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A thoroughly decent English actor loved for his bumbling comic skills, Jim
Broadbent is the star of this website and the Honorary President of the Lindsey
Rural Players (Broadbent Theatre). He is one of Britain's most versatile
character actors, with a long list of credits ranging from screwball comedy to
weighty drama. Born in Lincolnshire in May 1949, Jim is the youngest son of
furniture maker Roy and Sculptress Dee Broadbent, founder members of the Lindsey
Rural Players and stalwarts of the Broadbent Theatre. He lives in North West
London with artist wife Anastasia Lewis. They also have a home in Lincolnshire.
Latest: Jim can currently be seen in Gangs of New York alongside Leonado
DiCaprio, Daniel Day-Lewis and Cameron Diaz. He has recently been seen on TV in
The Gathering Storm for BBC films. The drama focuses on Churchill's period in
the political wilderness before the war when his warnings about the rise of the
Nazis were ignored. Jim plays Churchill's friend Desmond Morton. 'A Lonely War'
will star Albert Finney as Churchill and Vanessa Redgrave as his wife Clemmie,
and Gladiator director Ridley Scott is executive producer. Jim will next be seen
in Nicholas Nickleby in the role of Wackford Squeers followed by a new feature
length animated film The Magic Roundabout where he will provide the voice for
Brian the Snail.
Awards: In an overwhelmingly successful 2002 awards season Jim scooped the Oscar
for Best Supporting Actor for his role as John Bayley in IRIS. One month earlier
he won the BAFTA for Best Supporting Actor for his role as Harold Zidler in
Moulin Rouge and just prior to that he was awarded a Golden Globe for Best
Supporting Actor in IRIS more.
The National Board of Review (2002) also awarded Jim with Best Supporting Actor
for his roles in 'Moulin Rouge' and 'Iris'. The Los Angeles Film Critics
Association has followed suit and also awarded Jim Best Supporting Actor for his
roles in 'Moulin Rouge' and 'Iris' which was presented on Jan 22nd.
Jim won the Volpi Cup (1999) for Best Actor at the Venice Film Festival for his
performance as the librettist WS Gilbert in Mike Leigh's film, 'Topsy Turvy'. He
also won the London Evening Standard Film Award for Best Actor for 'Topsy Turvy'
and the London Film Critics Circle Award for British Actor of the Year. Jim also
received nominations for his role in 'Topsy Turvy' from BAFTA, Chicago Film
Critics Association Awards and British Independent Film Awards. He was also
nominated by the Screen Actors Guild Awards for an Outstanding Performance in
'Little Voice'.
Training Jim attended a Quaker boarding school in Reading. He went on to
successfully apply for a place at art school but his heart lay in acting and he
transferred to the London Academy of Music and Dramatic Art (LAMDA) from which
he graduated in 1972. He began his professional career as Acting Assistant Stage
Manager at the Regent's Park Open Air Theatre in London. A significant
breakthrough came in 1976 when he appeared in Ken Campbell's 'Illuminatus' a 12
hour sci-fi extravaganza in which he played a dozen characters.
Theatre Jim's career began on the stage. His rich theatrical background
includes: “The Recruiting Officer”; “Our Country's Good”; “Kafka's Dick” by Alan
Bennett, and “The Government Inspector” at the Royal National Theatre, both for
director Richard Eyre (who also directed "Iris"); “Goosepimples” and “Ecstasy”
for Mike Leigh; and “Our Friends in the North” with the Royal Shakespeare
Company. He was also half of the two-man theatre company, The National Theatre
of Brent, in their epic productions of “The Greatest Story Ever Told”, “The
Complete Guide to Sex”, “The Messiah” and “Revolution”, playing such diverse
roles as God, Mrs. Simpson, Robespierre, John the Baptist, Lord Reith and Marie
Antoinette.
Film Broadbent's film career began in the late seventies. He has said that he
always expected to see more success in his later years and true to form, he has
gone on to star in some top films. Jim played the librettist William S Gilbert
in Mike Leigh's 'Topsy Turvy'. He recently played John Bayley opposite Judi
Dench in "Iris", Zidler in Baz Lurhmann's spectacular "Moulin Rouge" (with
Nicole Kidman and Ewan McGregor) and Bridget's dad in 'Bridget Jones's Diary'.
He has starred in 'The Avengers' (with Ralph Fiennes, Uma Thurman and Sean
Connery), 'Little Voice' (with Michael Caine and Jane Horrocks), 'The Borrowers'
(with John Goodman) and Ian McKellen's 'Richard III'. He played Mr. Worrell in
the excellent 'Princess Caraboo' (with Phoebe Cates), Woody Allen's 'Bullets
Over Broadway' and Neil Jordan's 'The Crying Game'. Check the filmography page
for more details.
TV Broadbent's distinguished and wide-ranging work for British television
includes: “Long Distance Information”, “The Last Company Car” and “Walter” with
Ian McKellen, all directed by Stephen Frears; “Birth Of A Nation” and “Tales Out
of School”, directed by Mike Newell; and three dramas by Alan Bennett:
“Intensive Care”, “Our Winnie” and “The Insurance Man” In addition, Broadbent
wrote and starred in the award-winning short film 'A Sense of History' directed
by Mike Leigh. He has starred in two series of sitcom, “The Peter Principle” as
Peter Duffley, in 1997 and 2000. He also starred in ITV's six-part comedy-dramas
“Gone to the Dogs” and “Gone to Seed,” and in such classic comedies as “Not The
Nine O'clock News,” Roy Slater in “Only Fools and Horses” (he famously turned
down the role of Del Boy), the first season of “Black Adder”, and “The Victoria
Wood Show”
Credit:
broadbent.org
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