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James Nesbitt

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For other people named James Nesbitt, seeJames Nesbitt (disambiguation).

James Nesbitt
OBE
A man wears a purple shirt, a patterned tie, and a black jacket.
Nesbitt in 2013
Born
William James Nesbitt

(1965-01-15)15 January 1965(age 59)
Broughshane,County Antrim, Northern Ireland
Citizenship
  • United Kingdom
  • Ireland
Alma materRoyal Central School of Speech and Drama
OccupationActor
Years active1981–present
Spouse
Sonia Forbes-Adam
​
​
(m.1994;div.2016)​
Children2

William James NesbittOBE(born 15 January 1965) is an actor fromNorthern Ireland.From 1987, Nesbitt spent seven years performing in plays that varied from the musicalUp on the Roof(1987, 1989) to the political dramaPaddywack(1994). He made his feature film debut playing talent agent Fintan O'Donnell inHear My Song(1991). He got his breakthrough television role playing Adam Williams in the romantic comedy-drama seriesCold Feet(1997–2003, 2016–2020), which won him aBritish Comedy Award,aTelevision and Radio Industries Club Award,and aNational Television Award.

Nesbitt's first significant film role came when he appeared as pig farmer "Pig" Finn inWaking Ned(1998). With the rest of the starring cast, he was nominated for aScreen Actors Guild Award.InLucky Break(2001), he made his debut as a film lead, playing prisoner Jimmy Hands. The next year, he playedIvan Cooperin the television filmBloody Sunday,about the1972 shootings in Derry.A departure from his previous "cheeky chappie" roles, the film was a turning point in his career. He won aBritish Independent Film Awardand was nominated for theBritish Academy Television Award for Best Actor.

Nesbitt has also starred inMurphy's Law(2001–2007) as undercover detective Tommy Murphy, a role that was created for him by writerColin Bateman.The role twice gained Nesbitt Best Actor nominations at theIrish Film & Television Awards(IFTA). In 2007, he starred in the dual role of Tom Jackman and Mr Hyde inSteven Moffat'sJekyll,which earned him aGolden Globe Awardnomination in 2008. Nesbitt has since appeared in several more dramatic roles; he starred alongsideLiam NeesoninFive Minutes of Heaven(2009), and was one of three lead actors in the television miniseriesOccupation(2009). He also starred in the moviesOutcast(2010) andThe Way(2010). He portrayedBofurinThe Hobbitfilm series (2012–2014). In 2014, Nesbitt starred as Tony Hughes in the acclaimedBBC Onedrama seriesThe Missing.

Early life[edit]

William James Nesbitt was born on 15 January 1965 inBallymena,County Antrim.[1][2]His father, James "Jim" Nesbitt, was the headmaster of the primary school in Lisnamurrican (nearBroughshane), while his mother, May Nesbitt, was a civil servant.[3][4]He has three older sisters named Margaret, Kathryn, and Andrea,[4]all of whom eventually became teachers. The family lived in the house adjoining the one-room school where Nesbitt was one of 32 pupils taught by his father, while the other pupils were all farmers' children.[5]He grew up "completely" around women and spent a lot of time alone, "kicking a ball against a wall".[5]He had ambitions to play football forManchester Unitedor to become a teacher like his father. His parents wereProtestants,and Lisnamurrican was in "Paisleycountry ".[5]The family spent Sunday evenings singing hymns around the piano. Jim marched in the Ballymena Young Conquerors flute band and Nesbitt joined him playing the flute. After theDrumcree conflicts,they stopped marching with the band.[5][6]The family's residence in the countryside left them largely unaffected bythe Troubles,although Nesbitt, his father, and one of his sisters narrowly escaped a car bomb explosion outsideBallymena County Hallin the early 1970s.[7]

When Nesbitt was 11 years old, the family moved toColeraine,County Londonderry,where May worked for theHousing Executive.[2]He completed his primary education at Blagh primary school then moved on toColeraine Academical Institution(CAI).[3]In 1978, when he was 13, his parents took him to audition for theRiverside Theatre's Christmas production ofOliver!Nesbitt sang "Bohemian Rhapsody"at the audition and won the part of theArtful Dodgerin his acting debut.[5][8]He continued to act and sing with Riverside until he was 16, and appeared at festivals and as an extra inPlay For Today: The Cry(1984).[5][9]He got hisEquitycard when the actor playingJiminy CricketinPinocchiobroke his ankle two days before the performance, and Nesbitt stepped in to take his place.[2]Acting had not initially appealed to him, but he "felt a light go on" after he saw the filmThe Winslow Boy(1948).[10]When he was 15, he got his first paid job as a bingo caller atBarry's AmusementsinPortrush.He was paid £1 per hour for the summer job and would also, on occasions, work as the brake man on the big dipper attraction.[2][11]

Nesbitt left CAI at the age of 18 and began a degree in French at Ulster Polytechnic (nowUlster University) inJordanstown.[2][3]He stayed for a year before leaving. In a 1999 interview, he said, "I had the necessary in my head, but I just couldn't be bothered. Being 18 is the worst age to expect people to learn things. There are other things to be bothered with, like girls and football."[4]He made the decision to leave one morning when he was trying to write an overdue essay on existentialism inLes Mains Salesat 4 a.m.[12]His father suggested that he should move to England if he wanted to continue acting, so Nesbitt enrolled at theCentral School of Speech and Drama(CSSD).[5][13]He felt lost and misrepresented when he first arrived in London, because of his Northern Irish background: "When I first came to drama school I was aPaddythe minute I walked in. And I remember going to drama school and them all saying to me, 'Aww, yeah, Brits out,' and I was like 'It's a wee bit more complicated than that, you know.' "[7][13]He graduated in 1987, at the age of 22.[2]

Theatre andHear My Song[edit]

The day after leaving CSSD in 1987, Nesbitt got a bit part inVirtuoso,aBBC TwoScreen Twotelevision play about the life ofJohn Ogdon.[2]He worked for two days on the play, earning £250 per day.[4]His first professional stage appearance came in the same year, when he played Keith inUp on the Roof.The musical ran at theTheatre Royal, Plymouth,before transferring to theLondon West End.Nesbitt reprised the role when the production returned to Plymouth in early 1989. Roger Malone inThe Stage and Television Todaywrote that Nesbitt "steals the show with the best lines and best delivery as he laconically squares up to life with an easy contentment".[14]Nesbitt appeared in two other plays in 1989; in June, he played Dukes Frederick and Senior in Paul Jepson'sAs You Like Itat the Rose Theatre Club,[15]and then appeared inYuri Lyubimov's version ofHamlet.Hamlethad been translated back to English fromBoris Pasternak's Russian translation. It ran at theHaymarket Theatre, Leicesterfor a month before a transfer to theOld Vicand then a nine-month world tour. Nesbitt playedGuildenstern,Barnardo and the second gravedigger.[5][16][17]He recalled that the play received "shocking" reviews, but was exciting.[16]

In the early 1990s, he lived with fellow actorJerome Flynnand earned money by signing fan mail for the successful star ofSoldier Soldier.[13]In his debut feature film,Hear My Song(Peter Chelsom,1991), Nesbitt played Fintan O'Donnell, a struggling theatrical agent and friend of Mickey O'Neill (Adrian Dunbar). ANew York Timescritic wrote, "the jaunty, bemused Mr. Nesbitt, manages to combine soulfulness with sly humor".[18]The praise he received made him self-assured and complacent; in 2001, he recalled, "When I didHear My Song,I disappeared so far up my own arse afterwards. I thought, 'Oh, that's it, I've cracked it.' And I'm glad that happened, because you then find out how expendable actors are. "[5]His attitude left him out of work for six months after the film was released.[13]Until 1994, he mixed his stage roles with supporting roles on television in episodes ofBoon,The Young Indiana Jones Chronicles,Covington Cross,Lovejoy,andBetween the Lines.In 1993, he appeared inLove Lies Bleeding,an instalment of the BBC anthology seriesScreenplayand his first appearance in a production directed byMichael Winterbottom;he later appeared inGo Now(1995),Jude(1996) andWelcome to Sarajevo(1997). AGuardianjournalist wrote that "he showed himself to be a generous supporting actor" inJudeandSarajevo.[5]

Back on stage, he appeared as Doalty inTranslations(Gwenda Hughes,Birmingham Repertory Theatre,1991),[19]Aidan inUna Pooka(Mark Lambert andNicolas Kent,Tricycle Theatre,1992),[20]Damien inPaddywack(Michael Latimer),Cockpit Theatre,1994),[21]and Jesus inDarwin's Flood(Simon Stokes,Bush Theatre,1994).[22]Paddywack,in which Nesbitt's character is suspected by others of being anIRAmember, transferred to the United States for a run at theLong Wharf TheatreinNew Haven, Connecticutin October 1994. AVarietycritic called Damien "the play's only fully developed character" and commended Nesbitt for giving "the one strong, telling performance [of the cast]".[23]In 1996, Nesbitt appeared in an episode of theBBC Northern Irelandtelevision dramaBallykissangel,playing Leo McGarvey, the ex-boyfriend of Assumpta Fitzgerald (Dervla Kirwan) and love rival of Peter Clifford (Stephen Tompkinson). He reprised the role for four episodes in 1998.[24]

Cold Feetand early films[edit]

In 1996, Nesbitt auditioned to play Adam Williams, the male lead inCold Feet,an ITVComedy Premiereabout three couples in different stages of their romantic relationships. The audition came about through a mutual friend of Nesbitt's and the director,Declan Lowney.[25]The producer,Christine Langan,had also recalled his performances inHear My SongandGo Now.[26]Adam had not been written with an Irishman in mind to play him—English writerMike Bullenhad written the character as a thinly veiled portrayal of himself in his youth—but Nesbitt wanted to take the opportunity to appear in a contemporary drama as an ordinary man from Northern Ireland with no connection to the Troubles, especially after the Troubles-based plot ofLove Lies Bleeding.[25][27]Cold Feetwas a critical success; it won the 1997Golden Rose of Montreuxand the 1997British Comedy Awardfor Best ITV Comedy and was thus commissioned for a full series.[28]Cold Feet's first series aired at the end of 1998 and was followed by the second series in 1999.[29]A storyline in that series featured Adam being diagnosed withtesticular cancer,which inspired Nesbitt to become a patron of the charity Action Cancer.[30]

By the time of the third series, Nesbitt and the other cast members were able to influence the show's production; an episode featuring Adam'sstag weekendwas due to be filmed on location inDublinbut Nesbitt suggested it be filmed inBelfastand Portrush instead. Several scenes were filmed at his old workplace Barry's Amusements, although they were cut from the broadcast episode.[31][32]At the end of the fourth series in 2001, Nesbitt decided to resign and move on to other projects. Executive producerAndy Harriespersuaded him to stay for one more series by suggesting that Adam be killed off, so Nesbitt signed on for the fifth series. During pre-production of the fifth series, Mike Bullen decided to kill off Adam's wife Rachel (played byHelen Baxendale) instead.[33]

Cold Feetran for five years from 1998 to 2003, and Nesbitt won the British Comedy Award for Best TV Comedy Actor in 2000,[34]theTelevision and Radio Industries Club Awardfor Drama TV Performer of the Year in 2002,[35]theNational Television Awardfor Most Popular Comedy Performance in 2003,[36]and theTV Quick Awardfor Best Actor in 2003.[37]Nesbitt credits the role with raising his profile with the public.[2]Further television roles during these five years included women's football team coach John Dolan in the first two series ofKay Mellor'sPlaying the Field(appearing alongside hisCold Feetco-starJohn Thomson), investigative journalists Ryan and David Laney inResurrection Man(Marc Evans,1998) andTouching Evil IIrespectively, and womaniser Stanley inWomen Talking Dirty(Coky Giedroyc,1999).[13]

Nesbitt's performance inHear My Songhad also impressed first-time screenwriter and film director Kirk Jones, who cast him in his 1998 feature filmWaking Ned.[13]Playing amiable pig farmer "Pig" Finn brought Nesbitt to international attention, particularly in the United States (where the film was released asWaking Ned Devine); the cast was nominated for the 1999Screen Actors Guild Award for Outstanding Performance by a Cast in a Theatrical Motion Picture.[12][38]In 1999, he appeared as the paramilitary "Mad Dog" Billy Wilson inThe Most Fertile Man in Ireland(Dudi Appleton). The following year, he appeared in Declan Lowney's feature debut,Wild About Harry.Lowney had personally asked him to appear in the supporting role of cross-dressingUnionistpolitician Walter Adair.[5]In 2001, he made his debut as a lead actor in a feature film inPeter Cattaneo'sLucky Break.He played Jimmy Hands, an incompetent bank robber who masterminds an escape from a prison by staging a musical as a distraction.[5]On preparing for the role, Nesbitt said, "Short of robbing a bank there wasn't much research I could have done but we did spend a day in Wandsworth Prison and that showed the nightmare monotony of prisoners' lives. I didn't interview any of the inmates because I thought it would be a little patronising as it was research for a comedy and also because we were going home every night in our fancy cars to sleep in our fancy hotels."[27]The film was a total flop, despite receiving positive feedback from test audiences in the United States.[16]

Bloody Sunday[edit]

Nesbitt had been approached at a British Academy Television Awards ceremony by directorPaul Greengrass,who wanted him to star in a television drama he was making about the1972 "Bloody Sunday" shootingsin Derry. Nesbitt was only seven years old when the shootings happened and was ignorant of its cause; he believed that there was "no smoke without fire" and that the Catholic marchers must have done something to provoke the British Army.[39]He was filmingCold Feetin Manchester when he received the script. He read it and found that had "an extraordinary effect" on him.[39]Nesbitt playedIvan CooperinBloody Sunday,the man who pressed for the march to go ahead. To prepare for the role, Nesbitt met with Cooper and spent many hours talking to him about his motives on that day.[40]He met with relatives of the victims and watched the televisedBloody Sunday Inquirywith them, and also readDon Mullan'sEyewitness Bloody Sundayand Peter Pringle and Philip Jacobson'sThose Are Real Bullets, Aren't They?.[39]Greengrass compared Nesbitt's preparation to an athlete preparing for a race, and toldThe Observer,"For an Irish actor, doing the Troubles is like doingLear."[39]Nesbitt had questioned whether he was a good enough actor to effectively portray Cooper and was worried what Derry Catholics would think of a Protestant playing the lead,[39]although Ivan Cooper himself is a Protestant.

Shortly beforeBloody Sundaywas broadcast, Nesbitt described it as "difficult but extraordinary" and "emotionally draining".[39]The broadcast on ITV in January 2002 and its promotion did not pass without incident; he was criticised by Unionists for saying that Protestants in Northern Ireland felt "a collective guilt" over the killings.[41]His parents' home was also vandalised and he received death threats.[42]During the awards season, Nesbitt won theBritish Independent Film Awardfor Best Performance by an Actor in a British Independent Film and was nominated for theBritish Academy Television Award for Best Actor.[43][44]The film was also screened at film festivals such as theStockholm International Film Festival,where Nesbitt was presented with the Best Actor award.[45]

In an analysis of the film in theHistory & Memoryjournal, Aileen Blaney[46]wrote that it is Nesbitt's real-life household name status that made his portrayal of Cooper such a success. She reasoned that Nesbitt's celebrity status mirrors that of Cooper's in the 1970s: "A household name across Great Britain, Northern Ireland and the Irish Republic [sic], Nesbitt's widespread popular appeal is emphatically not contingent upon his Protestant Ulster identity, and consequently the double-voicing of the character he plays does not alienate viewers of an alternative, or no, sectarian persuasion."[47]Guardianjournalist Susie Steiner suggested that his appearance inBloody Sundaywas an attempt to resolve the expression of his "Irishness" on screen: "Where he has taken part in a sectarian theme, his intelligence as an actor has often been masked by an excessive, cartoon-style comedy. Yet in his more successful, high-profile roles, (notably inCold Feet,and as Pig Finn in the gently pastoral filmWaking Ned), Nesbitt's Irishness has been exploited for its romantic charm. It has been sugared and, in the process, de-politicised. "[5]A critic identifiedBloody Sundayas Nesbitt's "coming of age" film, and Nesbitt called it a turning point in his career.[16][39]He refers to his career since the film was released as "post-Bloody Sunday".[48]

Murphy's Law[edit]

In 2003, Nesbitt played undercover police detective Tommy Murphy in the first series ofMurphy's Law,after starring in a successful pilot episode in 2001. The series was conceived when Nesbitt was working onPlaying the Field;he and producer Greg Brenman approached authorColin Batemanabout creating a television series for Nesbitt in a similar vein to Bateman's Dan Starkey novels.[49]Bateman and Nesbitt were already well acquainted; Nesbitt had been considered for a main role inDivorcing Jack(David Caffrey,1998), based on Bateman's original novel.[50]A 90-minute pilot ofMurphy's Lawwas commissioned by the BBC, initially as a "comedy action adventure".[49]Bateman created a complex backstory for Murphy, which was cut at the request of the producers.[5]After the broadcast of the pilot,Guardiancritic Gareth McLean wrote, "the likeable James Nesbitt turned in a strong, extremely watchable central performance, though rarely did he look taxed by his efforts, and his chemistry with [Claudia] Harrison was promising and occasionally electric."[51]In 2003, Nesbitt won theIrish Film & Television Award(IFTA) for Best Actor in a TV Drama for the role.[52]The second series was broadcast in 2004.

By 2005, Nesbitt had become tired of the formula and threatened to quit unless the structure of the series was changed. He was made a creative consultant and suggested that Murphy keep one undercover role for a full series, instead of changing into a new guise every episode.[53]This new dramatic element to the series was intended to make it a closer representation of real-life undercover work.[49]Alongside his research with former undercover officer Peter Bleksley, Nesbitt hired a personal trainer and grew ahandlebar moustacheto change Murphy's physical characteristics and tone down the "cheeky chappie" persona that the audience had become accustomed to from his roles.[54]With his trainer, he worked out three times a week, bo xing and doing circuits and weights.[55]After the first new episode was broadcast, Sarah Vine wrote inThe Times,"In the past, when attempting a nasty stare or a hard face, Nesbitt has never managed much more than a faintly quizzical look, hilarity forever threatening to break out behind those twinkly Irish eyes. But here, it's different. He genuinely has the air of a man who means business."[56]The refreshed series marked another milestone in Nesbitt's career; he describes it as "a big moment" in his life.[54]Murphy's Lawwas not recommissioned for a sixth series, which Nesbitt attributed to the damage done to the fifth series ratings when it was scheduled opposite the popular ITV dramaDoc Martin.[57]

A man squints in sunlight.
Nesbitt at the2009 BAFTA Television Awards

In 2004, Nesbitt appeared inWall of Silence,a fact-based drama about the aftermath of the murder of schoolboy Jamie Robe. Nesbitt played Stuart Robe, the boy's father, who tries to break down the wall of silence in the local community to discover exactly what happened to his son. He had only just completedBloody Sundaywhen he was offered the part and was unsure whether he wanted to take on such a demanding role so soon after playing Ivan Cooper. He decided to accept the part because he found it interesting. To prepare for the role, Nesbitt met with Robe and spent weeks talking to him in his South London flat, learning about Jamie, and of Robe's fight for his justice. Nesbitt spoke with his natural accent instead of affecting Robe's South London speech, as he did not want the audience to be distracted from the drama. The single-drama was filmed over four weeks and broadcast in January 2004.[58]The role gained Nesbitt an IFTA nomination for Best Actor in a TV Drama later that year.[59]

In March 2004, he appeared inTony Marchant'sPasser By,playing Joe Keyes, a man who witnesses a woman being accosted by some men on a train and chooses not to help. Keyes later discovers that the woman was raped but cannot bring himself to admit in court that he did nothing to help her. Nesbitt described Keyes as "like a better man than me: a good father and husband. But, once he has made a wrong decision, he can't control everything in his life, as he thinks he is weak. He loses the respect of his wife, his son and at work, and has to reach the lowest possible point before finding redemption."[60]As a result of these serious roles, he was named thesixth most powerful figure in TV dramain a listing compiled by industry experts for theRadio Times.[61]In September 2004, he starred as Jack Parlabane in the ITV adaptation ofChristopher Brookmyre'sQuite Ugly One Morning.The producers originally wanted Scottish actorDouglas Henshallto playGlaswegianParlabane but ITV executives overruled them and cast Nesbitt.[62]He was given coaching to perfect the accent but it was soon discarded on the advice of both the director and his co-starDaniela Nardini.[42][53]Also in 2004, he filmed the roles of Ronnie Cunningham inMillions(Danny Boyle,2004), and Detective Banner inMatch Point(Woody Allen,2005). He was considering taking time off from acting and did not really want the role inMatch Point.He sent in an audition tape and was accepted for the part. Nesbitt's character appears at the end of the film and he read only that part of the script, so did not know the full circumstances of the crime Banner investigates.[16]Despite his initial reluctance, Nesbitt enjoyed working with Allen, and complimented him on his directing style.[63]

Nesbitt returned to theatre acting in June 2005 when he appeared inDavid Nicholls'After Sun,a ten-minute-play performed as part of theOld Vic's 24-Hour Play season. Nesbitt andCatherine Tatestarred as a married couple who meet a pair of newlyweds returning from their honeymoon.[64]Later that year, he appeared in his first full-length play in 11 years, inOwen McCafferty'sShoot the Crow.He enjoyed the stimulation of learning his lines and rehearsing with the cast and director.[16]The play opened at the Trafalgar Studios in September 2005 and his role as Socrates gained mixed reviews. InThe Independent,Michael Coveney suggested the role did not fit the actor: "Nesbitt is cool. But I never felt that he was inside his role of a chap called Socrates [...] He grinned and shrugged through the evening which steadily became less about grouting on tiles and more about grating on nerves."[65]InThe Daily Telegraph,Charles Spencerdescribed Nesbitt's acting as "outstanding".[66]

Jekyll,Five Minutes,Occupation[edit]

"You have to have someone like him—if it is a big, expensive show, you have to have a big name, otherwise you won't get the budget frankly [...] Over the months of filming, he turned in one of the most astonishing, inventive, heartfelt and daring performances I have seen."

—Jekyllwriter Steven Moffat on Nesbitt[67]

At the end of 2005, Nesbitt and his agent met with BBC Controller of FictionJane Tranterto discuss a new series ofMurphy's Law.At the meeting's conclusion, Tranter offered Nesbitt the first episode script ofJekyll,a television series bySteven Moffatthat updatedStrange Case of Dr Jekyll and Mr Hyde.Nesbitt spent three hours reading the script before accepting the role of Tom Jackman—and his alter-ego Mr Hyde. After signing on for the role, he met with Moffat andHartswood Filmsexecutive producerBeryl Vertueto discuss the character, and had several make-up tests. His anticipation for the part was heightened because filming was not scheduled to begin until September 2006.[68]Nesbitt spent an hour each day being made up as Hyde; a wig altered his hairline and prosthetics were added to his chin, nose and ear lobes. He also wore black contact lenses to make Hyde "soulless", though CGI was used to show the transformation from Jackman in close-ups.[69]The series was broadcast on BBC One in June and July 2007. The role secured him a nomination from theHollywood Foreign Press Associationfor theGolden Globe Award for Best Performance by an Actor in a Mini-Series or Motion Picture Made for Television,and a nomination for the Rose d'Or for Best Entertainer.[70][71]

A man with a receding hairline smiles. He wears a light blue shirt with an open collar and a charcoal grey jacket.
Nesbitt in July 2008

In 2008, he portrayedPontius PilateinThe Passion,a BBC/HBO adaptation of the last week in the life ofJesus.He had originally rejected the script due to other filming commitments, but accepted the role after his agent told him to re-read it before making a final decision.[72][73]He was pleased to learn that the serial was being produced byNigel Stafford-Clark,whoseBleak Houseadaptation he had enjoyed, and that he would be appearing with hisJekyllco-starDenis Lawson.[10]Contrary to previous portrayals of Pilate, Nesbitt played the biblical figure as "nice", and—as when playing Jack Parlabane—used his own accent. The serial was broadcast in the UK during Easter week 2008.[72]Shortly after filmingThe Passion,he filmed the part of journalist Max Raban in theCarnival FilmsthrillerMidnight Man,which was shown on ITV in May 2008.[45]It won him a joint nomination (along with the 2007 series ofMurphy's Law) for theITV3 Crime Thriller Award for Best Actor.[74]At the end of the year, he had a starring role in the low-budget independent filmBlessed.The writer and director Mark Aldridge scripted the character of Peter with Nesbitt in mind to play him. The film had a limited release throughout 2008 and 2009 before the BBC screened it on television in 2010. Nesbitt said, "The role of Peter is what I have dreamed about playing, you wait your whole life for an opportunity like this and when it comes you have to grab it."[75]

The following year, Nesbitt co-starred withLiam Neesonin the fact-based television filmFive Minutes of Heaven(Oliver Hirschbiegel,2009). The first part of the film dramatises the real-life murder of Jim Griffin by Alistair Little in 1970sLurgan;the second part features a fictional meeting between Little (Neeson) and Jim's brother Joe (Nesbitt) 33 years later. Nesbitt met with Griffin before filming began to learn about how his brother's murder affected him. The film was broadcast on BBC Two in April 2009.[76]He also starred as Colour Sgt. Mike Swift inPeter Bowker's three-part BBC/Kudos television serialOccupation.InOccupation,set over six years, Nesbitt's character is one of three British soldiers who return toBasra,Iraqafter their tours have concluded. He researched the role by speaking toTerritorial Armysoldiers in Belfast, andRAFofficers in Morocco, where the serial was filmed.[77]Both performances were commended byIndependentjournalist Hugh Montgomery; in a review of 2009's television, Montgomery named Nesbitt "Face of the Year", writing, "Just as you had James Nesbitt written off as the gurning embodiment of everything mediocre about British TV drama, he produced two stonking performances, as the transfi xing ly harrowed sergeant inOccupation,and a nervily vengeful victim's relative in Irish-troubles pieceFive Minutes of Heaven.Give the man a Bafta. "[78]Nesbitt was not nominated for a BAFTA award, though did receive a nomination for Best Actor from theBroadcasting Press Guildfor both performances.[79]

International work[edit]

In March 2009, Nesbitt signed a contract with the American talent agencyUnited Talent Agency,as theglobal financial crisiswas restricting roles in British television.[80]He continued to be represented in the United Kingdom by Artists Rights Group.[81]The next year Nesbitt played the hunter Cathal in the low-budget British horror filmOutcast,which was a departure from his previous character types. After screening at major international film festivals in early 2010, the film had a general release in the latter part of the year. Nesbitt had previously worked with the film's director and co-writer Colm McCarthy onMurphy's Law,which was one reason he took the role. He researched the mythical aspects of the character by reading about Irish folklore and beliefs.[82]He also starred alongsideMinnie Driverand hisWelcome to Sarajevoco-starGoran Višnjićin the Tiger Aspect television serialThe Deep.In the five-part drama, Nesbitt played submarine engineer Clem Donnelly. The serial was filmed over 12 weeks atBBC Scotland's studios inDumbarton.[83]August 2010 saw the release ofNadia Tass's filmMatching Jack,in which Nesbitt plays the leading role of Connor. He became involved in the film after reading an early script draft in 2006. In 2008, the global financial crisis severely reduced the budget of the film, and Nesbitt volunteered a reduction in his salary so the film could still be made. The film was shot over eight weeks inMelbournein 2009 and released in 2010.[84][85]

Next, Nesbitt reunited withOccupationscreenwriter Peter Bowker to star in the ITV medical drama seriesMonroe,playing Gabriel Monroe.[86]Nesbitt was Bowker's first choice for the part.[87]Nesbitt researched the role of theneurosurgeoncharacter by watching brain surgery being performed byHenry Marsh,and by consulting Philip Van Hille atLeeds General Infirmary.[88]The series was filmed over 12 weeks in Leeds at the end of 2010 and broadcast on ITV during March and April 2011.[89]Nesbitt will reprise the role in a second series, which is due to begin production in 2012.[90]In film, Nesbitt co-stars as Irish writer Jack inEmilio Estevez's dramaThe Way,alongsideMartin Sheen,Deborah Kara Unger,andYorick van Wageningen,and has a role as Sicinius inRalph Fiennes' contemporary Shakespeare adaptationCoriolanus.[82]

Alongside many other British and Irish actors, Nesbitt was cast inPeter Jackson's three-part filmThe Hobbit,as the dwarfBofur.[91]Filming commenced in March 2011. The first part,The Hobbit: An Unexpected Journey,was released in December 2012, the second part,The Hobbit: The Desolation of Smaug,in December 2013, and the third and final part,The Hobbit: The Battle of the Five Armies,in December 2014.

Other projects[edit]

In 2002, Nesbitt made his documentary debut as the presenter ofJames Nesbitt's Blazing Saddles,a production forBBC Choicethat saw him spend two weeks inLas Vegasat theNational Finals Rodeoand the Miss Rodeo America pageant.[92]In 2007, he was the guest host of an episode of the late-nightChannel 4comedyThe Friday Night Project.[93]As a film awards presenter, he hosted the IFTA Awards ceremony for three consecutive years between 2005 and 2007,[94]theBritish Independent Film Awardsfrom 2005 to 2010,[95]and theNational Movie Awardsin 2008 and 2010.[96][97]In 2009, he hosted theLaurence Olivier Awards.[98]

An amateur golfer since his teenage years, Nesbitt joined the European team for Sky One'sAll*Star Cupin 2005 and 2006.[99]He signed up to a series of high-profile television advertisements for theYell Groupin 2003, playing a hapless character called James for the company'sYellow Pagescampaign until 2006.[100]Timeswriter Andrew Billen noted that the adverts "cost him some credibility" but Nesbitt was pleased with the money he made from them.[48][99]In 2004, he joined thesupergroupTwisted X to produce "Born in England", an unofficial anthem for theEngland national football team's entry in theUEFA Euro 2004tournament.[101]His vocals have also appeared inLucky Breakand an episode ofCold Feet.The song he performed in the latter— "(Love Is) The Tender Trap"—was released on one of the series' soundtrack albums.[102]He also contributed vocals to theWaking Nedsoundtrack.[103]A fan of Northern Irish bandAsh,he made a cameo in their unreleased filmSlashed.[104]In 2009, he starred in the music video for "The Day I Died",a single by English dance-pop artistJust Jack.Nesbitt was recommended to Just Jack byElton John.[105]Nesbitt hosted the2013 British Independent Film Awardsin London on 8 December 2013.[106]

In 2013, Nesbitt appeared in adverts forThomas Cook.In 2014, Nesbitt had the lead role as the father character Tony Hughes in harrowingBBCdrama seriesThe Missing,alongsideFrances O'Connor(as his wife/ex-wife, Emily Hughes/Walsh) andTchéky Karyo(as Julien Baptiste, leading French police investigator). The drama focused on a British married couple, whose son goes missing while they are on holiday in France, and the subsequent years of enquiry trying to find answers as to what happened to their son and why. Incidentally, Nesbitt and Karyo had appeared previously together in theMartin SheenfilmThe Way(2010). In 2021, photographs of Nesbitt were used in Series 6 ofLine of Dutyto represent the unseen character of DI Marcus Thurwell, Nesbitt himself did not appear in the series. Nesbitt starred in the 2021Netflixseries,Stay Close,adapted from the novel of the same name byHarlan Coben.In 2023, he performed a spoken word piece at theCoronation Concert,to mark thecoronation of Charles III and Camilla.[107]

Personal life[edit]

Two men in a black suits.
Nesbitt and hisFive Minutes of Heavenco-star Liam Neeson at the closing of theBelfast Lyricin January 2008.

Nesbitt was married to Sonia Forbes-Adam, the daughter of the Reverend SirTimothy Forbes Adam.The two met when Nesbitt went to the final call-back forHamletat Loughborough Hall in 1989, and they soon began dating.[108]They split up for a year after the release ofHear My Songbut reunited and married in 1994.[13]They had two daughters, Peggy and Mary, both of whom appeared in the final twoHobbitmovies as the daughters of Bard the Bowman.[109]In October 2013, Nesbitt announced that he and his wife would separate after 19 years.[110]They were divorced in 2016.

Nesbitt is a patron of Wave, a charity set up to support those traumatised bythe Troubles.Since 2005, he has been aUNICEF UKambassador, working with HIV and AIDS sufferers, and former child soldiers in Africa. He describes the role as "a privilege."[63]Writing inThe Independentabout his visit toZambiain 2006, Nesbitt concluded that the children he met were owed a social and moral responsibility.[111]The article was described in theEvening Standardas "moving and notably well-crafted."[112]Since 1999, he has been a patron of Action Cancer, a result of both his father's affliction with prostate cancer and a storyline in the second series ofCold Feet,where his character suffered testicular cancer.[30]He has been an honorary patron of Youth Lyric, one of Ireland's largest theatre schools, since 2007.[113]

Nesbitt is a fan of football teamsColeraine F.C.,Rangers F.Cand, most passionately,Manchester United F.C.He also supports theNorthern Ireland national team.In 2003, he made a donation of "thousands of pounds" to Coleraine after the team came close to bankruptcy. He has called the team "a heartbeat" of Coleraine and encouraged more people to watchIrish Leaguefootball.[114]Nesbitt was a vocal opponent ofMalcolm Glazer's 2005takeover of Manchester United;however, after the completion of the deal, he acted in television advertisements promoting executive boxes atOld Traffordand was criticised by fans. To counter the criticism, he pledged half of his £10,000 fee to theManchester United Supporters' Trustand the other half toUNICEF.[99]

In March 2010, Nesbitt accepted the ceremonial position ofChancellorofUlster University,succeeding formerLord Mayor of LondonSir Richard Nichols. Gerry Mallon, then-chair of the university ruling council, expected Nesbitt to "bring considerable energy, dynamism and commitment" to the post.[115]Following his official installation on 8 June 2010, Nesbitt said, "Rather than being just an informal role officiating at ceremonies, I think I can act as an ambassador. I have access to an awful lot of people and places because of my work. I hope to be a voice that can be heard, not just at the university, but also outside promoting the importance of the funding of education. If that involves me being atStormont,then I'd be very happy to do that. Clearly these public spending cuts are going to have an impact and it's important to fight for funding because it's about investing in students and investing in the future of Northern Ireland. I believe I can bring something to that, otherwise I wouldn't have taken this on. "[116]

He was appointedOfficer of the Order of the British Empire(OBE) in the2016 New Year Honoursfor services to drama and to the community in Northern Ireland.[117]Nesbitt was born into aUnionistfamily but now identifies as "an Irishman, from the north of Ireland"; he holds both British and Irish passports.[118]He was the keynote speaker at an October 2022 rally organised byIreland's Future.[119]

Filmography and awards[edit]

Main article:James Nesbitt filmography
Year Award Category Nominated work(s) Result
1999 Screen Actors Guild Awards Outstanding Performance by a Cast in a Motion Picture Waking Ned Devine Nominated[38]
British Comedy Awards Best TV Comedy Actor Cold Feet Nominated[120]
2000 Won[34]
2001 Nominated[121]
2002 Television and Radio Industries Club Awards Drama TV Performer of the Year Won[35]
British Independent Film Awards Best Performance by an Actor in a British Independent Film Bloody Sunday Won[43]
Stockholm International Film Festival Awards Best Actor Won[45]
British Academy Television Awards Best Actor Nominated[44]
2003 Irish Film & Television Awards Best Actor in a TV Drama Murphy's Law Won[52]
TV Quick Awards Best Actor Cold Feet Won[37]
National Television Awards Most Popular Comedy Performance Won[36]
2004 Most Popular Actor The Canterbury Tales Nominated[122]
Irish Film and Television Awards Best Actor in a TV Drama Wall of Silence Nominated[59]
2005 Best Actor in Television Murphy's Law Nominated[123]
2007 Best Actor in a Lead Role in Television Nominated[124]
Golden Globe Awards Best Performance by an Actor in a Mini-Series or Motion Picture Made for Television Jekyll Nominated[70]
2008 Rose d'Or Awards Best Entertainer Nominated[71]
ITV3 Crime Thriller Awards Best Actor Murphy's LawandMidnight Man Nominated[74]
2010 Broadcasting Press Guild Awards OccupationandFive Minutes of Heaven Nominated[79]
New York City Horror Film Festival Awards Outcast Won[125]
2015 2015 British Academy Television Awards Leading Actor The Missing Nominated[126]
2021 Irish Film and Television Awards Best Actor in a Lead Role - Drama Bloodlands Nominated[127]
2022 Satellite Awards Best Actor in a Series, Drama/Genre Bloodlands Nominated[128]

Academic honours[edit]

References[edit]

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