FIRTH, Colin 1960–

PERSONAL

Born September 10, 1960, in Grayshott, Hampshire, England; son of David (a college history lecturer) and Shirley (a university lecturer in comparative religion) Firth; brother of Jonathan Firth (an actor) and Kate Firth (a vocal coach); married Livia Giuggioli (a film producer), June 21, 1997; children: Luca (son), Mateo; (with actress Meg Tilly) William. Education: Attended junior high school in St. Louis, MO; attended Drama Centre at Chalk Farm, London, 1980–82.

Addresses: Agent— International Creative Management, 8942 Wilshire Blvd., Beverly Hills, CA 90211.

Career: Actor. Shaw Theatre, London, telephone clerk, 1979; National Theatre, London, worked in wardrobe department, 1979–80; performed in England with National Youth Theatre.

Awards, Honors: Seattle Film Festival Award, best actor, 1988, for Apartment Zero; Royal Television Society awards, best actor, 1989, 1990, and Television Award nomination, best actor, British Academy of Film and Television Arts, 1989, all for Tumbledown; Television Award nomination, best actor, British Academy of Film and Television Arts, Broadcasting Press Guild Award, best actor, and National Television Award nomination, most popular actor, all 1996, for Jane Austen's "Pride and Prejudice"; Screen Actors Guild Award nomination, outstanding cast performance (with others), 1997, for The English Patient; Screen Actors Guild Award, outstanding performance by a cast (with others), 1999, for Shakespeare in Love; Emmy Award nomination, outstanding supporting actor in a miniseries or movie, 2001, and Golden Satellite Award nomination, best supporting actor in a series, miniseries, or television movie, International Press Academy, 2002, both for Conspiracy; Audience Award, best actor, European Film Awards, 2001, Film Award nomination, outstanding performance by a supporting actor, British Academy of Film and Television Arts, 2002, Golden Satellite Award nomination, best actor in a comedy or musical motion picture, 2002, and MTV Movie Award nomination, best kiss (with Renee Zellweger), 2002, all for Bridget Jones's Diary.

CREDITS

Film Appearances:

Tommy Judd, Another Country, Orion, 1984.

Young Alexander, 1919, British Film Institute/Channel 4, 1984.

Tom Birkin, A Month in the Country, Orion, 1987.

Adrian LeDuc, Apartment Zero, Skouras, 1988.

Vicomte DeValmont (title role), Valmont, Orion, 1990.

Brian Smith, Wings of Fame, Cannon, 1990.

Joseph "Joe" Prince, Femme Fatale (also known as Fatal Woman ), 1991.

Richard Courtois, The Advocate (also known as The Hour of the Pig ), Miramax, 1994.

Ross Talbert/Michael Condren, Playmaker (also known as Private Teacher ), Odyssey Entertainment, 1994.

Simon Westward, Circle of Friends (also known as Good Girls ), Savoy Pictures, 1995.

Geoffrey Clifton, The English Patient, Miramax, 1996.

Paul Ashworth, Fever Pitch, Film Four Distributors, 1997.

Jess Clark, A Thousand Acres, Buena Vista, 1997.

Lord Wessex, Shakespeare in Love, Miramax, 1998.

Matthew Field, The Secret Laughter of Women, Optimum Releasing, 1998.

Edward Pettigrew, My Life So Far, Miramax, 1999.

Mark Darcy, Bridget Jones's Diary (also known as Le journal de Bridget Jones ), Miramax, 2001.

Jack Worthing, The Importance of Being Earnest (also known as L'importance d'etre constant ), Miramax, 2002.

Colin Ware, Hope Springs, Buena Vista, 2003.

Lord Henry Dashwood, What a Girl Wants, Warner Bros., 2003.

Johannes Vermeer, Girl with a Pearl Earring, Lions Gate Films, 2003.

Jamie, Love Actually, Universal, 2003.

Ben, Trauma, Warner Bros., 2004.

Mark Darcy, Bridget Jones: The Edge of Reason, Miramax, 2004.

Television Appearances; Miniseries:

Richard Herncastle, Lost Empires, Granada (England), 1985–1986, then on Masterpiece Theatre, PBS, 1987.

Mr. Fitzwilliam Darcy, Jane Austen's "Pride and Prejudice, " BBC (England), 1995, then Arts and Entertainment, 1996.

Charles Gould, Nostromo (also known as Joseph Conrad's Nostromo and Nostromo—Der Schatz in den Bergen ), BBC, 1996, then PBS, 1997.

William Shakespeare, Blackadder Back & Forth, PBS, 1999.

Television Appearances; Movies:

Armand Duval, Camille, CBS, 1984.

Colin Craven as an adult, The Secret Garden, CBS, 1987.

Lieutenant Robert Lawrence, Tumbledown, BBC (England), 1987, then Arts and Entertainment, 1990.

Alan, Out of the Blue, BBC, 1991.

John McCarthy, Hostages, Granada (England), 1992, then on HBO Showcase, HBO, 1993.

Stephen Whalby, Master of the Moor (also known as The Ruth Rendell Mysteries: Master of the Moor ), Meridian (England), 1993, then U.S. broadcast, 1994.

Freddie Page, The Deep Blue Sea, BBC, 1994.

Charles Holroyd, The Widowing of Mrs. Holroyd, 1995.

The master, "The Turn of the Screw," Masterpiece Theatre, PBS, 1999.

Title role, Donovan Quick, BBC, 1999.

Peter Ingleton, Relative Values, Starz!, 2000.

Dr. Wilhelm Stuckart, Conspiracy, HBO, 2001.

Allen Portland, Londinium, Cinemax, 2001.

Television Appearances; Specials:

Neil Truelove, Dutch Girls, London Weekend Television (England), 1985.

Rene Wilcox, "Tales from the Hollywood Hills: Pat Hobby Teamed with Genius" (also known as "Pat Hobby Teamed with Genius"), Great Performances, PBS, 1987.

"Milos Forman: Portrait," American Masters, PBS, 1989.

Windmills on the Clyde: Making "Donovan Quick, " BBC (England), 2000.

We Know Where You Live (also known as Amnesty International's We Know Where You Live Live! ), Channel 4 (England), 2001.

Judi Dench: A BAFTA Tribute, BBC, 2002.

Interviewee, Forever Ealing, TCM, 2002.

Television Appearances; Episodic:

Guest, RI:SE, 2003.

Stage Appearances:

(London debut) Guy Bennett, Another Country, Queen's Theatre, 1981.

Dubedat, The Doctor's Dilemma, Churchill Theatre, Bromley, England, 1984.

Felix, The Lonely Road, Old Vic Theatre, London, 1985.

Eben, Desire under the Elms, Greenwich Theatre, London, 1987.

Aston, The Caretaker, Comedy Theatre, London, 1991.

Chatsky; or, The Importance of Being Stupid, Almeida Theater, London, 1993.

Walker and Ned, Three Days of Rain, Donmar Warehouse Theatre, London, 1999–2000.

Title role, Hamlet, London, 2001.

Radio Appearances:

Richard II, Two Planks and a Passion, BBC (England), 1986.

Rupert Brooke, The One before the Last, BBC, 1987.

RECORDINGS

Audio Books:

Narrator, Comeback, Random Century Audio Books, 1992.

WRITINGS

Author of a short story, "The Department of Nothing," anthologized in Speaking with the Angel, compiled by Nick Hornby, 2000.

OTHER SOURCES

Periodicals:

Daily Telegraph, February 26, 1999; March 22, 2000; April 3, 2001.

Empire, Issue 94, 1997, pp. 68–70, 72.

Evening Standard, June 12, 2000.

Harper's Bazaar, May, 1996, p. 168.

New York Times, January 15, 1996.

People Weekly, February 5, 1996, p. 128; February 8, 1999, pp. 73–74, 76; May 14, 2001, p. 179.

Premiere, Volume 5, issue 3, 1997, pp. 22–23.