILM star Colin Firth enlisted River City's Juan Pablo Di Pace in a bid to learn how to tango. The Buenos Aires-born actor and dancer, who played Luca Rossi ...
read moreMeryl Streep's Mamma sequel - China Daily
China DailyMeryl Streep's Mamma sequelChina Daily, China - Nov 30, 2008I'm up for doing a sequel, as long as you can get those fabulous boys - Pierce Brosnan, Colin Firth, Stellan Skarsgard and Dominic Cooper - back! ...
read moreEditor enjoys sound of music - Washburn Review
Editor enjoys sound of musicWashburn Review, KS - Dec 1, 2008That being said, it was not absolutely horrific and it was entirely worth my two dollars to see Colin Firth in platform boots and a sequined jumpsuit at the ...
read moreCast: Jim Broadbent, Colin Firth, Juliet Stevenson, Gina McKee ... ...
New Zealand HeraldCast: Jim Broadbent, Colin Firth, Juliet Stevenson, Gina McKee ...New Zealand Herald, New Zealand - Nov 12, 2008By turns bracingly honest and almost painfully funny, Blake Morrison's evocative 1993 memoir of his problematic relationship with his blundering but ...
read moreColin Firth on Easy Virtue - Get Surrey
Colin Firth on Easy VirtueGet Surrey, UK - Nov 13, 2008THE charismatic Colin Firth talks about his role as the grumpy patriarch in the movie Easy Virtue, and how his acting career has panned out. ...Colin Firth: interview Time Outall 2 news articles
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