James Nesbitt (born 15 January 1965) is an actor, presenter and comedian from Northern Ireland. Born in Ballymena, County Antrim, Nesbitt grew up in the nearby village of Broughshane, before moving to Coleraine, County Londonderry. He wanted to become a teacher like his father, so he began a degree in French at the University of Ulster. He dropped out after a year when he decided to become an actor, and transferred to the Central School of Speech and Drama in London. After graduating in 1987, he spent seven years performing in plays that varied from the musical Up on the Roof (1987, 1989) to the political drama Paddywack (1994). He made his feature film debut playing talent agent Fintan O'Donnell in Hear My Song (1991).Nesbitt got his breakthrough television role playing Adam Williams in the romantic comedy-drama Cold Feet (1998–2003), which won him a British Comedy Award, a Television and Radio Industries Club Award, and a National Television Award. His first significant film role came when he appeared as pig farmer "Pig" Finn in Waking Ned (1998). With the rest of the starring cast, Nesbitt was nominated for a Screen Actors Guild Award. In Lucky Break (2001), he made his debut as a film lead, playing prisoner Jimmy Hands. The next year, he played Ivan Cooper in the television film Bloody Sunday, about the 1972 shootings in Derry. A departure from his previous "cheeky chappie" roles, the film was a turning point in his career. He won a British Independent Film Award and was nominated for the British Academy Television Award for Best Actor.Nesbitt has also starred in Murphy's Law (2001–2007) as undercover detective Tommy Murphy, in a role that was created for him by writer Colin Bateman. The role twice gained Nesbitt Best Actor nominations at the Irish Film & Television Awards (IFTA). In 2007, he starred in the dual role of Tom Jackman and Mr Hyde in Steven Moffat's Jekyll, which earned him a Golden Globe Award nomination in 2008. Nesbitt has since appeared in several more dramatic roles; he starred alongside Liam Neeson in Five Minutes of Heaven (2009), and was one of three lead actors in the television miniseries Occupation (2009). He also starred in the movies Outcast (2010) and The Way (2011). He portrayed Bofur in Peter Jackson's three-part film adaptation of The Hobbit (2012-2014).Nesbitt is married to former actress Sonia Forbes-Adam, with whom he has two daughters. He is an advocate of numerous charities, and in 2010 he accepted the ceremonial position of Chancellor of the University of Ulster.
Central School of Speech and Drama, Coleraine Academical Institution, Ulster University
Spouse
Sonia Forbes-Adam
Children
Mary Nesbitt, Peggy Nesbitt
Parents
James Nesbitt, May Nesbitt
Siblings
Margaret Nesbitt, Andrea Nesbitt, Kathryn Nesbitt
Awards
British Independent Film Award for Best Actor, British Comedy Award for the Best TV Comedy Actor, National Television Award for Most Popular Comedy Performer
Nominations
British Academy Television Award for Best Actor, Screen Actors Guild Award for Outstanding Performance by a Cast in a Motion Picture, Golden Globe Award for Best Performance by an Actor in a Mini-Series or Motion Picture Made for Television, National Television Award for Most Popular Actor, Critics'...
Movies
The Hobbit: An Unexpected Journey, The Hobbit: The Desolation of Smaug, The Hobbit: The Battle of the Five Armies, Five Minutes of Heaven, Waking Ned, The Way, Match Point, Bloody Sunday, Lucky Break, Matching Jack, Welcome to Sarajevo, Coriolanus, Outcast, Cherrybomb, The Most Fertile Man in Irelan...
TV Shows
The Missing, Cold Feet, Jekyll, Murphy's Law, Monroe, Midnight Man, Occupation, The Passion, The Deep, The Canterbury Tales, All-Star Cup, James Nesbitt's Ireland
Star Sign
Capricorn
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Trademark
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Often plays characters with a robust lust for life and drink
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Thick irish accent
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Quote
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[on Babylon (2014)] It felt like we were almost making a documentary. There's a lot of ultra realistic camera-work. I think the tone is underscored by comic elements - some of the characters are very funny - but it's true to life because as dramatic as the situations are, comedy seeps out thanks to the relationships between all the officers. But we all played it for real, not for laughs.
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Several years ago, I began losing my hair, and like a lot of men, it was a major concern to me, in fact it was practically an obsession. But, also I'm an actor, so I'm in the public eye a lot and I really felt that my hair loss could affect my career prospects.
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I feel old and vulnerable. I now realise that I knew nothing and know nothing, but back when my career was beginning, I thought I was a man when, in fact, I was a dewy-eyed boy who'd not seen an avocado or eaten a tomato.
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When I was at drama school, I was totally broke, and a lot of my mates had jobs and were financially very good to me, so if, for example, I take them away on a trip to a football match in Europe, it means that I can pay them back a bit.
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Funnily enough, Northern Ireland is a great example of where politics can win over conflict. The decision to down arms and follow a political path would have been unthinkable once. It shows just what is possible.
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It's ridiculous, but it's horrible going bald. Anyone who says it isn't is lying.
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My mother taught me what it is to have a sense of humour; my dad, who was a headmaster, everything you need to know about hard work. My dad is the most decent man you could come across.
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Like the character I played in 'Jekyll', we all have different masks we put on for different occasions. As much as we all want to lead decent lives, we're also attracted by the idea that something dark may lurk within us.
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Ours was a very progressive Protestant family, but my parents were God-loving rather than God-fearing. We went to church, and I still go with my mum and dad when I return home - it's a family thing. I played flute in my dad's marching band, but I had an integrated upbringing. We had a lot of Catholic friends.
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I'd be a very easy therapist's subject.
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I'm not strong-willed enough or unkind enough... or maybe simply not wise enough to tell a journalist that a subject is out of bounds.
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I'm not an actor who is often asked to be in period things.
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I thought I was God's gift to mankind and the greatest Irishman since George Best.
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I didn't much like Las Vegas. The noise of the place and the whole 24-hour, 'let's play the slot machines all night' culture of the place just left me cold.
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I was one of the many kids in Northern Ireland who grew up in the countryside and had an idyllic childhood well away from the Troubles.
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I never forget that I'm extremely fortunate.
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I spend my money on holidays and eating out, and it allows me to be generous.
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I've heard some duff Irish accents. The worst must be Mickey Rourke.
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The thing to remember is that the work comes first, and not to get distracted by anything else. If you keep focused on the work, everything else will fall into place. That's my mantra now.
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Fact
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He was awarded the OBE (Officer of the Order of the British Empire) in the 2016 Queen's New Years Honours List for his services to drama and to the community in Northern Ireland.
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His two daughters, Mary and Peggy, both star alongside him (Bofur) in The Hobbit: The Desolation of Smaug (2013), playing the two daughters (Tilda and Sigrid) of Luke Evans (Bard).
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In 2003, he starred in a very amusing series of television commercials for Yellow Pages telephone directories.
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In 2004, he appeared in advertisements for the Sky 'Premiership season ticket' pay per view offer.
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In March 2010, the University of Ulster appointed James Nesbitt as its first ever Northern Ireland-born Chancellor. He succeeded former London Lord Mayor Sir Richard Nichols in the role.
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After starring in Jekyll (2007), written by Doctor Who (2005) writer Steven Moffat, some press reports speculated that he would be the next star of Doctor Who (2005). In a 2008 interview with a British television magazine, Nesbitt dismissed the reports, stating that he didn't think he could follow Christopher Eccleston and David Tennant and he felt that at the age of 43, he would be considered too old for the part anyway.
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Was offered a major guest part in the David Tennant's First Season of Doctor Who (2005) but was not free.
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Trained at the Central School of Speech and Drama, London.
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His sister was the school music teacher of Jayne Wisener.
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Is an avid supporter of Coleraine Football Club and has donated money to the club.
Met his wife in 1989 whilst performing a world tour of Hamlet (she was understudying Ophelia, he was playing Guildenstern), shortly after leaving their respective drama schools.
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Children: Peggy born 1997 and Mary born 2001.
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Appeared at the CineMagic World Screen Festival for Young People 2002 in Belfast, N.I.
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Good friends with Jerome Flynn, they play soccer together.
$18 Million
