Colin Firth

Early life

Firth was born in Grayshott , Hampshire , United Kingdom , the son of Shirley Jean ( née 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 , who is also an actor. Firth's parents were raised in India ,because his maternal grandparents, Congregationalist ministers, and his paternal grandfather, an Anglican priest, performed missionary work abroad.Firth spent part of his childhood in Nigeria , where his father was teaching. He lived in St. Louis , Missouri when he was 11. He later attended the Montgomery of Alamein Secondary School (now Kings' School), a state comprehensive school in Winchester , Hampshire, and then Barton Peveril College in Eastleigh , Hampshire. While in Kings' School, he wanted to play the guitar, but the school banned the guitar and saxophone, as they were "not serious instruments", and he was told to play the baritone euphonium instead.His acting training took place at the Drama Centre London .

Film career

In 1983, Firth starred as Guy Bennett the award-winning London stage production ofAnother Country. 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 1986 he starred with Sir Laurence Olivier inLost Empires, a TV adaptation of J. B. Priestley 's novel, then in 1987 he appeared alongside Kenneth Branagh in the film version of J. L. Carr 's,A Month in the Country. In 1989, he played the title role in the filmValmont, and was co-lead in the filmApartment Zero. Firth and other young British actors who were becoming established film actors such as Tim Roth , Gary Oldman , Bruce Payne and Paul McGann were dubbed the ' Brit Pack '.

It was through the 1995 BBC television adaptation of Jane Austen'sPride and Prejudicethat Firth gained wider renown. The serial was a major international success, and Firth gained heartthrob status^{[citation needed]}because of his role as Mr. 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 .^{[citation needed]}Continuing this in-joke there was a dog called Mr Darcy in the filmSt. Trinian'swhich Firth's character accidentally kills.^{[citation needed]}

Firth had a supporting role inThe English Patient(1996) and since then has starred in films such asFever Pitch(1997),Shakespeare in Love(1998),Relative Values(2000),Bridget Jones's Diary(2001),The Importance of Being Earnest(2002),Love Actually(2003),What a Girl Wants(2003),Hope Springs(2003),Girl with a Pearl Earring(2003),Bridget Jones: The Edge of Reason(2004),Nanny McPhee(2005),Then She Found Me(2007) with Helen Hunt ,The Last Legion(2007) with Aishwarya Rai ,When Did You Last See Your Father?(2008), the film adaptation ofMamma Mia!(2008), andEasy Virtue, which screened at the Rome Film Festival to excellent reviews.In 2009, he starred inA Christmas Carol, an adaptation of Charles Dickens 's novelA Christmas Carolusing the performance capture procedure, playing Scrooge's optimistic nephew Fred , alongside Jim Carrey , who played Scrooge.

He has also appeared in several television productions, includingDonovan Quick(an updated version ofDon Quixote) (1999) andConspiracy(2001), for which he received an Emmy nomination. Colin Firth's most recent role is in the Toronto International Film Festival debuted film,Genova.

At the 66th Venice International Film Festival in 2009, Colin Firth was awarded the Volpi Cup for Best Actor for his role in Tom Ford'sA Single Manas a college professor grappling with solitude after his longtime partner dies. Fashion designer Tom Ford made his director's debut with this movie. This role has earned Firth career best reviews and Academy Award, Golden Globe, Screen Actors Guild, BAFTA, and BFCA nominations; he won the BAFTA Award for Best Actor in a Leading Role in February 2010.^{[citation needed]}

Firth starred in the 2010 filmThe King's Speech. At the Toronto Film Festival, the film was met with a standing ovation.The TIFF release ofThe King's Speechfell on Colin's 50th birthday and was called the " best 50th birthday gift ". On the 15th of December 2010, he was nominated for a Golden Globe for his performance in "The King's Speech." He fell under the category of Best Performance by an Actor in a Motion Picture - Drama

Firth will appear in the 2012 adaptation of the John le Carré novelTinker, Tailor, Soldier, Spy, directed by Tomas Alfredson , also starring Ralph Fiennes , Gary Oldman , and Tom Hardy .

Other work

Firth played William Shakespeare in a comedy special entitledBlackadder: Back & Forth. Edmund Blackadder runs into Firth's character while he is working onMacbeth, asks him to sign the script for him, and then punches him, saying "That is for every schoolboy and schoolgirl for the next 400 years!".

He was a guest host ofSaturday Night Livein 2004 alongside musical guest Norah Jones .

Colin performed in theatre frequently between 1983 and 2000. He starred inThree Days of Rainas lead character Ned/Walker, as well asThe Caretaker,Desire Under the Elms, andChatsky.

He served as executive producer for the 2007 documentary produced by his wife, Livia Giuggioli ,In Prison My Whole Life. The film questions the trial proceedings and evidence used against political activist and former Black Panther member, Mumia Abu-Jamal , who is on death row for the 1981 killing of a Philadelphia police officer, Daniel Faulkner.

Firth is also a Jury Member for the digital studio Filmaka, a platform for undiscovered filmmakers to show their work to industry professionals.On 2 February 2010, Firth was nominated for an Academy Award for his role inA Single Man. He lost to Jeff Bridges for his performance inCrazy Heart.

Writer

Firth's first published work, "The Department of Nothing", appeared inSpeaking with the Angel(2000).This collection of short stories was edited by Nick Hornby and was published to benefit the TreeHouse Trust ,in aid of autistic children. Firth had previously met Hornby during the filming of the originalFever Pitch.Colin Firth contributed with his writing for the book,We Are One: A Celebration of Tribal Peoples, released in 2009.The book explores the culture of peoples around the world, portraying both its diversity and facing threats. It counts with the contributions of many western writers, such as Laurens van der Post , Noam Chomsky , Claude Lévi-Strauss ; and also indigenous peoples, such as Davi Kopenawa Yanomami and Roy Sesana . The royalties from the sale of this book go to the indigenous rights organization, Survival International .

Personal life

Firth at theNanny McPheeLondon premiere in October 2005

Firth resides in Chiswick, London. In 1989, he entered into a romantic relationship with actress Meg Tilly his co-star inValmont. In 1990, she gave birth to a son, William "Will" Joseph Firth, and they made their home in Canada. He still stays in contact with Will and with Tilly's other children for whom he was a step father . In 1994, after he and Tilly had separated, Firth became involved with actress Jennifer Ehle , his co-star inPride and Prejudice, but the two broke up eventually. Firth is currently married to Italian film producer/director Livia Giuggioli and lives in both London and Italy .They have two sons, Luca (born March 2001) and Matteo (born August 2003).

Firth has been involved in a campaign to stop the deportation of a group of asylum seekers , because he believed that they might be murdered on their return to the Democratic Republic of Congo .Firth argued that "To me it's just basic civilization 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 xenophobes . 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 been a long-standing supporter of Survival International , a non-governmental organization that 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 2003, during the promotion of the movieLove Actually, he spoke in defense of the tribal people of Botswana , condemning the Botswana government's eviction of the Gana and Gwi Bushmen from the Central Kalahari Game Reserve . He says of the Bushmen, "These people are not the remnants of a past era who need to be brought up to date. Those who are able to continue to live on the land that is rightfully theirs are facing the 21st century with a confidence that many of us in the so-called developed world can only envy."

Firth has also been involved in the Oxfam global campaign Make Trade Fair ,in which several other celebrities participated as well in order to bring more attention to the issues involved.The campaign has focused on several trade practices seen as unfair to third world producers especially, including dumping, high import tariffs, and labour rights such as fair wages. Firth remains deeply committed to this cause, making efforts such as supporting fair trade coffee in his daily life, as he believes "[i]f you're going to sustain commitment to any of this, ... [y]ou've got to get involved on an ordinary every day basis."He has further contributed to this cause by opening (with a few collaborators) an eco-friendly shop in West London, Eco.The shop offers fair trade and eco-friendly goods, as well as expert advice on making spaces more energy efficient.

In October 2009 at the London Film Festival , Firth launched a film and political activism website, Brightwide.com ,along with his wife Livia and a team headed by Paola De Leo , a former Director of Deutsche Bank and Head of the Global Major Donor Programme for Amnesty . In a 2006 interview with French magazineMadame Figaro,Firth was asked "Quelles sont les femmes de votre vie?" (Who are the women of your life?). Firth replied: "Ma mère, ma femme et Jane Austen " (My mother, my wife and Jane Austen). He was awarded an honorary degree on 19 October 2007 from the University of Winchester .

In early 2010, Firth announced his support for the Liberal Democrats , having formerly been a Labour supporter, citing asylum and refugees' rights as a key reason for his change in affiliation.In December 2010, Firth retracted his support of the Liberal Democrats, citing their U-turn on tuition fees as one of the key reasons for his disillusionment. He clarified that while he no longer supports the Liberal Democrats, he is currently without affiliation.

Singing career

Firth has performed songs in many of his films, the most recent beingMamma Mia!He performs the song "Lady Come Down" alongside Rupert Everett inThe Importance of Being Earnestas well as one song inSt. Trinian'swith Everett which appeared in the credits, an adaptation of " Love Is in the Air ".

Further reading

• Teeman, Tim (20 September 2007). "Colin Firth's Darcy Dilemma" . London: The Times. http://entertainment.timesonline.co.uk/tol/arts_and_entertainment/film/article2490180.ece. Retrieved 23 September 2007. !

In 1983, Firth starred as Guy Bennett the award-winning London stage production ofAnother Country. 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 1986 he starred with Sir Laurence Olivier inLost Empires, a TV adaptation of J. B. Priestley 's novel, then in 1987 he appeared alongside Kenneth Branagh in the film version of J. L. Carr 's,A Month in the Country. In 1989, he played the title role in the filmValmont, and was co-lead in the filmApartment Zero. Firth and other young British actors who were becoming established film actors such as Tim Roth , Gary Oldman , Bruce Payne and Paul McGann were dubbed the ' Brit Pack '.

It was through the 1995 BBC television adaptation of Jane Austen'sPride and Prejudicethat Firth gained wider renown. The serial was a major international success, and Firth gained heartthrob status^{[citation needed]}because of his role as Mr. 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 .^{[citation needed]}Continuing this in-joke there was a dog called Mr Darcy in the filmSt. Trinian'swhich Firth's character accidentally kills.^{[citation needed]}

Firth had a supporting role inThe English Patient(1996) and since then has starred in films such asFever Pitch(1997),Shakespeare in Love(1998),Relative Values(2000),Bridget Jones's Diary(2001),The Importance of Being Earnest(2002),Love Actually(2003),What a Girl Wants(2003),Hope Springs(2003),Girl with a Pearl Earring(2003),Bridget Jones: The Edge of Reason(2004),Nanny McPhee(2005),Then She Found Me(2007) with Helen Hunt ,The Last Legion(2007) with Aishwarya Rai ,When Did You Last See Your Father?(2008), the film adaptation ofMamma Mia!(2008), andEasy Virtue, which screened at the Rome Film Festival to excellent reviews.In 2009, he starred inA Christmas Carol, an adaptation of Charles Dickens 's novelA Christmas Carolusing the performance capture procedure, playing Scrooge's optimistic nephew Fred , alongside Jim Carrey , who played Scrooge.

He has also appeared in several television productions, includingDonovan Quick(an updated version ofDon Quixote) (1999) andConspiracy(2001), for which he received an Emmy nomination. Colin Firth's most recent role is in the Toronto International Film Festival debuted film,Genova.

At the 66th Venice International Film Festival in 2009, Colin Firth was awarded the Volpi Cup for Best Actor for his role in Tom Ford'sA Single Manas a college professor grappling with solitude after his longtime partner dies. Fashion designer Tom Ford made his director's debut with this movie. This role has earned Firth career best reviews and Academy Award, Golden Globe, Screen Actors Guild, BAFTA, and BFCA nominations; he won the BAFTA Award for Best Actor in a Leading Role in February 2010.^{[citation needed]}

Firth starred in the 2010 filmThe King's Speech. At the Toronto Film Festival, the film was met with a standing ovation.The TIFF release ofThe King's Speechfell on Colin's 50th birthday and was called the " best 50th birthday gift ". On the 15th of December 2010, he was nominated for a Golden Globe for his performance in "The King's Speech." He fell under the category of Best Performance by an Actor in a Motion Picture - Drama

Firth will appear in the 2012 adaptation of the John le Carré novelTinker, Tailor, Soldier, Spy, directed by Tomas Alfredson , also starring Ralph Fiennes , Gary Oldman , and Tom Hardy .

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"We Are One" . Survival International. . Retrieved 2010-05-03. Steiner, Susie (31 March 2001)."Twice Shy" .The Guardian(London). . Retrieved 20 May 2008. Firth, Colin (26 February 2007)."We must stop a deportation that is likely to end in murder" .The Independent(London). . Retrieved 27 February 2007. Johnson, Andrew (26 February 2007)."Colin Firth makes plea for nurse 'facing murder' in Congo" .The Independent(London). . Retrieved 27 February 2007. "Firth's intervention saves nurse from deportation" .The Independent(London). 27 February 2007. . Retrieved 27 February 2007. "'Love Actually' star Colin Firth condemns Bushman evictions" .Survival International. . Retrieved 27 February 2007. "Audio" .Survival International. .  "Make Trade Fair - Oxfam International" . maketradefair.com. .  "Celebrities present 18 million-strong Make Trade Fair petition to World Trade boss in Hong Kong - Oxfam International" . Oxfam International. .  "Colin Firth Profile in the Independent" . firth.com. .  Grainger, Lisa (17 November 2007)."Colin Firth's New Eco-Store" . London: timesonline.co.uk. . Retrieved 30 April 2010. Dawtrey, Adam (22 September 2009)."The Rebirth of Colin Firth" . London: guardian.co.uk. . Retrieved 30 April 2010. "In Private with Colin Firth" . Firth.com. .  Backers, Celebrity (2010-03-16)."Colin Firth on why he’s stopped voting Labour and now supports the Lib Dems" . Libdemvoice.org. . Retrieved 2010-05-03.
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