Oscar winner. Mr. Darcy. King George VI. Harry Hart. Four decades of extraordinary performances. The career archive.
Born September 10, 1960 in Grayshott, Hampshire, England. Son of academics (both parents were lecturers). Grew up in Nigeria and the US before returning to England. Trained at the Drama Centre London (the same school that produced Anthony Hopkins and Simon Russell Beale).
Another Country (1984) was his film debut, but it was the BBC's Pride and Prejudice (1995) that made him a global star at 35. Before that, he was a respected stage and TV actor. After Darcy, everything changed.
A Single Man (2009) earned his first Oscar nomination. The King's Speech (2010) won him the Academy Award, BAFTA, Golden Globe, and SAG Award in a single season. He was 50 years old. Some careers peak early; Firth's peaked at perfection.
Married Livia Giuggioli (1999-2019). Two sons: Luca and Matteo. Also has a son, Will, from a previous relationship. Became an Italian citizen in 2017. Known for his privacy, intelligence, and dry wit in interviews.
Won: Best Actor, The King's Speech (2010). Nominated: Best Actor, A Single Man (2009). Two nominations, one win. Both performances are masterclasses.
Won: Best Actor, The King's Speech (2010). Won: Best Actor, A Single Man (2009). Multiple other nominations across his career. Recognized by his home country's most prestigious film body.
CBE (Commander of the Order of the British Empire), 2011. Venice Film Festival: Best Actor, A Single Man. Screen Actors Guild: Best Actor, The King's Speech. Golden Globe: Best Actor, The King's Speech. Star on Hollywood Walk of Fame: 2011.
Mamma Mia! ($600M+ worldwide), Kingsman: The Secret Service ($400M+), Bridget Jones franchise ($500M+ combined), The King's Speech ($400M+). Firth has starred in over $3 billion in worldwide box office.
Directed Firth in The King's Speech. The director-actor relationship produced the performance of a lifetime. Hooper's intimacy with the camera matched Firth's subtlety perfectly.
Directed Firth in the Kingsman franchise. Reinvented Firth as an action star. Showed his range could extend to stylish, physical comedy-action. A revelation for audiences who only knew him as Darcy.
Co-star in The King's Speech as Lionel Logue. The chemistry between Firth's King George and Rush's speech therapist is one of the great screen partnerships. Two heavyweights at the peak of their powers.
Three Bridget Jones films together. Their comic timing and romantic chemistry carried a franchise across 15 years. Zellweger gained weight, learned a British accent, and matched Firth beat for beat.