Jump to content

Colin Firth

From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

Colin Firth
CBE
Firth in 2017
Born
Colin Andrew Firth

(1960-09-10) 10 September 1960 (age 64)
Grayshott, Hampshire, England
Citizenship
  • United Kingdom
  • Italy
Alma materNational Youth Theatre
Drama Centre London
Occupations
  • Actor
  • producer
Years active1983–present
WorksFull list
Spouse
Livia Giuggioli
​
​
(m. 1997; div. 2021)​
PartnerMeg Tilly (1989–1994)
Children3
Relatives
AwardsFull list

Colin Andrew Firth CBE (born 10 September 1960) is an English actor and producer. He is the recipient of several accolades, including an Academy Award, two BAFTA Awards, and a Golden Globe Award, as well as nominations for two Primetime Emmy Awards. In 2011, Firth was appointed a CBE for his services to drama,[1][2] and appeared in Time magazine's 100 most influential people in the world.[3]

Identified in the mid-1980s with the "Brit Pack" of rising young British actors,[4] he had leading roles in A Month in the Country (1987), Tumbledown (1988) and Valmont (1989). His portrayal of Mr. Darcy in the 1995 television adaptation of Jane Austen's Pride and Prejudice led to widespread attention and roles in more prominent films such as The English Patient (1996), Shakespeare in Love (1998), The Importance of Being Earnest (2002), and Love Actually (2003). He starred as Mark Darcy in the romantic comedy films Bridget Jones's Diary (2001), Bridget Jones: The Edge of Reason (2004), and Bridget Jones's Baby (2016), and also featured in the musical comedy films Mamma Mia! (2008) and Mamma Mia! Here We Go Again! (2018).

Firth won the Academy Award for Best Actor for his portrayal of King George VI in the historical drama The King's Speech (2010).[5] He was Oscar-nominated for playing a grieving gay man in the romantic drama A Single Man (2009), which earned him the BAFTA Award and the Volpi Cup for Best Actor. He subsequently played secret agent Harry Hart in Kingsman: The Secret Service (2014) and its sequel Kingsman: The Golden Circle (2017), and acted in Tinker Tailor Soldier Spy (2011), Mary Poppins Returns (2018), 1917 (2019), Supernova (2020), Operation Mincemeat (2021). For his roles on television, he received Primetime Emmy Award nominations for his portrayals of Dr. Wilhelm Stuckart in the BBC film Conspiracy (2001), and Michael Peterson in the HBO limited series The Staircase (2022).

In 2012, he founded the production company Raindog Films, where he served as a producer for Eye in the Sky (2015) and Loving (2016). His films have grossed more than $3 billion from 42 releases worldwide.[6] Firth has campaigned for the rights of Indigenous people and is a member of Survival International. He has also campaigned on issues of asylum seekers, refugees' rights and the environment. He commissioned and co-authored a scientific paper on a study of the differences in brain structure between people of differing political orientations.[7]

Early life and education

[edit]

Firth was born in the village of Grayshott, Hampshire,[8] to parents who were academics and teachers. His mother, Shirley Jean (née Rolles), was a comparative religion lecturer at King Alfred's College (now the University of Winchester); and his father, David Norman Lewis Firth, was a history lecturer at King Alfred's and education officer for the Nigerian government.[9][10][11] Firth is the eldest of three children; his sister Kate is an actress and voice coach, and his brother Jonathan is also an actor.[12] His maternal grandparents were Congregationalist ministers and his paternal grandfather was an Anglican priest. They did overseas missionary work, and both of his parents were born and spent part of their childhoods in India.[13][14][15]

As a child, Firth frequently travelled due to his parents' work, spending some years in Nigeria.[16] He also lived in St. Louis, Missouri, when he was 11, which he has described as "a difficult time".[17] On returning to England, he attended the Montgomery of Alamein Secondary School (now Kings' School, Winchester), which at the time was a state comprehensive school in Winchester, Hampshire. He was still an outsider and the target of bullying. To counter this, he adopted the local working-class Hampshire accent and copied his schoolmates' lack of interest in schoolwork.[18]

Firth began attending drama workshops at age 10, and by 14 had decided to be a professional actor. Until further education, he was not academically inclined, later saying in an interview, "I didn't like school. I just thought it was boring and mediocre and nothing they taught me seemed to be of any interest at all."[17] However, at Barton Peveril Sixth Form College in Eastleigh, he was imbued with a love of English literature by an enthusiastic teacher, Penny Edwards, and has said that his two years there were among the happiest of his life.[19]

After his sixth form years, Firth moved to London and joined the National Youth Theatre, where he made many contacts and got a job in the wardrobe department at the National Theatre.[18] He subsequently studied at Drama Centre London.[20]

Career

[edit]

1983–1995: Early work and breakthrough

[edit]

Firth played Hamlet in the Drama Centre end-of-year production, and in 1984, Firth made his film debut as Tommy Judd, Guy Bennett's straight, Marxist school friend in the screen adaptation of the play (with Rupert Everett as Guy Bennett).[21][22] It was the start of a longstanding public feud between Firth and Everett, which was eventually resolved.[23] He starred with Sir Laurence Olivier in Lost Empires (1986), a TV adaptation of J. B. Priestley's novel.[24]

In 1987, Firth and other up-and-coming British actors such as Tim Roth, Bruce Payne and Paul McGann were dubbed the 'Brit Pack'.[25] That year, he appeared with Kenneth Branagh in the film version of J. L. Carr's A Month in the Country.[26] Sheila Johnston observed a theme in his early work of playing those traumatised by war.[27] He portrayed real-life British soldier Robert Lawrence MC in the 1988 BBC dramatisation Tumbledown. Lawrence was severely injured at the Battle of Mount Tumbledown during the Falklands War, and the film details his struggles to adjust to his disability whilst confronted with indifference from the government and public. It attracted controversy at the time, with criticism coming from left and right sides of the political spectrum.[27] Despite this, the performance brought Firth a Royal TV Society Best Actor Award, and a nomination for the 1989 BAFTA Television Award.[28] In 1989, he played the title role in Miloš Forman's Valmont, based on Les Liaisons dangereuses.[29] Released just a year after Dangerous Liaisons, it did not make a big impact in comparison. That year he also played a paranoid, socially awkward character in the Argentinian psychological thriller Apartment Zero.[30]

Firth finally became a British household name through his role as the aloof, haughty aristocrat Mr. Darcy in the 1995 BBC television adaptation of Jane Austen's Pride and Prejudice. Producer Sue Birtwistle's first choice for the part, he was eventually persuaded to take it despite his unfamiliarity with Austen's writing.[31] He and co-star Jennifer Ehle began a romantic relationship during the filming, which received media attention only after their separation.[32] Sheila Johnston wrote that Firth's approach to the part "lent Darcy complex shades of coldness, even caddishness, in the early episodes".[27] The series was an international success and unexpectedly elevated Firth to stardom[32]—in some part due to a scene not from the novel, where he emerges from a lake swim in a wet shirt.[33] Although he did not mind being recognised as "a romantic idol as a Darcy with smouldering sex appeal"[34] in a role that "officially turned him into a heart-throb",[35] he expressed the wish not to be associated with Pride and Prejudice forever.[36] He was, therefore, reluctant to accept similar roles and risk becoming typecast.[18]

1996–2008: Romance and ensemble films

[edit]

For a time, it did seem as if Mr. Darcy would overshadow the rest of Firth's career, and there were humorous allusions to the role in his next five movies.[37] The most notable was his casting as the love interest Mark Darcy in the film adaptation of Bridget Jones's Diary, itself a modern-day retelling of Pride and Prejudice. Firth accepted the part as he saw it as an opportunity to lampoon his Mr. Darcy character.[38] The film was very successful[39] and critically well-liked.[40] A 2004 sequel was mostly panned by critics[41] but still financially successful.

Prior to this, Firth had a significant supporting role in The English Patient (1996) as the husband of Kristin Scott Thomas's character, whose jealousy of her adultery leads to tragedy. That year he also played the husband of the character of Kristin's sister, Serena Scott Thomas, in the television miniseries Nostromo. Of the two he said "Serena was a much more faithful wife."

He next played the lead role as a school teacher and obsessed Arsenal F.C. football fan in the romantic fictional adaptation Fever Pitch (1997) of Nick Hornby’s million-selling autobiographical essay Fever Pitch: A Fan's Life.

He had parts in light romantic period pieces such as Shakespeare in Love (1998), Relative Values (2000) and The Importance of Being Earnest (2002). He appeared in several television productions, including Donovan Quick (an updated version of Don Quixote) (1999),[42] and had a more serious role as Dr. Wilhelm Stuckart in Conspiracy (2001), concerning the Nazi Wannsee Conference, for which he was nominated for a Primetime Emmy Award.[43]

Firth featured in the ensemble all-star cast of Richard Curtis's Love Actually (2003), another financial success[44] which divided critics.[45][46] He was also given solo billing as the romantic lead in Hope Springs, but it received very poor reviews[47][48] and made little box-office impact.[49] He starred as Amanda Bynes' character's father in the 2003 teen comedy What A Girl Wants, which was based on the play The Reluctant Debutante.[50] He played painter Johannes Vermeer opposite Scarlett Johansson in the 2003 release Girl with a Pearl Earring; some critics praised the film's subtlety[51] and sumptuous visuals,[52] whilst others found it almost restrained, tedious and bereft of emotion.[53] Nevertheless, it received mostly favourable reviews, was moderately successful[54] and earned several awards and nominations.

Firth at the premiere of Nanny McPhee in 2005

In 2005 Firth appeared in Nanny McPhee with Emma Thompson, in which he plays a struggling widowed father, it was a rare venture for him into the fantasy genre.[55] He also appeared in Where the Truth Lies, a return to some of his darker, more intense early roles, that included a notorious scene featuring a bisexual orgy.[56] Sheila Johnston wrote that it "confounded his fans", but nonetheless that his character "draws knowingly on that suave, cultivated persona",[57] which could be traced from Mr. Darcy. Other films from this time included Then She Found Me (2007) with Helen Hunt and The Last Legion (2007) with Aishwarya Rai.

In 2008, he played the adult Blake Morrison reminiscing on his difficult relationship with his ailing father in the film adaptation of Morrison's memoir, And When Did You Last See Your Father? It received generally favorable reviews.[58][59] Peter Bradshaw of The Guardian gave it four out of five stars.[60] Manohla Dargis in The New York Times said: "It's a pleasure to watch Mr. Firth–a supremely controlled actor who makes each developing fissure visible–show the adult Blake coming to terms with his contradictory feelings, letting the love and the hurt pour out of him."[61] Philip French of The Observer wrote that Firth "[does] quiet agonising to perfection."[62] However, Derek Elley of Variety called the film "an unashamed tearjerker that's all wrapping and no center." While he conceded that it was "undeniably effective at a gut level despite its dramatic shortcomings", he added, "Things aren't helped any by Firth's dour perf, as his Blake comes across as a self-centered whiner, a latter-day Me Generation figure who's obsessed with finding problems when there really aren't any."[63]

The film adaptation of Mamma Mia! (2008) was Firth's first foray into musicals. He described the experience as "a bit nerve-wracking"[64] but believed he got off lightly by being tasked with one of the less demanding songs, Our Last Summer.[65] Mamma Mia became the highest grossing British-made film of all time,[66] taking in over $600 million worldwide.[67] Like Love Actually, it polarised critics, with supporters such as Empire calling it "cute, clean, camp fun, full of sunshine, and toe tappers",[68] whereas Peter Bradshaw in The Guardian said the film gave him a "need to vomit".[69] Carrie Rickey in The Philadelphia Inquirer described Firth's performance as "the embodiment of forced mirth."[70] That year, Firth also starred in Easy Virtue, which screened at the Rome Film Festival to excellent reviews.[71] He starred in Genova, which premiered at the 2008 Toronto International Film Festival.[72] In 2009 he appeared in A Christmas Carol, an adaptation of Charles Dickens' novel, using the performance capture procedure, playing Scrooge's optimistic nephew Fred.[73]

2009–2011: Critical success

[edit]
Firth with Helena Bonham Carter on the set of The King's Speech in 2009, his most critically acclaimed role to date

At the 66th Venice International Film Festival in 2009, Firth received the Volpi Cup for Best Actor for his role in Tom Ford's directorial debut A Single Man, as a college professor grappling with solitude after the death of his longtime partner. His performance earned him 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.[74]

Firth starred in the 2010 film The King's Speech as Prince Albert, Duke of York/King George VI, detailing his efforts to overcome his speech impediment while becoming monarch of the United Kingdom at the end of 1936. At the Toronto International Film Festival (TIFF),[75] the film received a standing ovation. The TIFF release of The King's Speech fell on Firth's 50th birthday and was called the "best 50th birthday gift". On 16 January 2011, he won a Golden Globe for his performance in The King's Speech in the category of Best Performance by an Actor in a Motion Picture – Drama. The Screen Actors Guild recognised him with the award for Best Male Actor on 30 January 2011.[76] In February 2011, he won his second consecutive best actor award at the 2011 BAFTA awards,[77] and received an Academy Award for Best Actor in on 27 February 2011.[78] The film grossed $414,211,549 worldwide.[79]

Firth appeared as senior British secret agent Bill Haydon in the 2011 adaptation of the John le Carré novel Tinker Tailor Soldier Spy, directed by Tomas Alfredson and co-starring Gary Oldman, Benedict Cumberbatch, Tom Hardy, Mark Strong and John Hurt.[80] It gathered mostly excellent reviews.[81] The Independent described Firth's performance as "suavely arrogant" and praised the film.[82] Deborah Young in The Hollywood Reporter thought Firth got "all the best dialogue", which he delivered "sardonically".[83] Leslie Felperin in Variety wrote that all the actors brought their "A game" and Firth was in "particularly choleric, amusing form."[84]

2012–present: Established actor

[edit]
Firth receiving a star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame in 2011

In May 2011, Firth began filming Gambit—a remake of a 1960s crime caper, in the part originally played by Michael Caine. It was released in the UK in November 2012 and was a financial and critical failure.[85][86] Empire's Kim Newman wrote, "Firth starts out homaging Caine with his horn-rimmed cool but soon defaults to his usual repressed British cold mode",[87] whilst Time Out London called his a "likeable performance", although criticised the film overall.[88] Stephen Dalton in The Hollywood Reporter said, "To his credit, Firth keeps his performance grounded in downbeat realism while all around are wildly mugging in desperate pursuit of thin, forced laughs.[89][90] In 2012, Firth co-founded Raindog Films with British music industry executive and entrepreneur Ged Doherty.[91] Its first feature, Eye in the Sky, for which Firth was co-producer, was released in April 2016.[92]

In May 2013, it was announced that Firth had signed to co-star with Emma Stone in Woody Allen's romantic comedy Magic in the Moonlight, set in the 1920s and shot on the French Riviera.[93] In 2014, he did his first turn as Harry Hart / Agent Galahad in the spy action film Kingsman: The Secret Service, which grossed $414.4 million against an $81 million budget.[94] Firth had been announced to voice Paddington Bear for the film Paddington; however, he announced his withdrawal on 17 June 2014, saying: "It's been bittersweet to see this delightful creature take shape and come to the sad realization that he simply doesn't have my voice".[95]

In June 2015, he began filming the story of amateur yachtsman Donald Crowhurst in The Mercy, alongside Rachel Weisz, David Thewlis and Jonathan Bailey.[96] In 2016, Firth reprised his popular role as Mark Darcy in Bridget Jones's Baby, which fared much better with audiences and critics than the second in the series (Bridget Jones: Edge of Reason). He portrayed American book editor Max Perkins in Genius, co-starring Jude Law as author Thomas Wolfe and based on A. Scott Berg's biography Max Perkins: Editor of Genius.[97][98] In 2016 he began filming for Rupert Everett's directorial debut The Happy Prince, a biopic of Oscar Wilde, playing Wilde's friend Reginald "Reggie" Turner.[99]

In 2017, he reprised his role as Jamie from 2003's Love Actually in the television short film Red Nose Day Actually, by original writer and director Richard Curtis.[100] Also that year, Firth returned as Harry Hart / Agent Galahad in the sequel Kingsman: The Golden Circle.[101] In 2018, Firth reprised his role of Harry Bright in the sequel to Mamma Mia!, Mamma Mia! Here We Go Again.[102] That year, he also appeared as William Weatherall Wilkins in the musical fantasy film Mary Poppins Returns, starring Emily Blunt in the title role. He also played British naval commander David Russell in Thomas Vinterberg's Kursk, a film about the true story of the 2000 Kursk submarine disaster, in which he starred alongside Matthias Schoenaerts.[103][104][105] In 2019, he had a cameo as British General Erinmore in Sam Mendes' World War I film 1917.[106] Set in 1947 England, Firth starred with Julie Walters in The Secret Garden and later in 2020 with Stanley Tucci in Supernova.[107] In 2021, he starred in romantic drama film Mothering Sunday directed by Eva Husson.[108] In December 2021, he was cast in Sam Mendes' drama film Empire of Light, starring Olivia Colman.[109] He was seen as Ewen Montagu in Operation Mincemeat, in April 2022.[110] Firth returned to television in May 2022 starring as Michael Peterson in the HBO production The Staircase.[111]

Writing

[edit]

Firth's first published work, "The Department of Nothing", appeared in Speaking with the Angel (2000),[112] a collection of short stories edited by Nick Hornby[113] and published to benefit the TreeHouse Trust[114] to aid autistic children. He met Hornby during the filming of the original Fever Pitch.[115] He contributed to the book We Are One: A Celebration of Tribal Peoples (2009),[116] which explores the cultures, diversity and challenges of Indigenous peoples around the world. It features contributions from many Western writers, including Laurens van der Post, Noam Chomsky, Claude Lévi-Strauss; and from Indigenous people such as Davi Kopenawa Yanomami and Roy Sesana. Profits from the book's sale benefit the Indigenous rights organisation Survival International. Firth was an executive producer for the film In Prison My Whole Life, featuring Noam Chomsky and Angela Davis. It was selected to the 2007 London Film Festival and the 2008 Sundance Film Festival.[117]

In December 2010, Firth was guest editor on BBC Radio 4's Today programme, where he commissioned research to scan the brains of volunteers (mostly university students) to see if there were structural differences that might account for political leanings.[7] The resulting academic paper listed him as an author, along with two University College London researchers[118][119] and the science reporter of the BBC Radio 4 Today programme. For his contribution, professor John Jost called Firth a 'scientific ambassador' in the field of political neuroscience.[7] The study suggested that conservatives had more development in the amygdala, and liberals in the anterior cingulate cortex.

In 2012, Firth's audiobook recording of Graham Greene's The End of the Affair was released at Audible.com[120] and was declared Audiobook of the Year at the 2013 Audie Awards.[121]

Activism

[edit]
Firth with Queen Elizabeth II (and Barack Obama) at Winfield House in London in 2011

Firth has been a longstanding supporter of Survival International, a non-governmental organisation that advocates for the rights of tribal peoples.[122] Speaking in 2001, he said, "My interest in tribal peoples goes back many years ... and I have supported [Survival] ever since."[123] In 2003, during the promotion of Love Actually, he spoke in defence of the Indigenous people of Botswana, condemning the Botswana government's eviction of the Gana and Gwi people (San) from the Central Kalahari Game Reserve. He said of San, "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."[122] He has also backed a Survival International campaign to press the Brazilian government to take more decisive action in defence of Awá-Guajá people, whose land and livelihood is critically threatened by the actions of loggers.[124]

As a supporter of the Refugee Council, Firth was involved in a campaign to stop the deportation of a group of 42 Congolese asylum seekers, expressing concerns in open letters to The Independent and The Guardian that they faced being murdered on their return to the Democratic Republic of Congo.[125][126][127] Firth said: "To me, it's just basic civilisation 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."[128] Four of the asylum seekers were given last-minute reprieves from deportation.[129]

Firth, along with other celebrities, has been involved in the Oxfam[130] global campaign Make Trade Fair, focusing on trade practices considered especially unfair to third-world producers, including dumping, high import tariffs, and labour rights.[131][132][133] He and some collaborators opened Eco, an eco-friendly shop in West London,[134] which offers fair-trade and eco-friendly goods, and expert advice on making spaces more energy efficient. In October 2009, at the London Film Festival, he launched a film and political activism website, Brightwide (since decommissioned), with his wife Livia.[135][136]

During the 2010 general election, Firth announced his support for the Liberal Democrats, having previously been a Labour supporter, citing asylum and refugees' rights as key reasons for the change.[137] In December 2010, he publicly dropped his support of the Liberal Democrats, citing their U-turn on tuition fees, and said that he was currently unaffiliated.[138] He appeared in literature supporting changing the British electoral system from first-past-the-post to alternative vote for electing members of parliament to the House of Commons, in the unsuccessful Alternative Vote referendum in 2011.[139]

In 2009, Firth joined the 10:10 project, supporting the movement calling for people to reduce their carbon footprints. In 2010, he endorsed "Roots & Shoots",[140] an education programme in the UK run by the Jane Goodall Institute.

Personal life

[edit]
Firth with wife Livia Giuggioli in 2011

In 1989, Firth began a relationship with Meg Tilly, his co-star in Valmont. Their son, William Joseph Firth, was born in 1990.[141] William is now also an actor, appearing with his father in Bridget Jones's Baby in 2016. The family moved to the Lower Mainland of British Columbia, Canada but Firth and Tilly ultimately broke up in 1994. During the filming of Pride and Prejudice, Firth and co-star Jennifer Ehle began a romantic relationship, which received media attention only after their separation.[32]

In 1997, Firth married Italian activist Livia Giuggioli.[142] They have two sons, Luca and Matteo.[18] Firth speaks fluent Italian.[143] The family divided their time between Wandsworth, in London, and Umbria, Italy.[144][145] They announced their separation in 2019.[146] They had gone through a private separation several years prior, but had reconciled.[147]

Firth was a vocal opponent of the Brexit initiative for the United Kingdom to leave the European Union. Following the referendum's passage, and the ensuing uncertainty over rights of non-EU citizens, he applied for "dual citizenship (British and Italian)" in 2017 to "have the same passports as his wife and children".[148][149] The Italian interior minister, Marco Minniti, announced Firth's application had been approved on 22 September 2017.[150] Firth said, "I will always be extremely British (you only have to look at or listen to me)."[151]

In 2011, after winning the Academy Award for his portrayal of King George VI in The King's Speech, Firth suggested that he may be a republican (anti-monarchist) in a CNN interview with Piers Morgan, saying that voting was "one of his favourite things" and that unelected institutions were "a problem for him".[152][153]

Acting credits and awards

[edit]
Main articles: List of Colin Firth performances and List of awards and nominations received by Colin Firth
Wax statue of Firth at Madame Tussauds, London

Firth has received numerous awards, including an Academy Award, Golden Globe Award, British Academy Film Award, and Screen Actors Guild Award for his performance as King George VI in Tom Hooper's historical drama The King's Speech (2010).

He received an honorary doctorate on 19 October 2007 from the University of Winchester.[154][155] On 13 January 2011, he was presented with the 2,429th star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame.[156] In April 2011, Time included him in its list of the World's 100 Most Influential People.[157] He was made a Freeman of the City of London on 8 March 2012,[158] and was awarded an honorary fellowship by the University of the Arts London in 2012.[159]

Firth was appointed Commander of the Order of the British Empire (CBE) in the 2011 Birthday Honours for services to drama.[1][160]

References

[edit]
  1. ^ a b "No. 59808". The London Gazette (Supplement). 11 June 2011. p. 7.
  2. ^ "Main list of the 2011 Queen's birthday honours recipients" (PDF). BBC News UK. Retrieved 11 June 2011.
  3. ^ "Full List – The 2011 Time 100", Time, 21 April 2011. Retrieved 8 October 2012.
  4. ^ Kistler, Alan (2013). Doctor Who: A History. Rowman & Littlefield. p. 198. ISBN 9781493000166. Retrieved 20 November 2021.
  5. ^ "Colin Firth wins best actor Oscar for The King's Speech". BBC News. 28 February 2011. Retrieved 5 May 2021.
  6. ^ "Colin Firth's Box Office Stats". The Movie Times. Retrieved 23 January 2013.
  7. ^ a b c "Colin Firth credited in brain research". BBC News. 5 June 2011. Retrieved 13 March 2021.
  8. ^ "Person Details for Colin A Firth, "England and Wales Birth Registration Index, 1837-2008" — FamilySearch.org". FamilySearch.
  9. ^ "Actor Colin Firth is perhaps bes". Firthessence.net. Archived from the original on 20 April 2009. Retrieved 3 May 2010.
  10. ^ "Colin Firth's Lineage". Firthessence.net. Archived from the original on 20 April 2009. Retrieved 3 May 2010.
  11. ^ "Colin Firth Biography (1960–)". Filmreference.com. Retrieved 3 May 2010.
  12. ^ Donnelly, Gabrielle (13 August 2002). "Colin Firth". Real Magazine. Retrieved 3 May 2010 – via Firth.com.
  13. ^ lmw (7 May 2001). "Colin Firth – Fresh Air interview 2001". Hem.passagen.se. Archived from the original on 4 March 2011. Retrieved 3 May 2010.
  14. ^ Fresh Air from WHYY. "British Actor Colin Firth". NPR.org. NPR. Retrieved 3 May 2010.
  15. ^ Karen (18 May 2002). "Globe and Mail – The Other Face of Colin Firth (May 18, 2002)". Firth.com. Archived from the original on 11 July 2011. Retrieved 3 May 2010.
  16. ^ Stated in interview on Inside the Actors Studio, 2011
  17. ^ a b "Press Releases Colin Firth Desert Island DiscsCategory: Radio 4". BBC Press Office releases. BBC. 4 December 2005. Retrieved 25 January 2013.
  18. ^ a b c d "Colin Firth". Biography. Archived from the original on 21 November 2015. Retrieved 6 July 2012.
  19. ^ Jason Rainbow (15 June 2010). "College 'saved me', reveals actor Colin Firth". FE News. Archived from the original on 1 May 2012. Retrieved 26 April 2012.
  20. ^ "Colin Firth". People. Time Inc. Archived from the original on 13 March 2013. Retrieved 25 January 2013.
  21. ^ "Another Country". BFI Film. BFI. Archived from the original on 13 July 2012. Retrieved 27 January 2013.
  22. ^ Jacques, Adam (23 March 2014). "How we met: Colin Firth & Julian Mitchell". The Independent. Retrieved 14 April 2014.
  23. ^ Fenton, Andrew (27 March 2008). "Colin Firth has ended his feud with Rupert Everett". Herald Sun. Retrieved 27 January 2013. "Everett publicly branded Firth 'boring' and classified him as 'a ghastly guitar-playing redbrick socialist who was going to give his first half-million away to charity'. 'We didn't get along very well the first time we worked together,' Firth says simply. 'I think he was probably terribly threatened because I was an awful lot better than him.'" There is some truth to this because in Everett's 2006 autobiography, the gay actor admits he fancied, and felt threatened by, Firth at the time.
  24. ^ "Lose Yourself With Colin Firth in 'Lost Empires' | BBC America". BBC America. Retrieved 17 April 2018.
  25. ^ Van Poznak, Elissa (January 1987). "The Brit Pack". The Face. No. 81. pp. 36–39. Archived from the original on 7 October 2011. Retrieved 10 November 2019.
  26. ^ Maslin, Janet (27 September 1987). "Film Festival; 'Month in the Country,' From Director of 'Cal'". The New York Times. Retrieved 17 April 2018.
  27. ^ a b c Shuaib, Keith. "Tumbledown (1988)". BFI Screenonline. BFI. Retrieved 30 January 2013.
  28. ^ "Television Actor in 1989". BAFTA Awards. BAFTA. Retrieved 30 January 2013.
  29. ^ Szabo, Julia (November 1989). "Going Firth Class". Mademoiselle. Retrieved 24 January 2013.
  30. ^ Andrew, Geoff (10 September 2012). "Apartment Zero". Time Out London. Retrieved 30 January 2013.
  31. ^ Grimes, William (14 January 1996). "An Austen Tale of Sex and Money in Which Girls Kick Up Their Heels". The New York Times. Retrieved 22 January 2013.
  32. ^ a b c Steiner, Susie (31 March 2001). "Twice Shy". The Guardian. Retrieved 20 May 2008.
  33. ^ Karen. "Vanity Fair (Italy), Oct 16, 2003, article on Colin Firth". www.firth.com. Archived from the original on 4 February 2010. Retrieved 6 July 2012.
  34. ^ James, Caryn (29 July 2007). "Austen Powers: Making Jane Sexy". The New York Times. Retrieved 17 May 2007.
  35. ^ Ryan, Tom (6 March 2004). "Renaissance man". The Age. Retrieved 25 May 2008.
  36. ^ Passero, Kathy (December 1996). "Pride, Prejudice and a Little Persuasion". A&E Monthly.
  37. ^ Petterson, John (1 January 2011). "Colin Firth has left his posh acting peers in the dust. Give him the Oscar for The King's Speech now". The Guardian. Retrieved 28 January 2013.
  38. ^ Faillaci, Sara (16 October 2003). "Me Sexy?". Vanity Fair. Italy.
  39. ^ "Bridget Jones's Diary box office". Box Office Mojo. IMDb.com, Inc. Retrieved 28 January 2013.
  40. ^ "Bridget Jones's Diary Reviews top critics". Rotten Tomatoes. Flixster, Inc. Retrieved 28 January 2013.
  41. ^ "Bridget Jones – The Edge of Reason (2004)". Rotten Tomatoes. Flixster, Inc. Retrieved 28 January 2013.
  42. ^ Johnston, Sheila. "Firth, Colin (1960–)". BFI Screenonline. BFI. Retrieved 30 January 2013.
  43. ^ "Colin Firth". Television Academy.
  44. ^ "Love Actually at TheNumbers.com". The-numbers.com. Retrieved 16 August 2011.
  45. ^ Wloszczyna, Susan (5 November 2003). "USA Today review". USA Today. Retrieved 16 August 2011.
  46. ^ Scott, A. O. (7 November 2003). "Tales of Love, the True and the Not-So-True". Film Review. The New York Times. Retrieved 16 August 2011.
  47. ^ Bradshaw, Peter (21 July 2008). "Hope Springs Our Review". The Guardian. Retrieved 29 January 2013. It made me want to tumble off the red plush seats, curl up into a foetal ball and mew like a maltreated kitten
  48. ^ Smith, Anna. "Hope Springs Review". Empire. Retrieved 29 January 2013.
  49. ^ "Hope Springs box office". Box Office Mojo. IMDb.com, Inc. Retrieved 29 January 2013.
  50. ^ "Colin Firth - IMDb". IMDb. Retrieved 15 August 2023.
  51. ^ Ebert, Roger (26 December 2003). "Girl with a Pearl Earring, December 26, 2003". RogerEbert.com. Retrieved 30 January 2013.
  52. ^ McCarthy, Todd. "Girl With a Pearl Earring". Variety reviews, Mon, Sep. 1, 2003. Retrieved 30 January 2013.
  53. ^ Schickel, Richard (8 December 2003). "Seven Holiday Treats". Time. Archived from the original on 28 September 2006. Retrieved 30 January 2013.
  54. ^ "Girl With Pearl Earring (2003) ratings". Rotten Tomatoes. Flixster, Inc. Retrieved 30 January 2013.
  55. ^ Felperin, Leslie (24 October 2005). "Film Review: 'Nanny McPhee'". Variety. Retrieved 17 April 2018.
  56. ^ Johnston, Sheila (26 November 2005). "Is that Mr Darcy taking part in an orgy?". The Daily Telegraph. ISSN 0307-1235. Retrieved 17 April 2018.
  57. ^ Johnston, Sheila (26 November 2005). "Is that Mr Darcy taking part in an orgy?". The Telegraph. Retrieved 30 January 2013.
  58. ^ "When Did You Last See Your Father?". rottentomatoes.com. 6 June 2008.
  59. ^ "Stuck". Metacritic. Archived from the original on 20 July 2010. Retrieved 17 April 2020.
  60. ^ Peter Bradshaw (5 October 2007). "And When Did You Last See Your Father?". The Guardian.
  61. ^ Dargis, Manohla (6 June 2008). "As a Father Nears Death, a Son Grows No Closer". The New York Times.
  62. ^ Philip French (7 October 2007). "All about my father". The Guardian.
  63. ^ Derek Elley. "When Did You Last See Your Father?". Variety.
  64. ^ Ivan-Zadeh, Larushka (6 July 2008). "Mamma Mia! Firth is a super trooper". Metro, Sunday 6 Jul 2008. Associated Newspapers Limited. Retrieved 30 January 2013.
  65. ^ Sutherland, Claire (10 July 2008). "Colin Firth talks about the challenges of Mamma Mia!". Herald Sun. Retrieved 30 January 2013.
  66. ^ Irvine, Chris (30 October 2008). "Mamma Mia becomes highest grossing British film". The Daily Telegraph. Archived from the original on 10 January 2022. Retrieved 30 January 2013. The film has made £66,995,224 in the UK, beating Harry Potter and the Sorcerer's Stone.
  67. ^ "Mamma Mia! gross". Box Office Mojo. IMDb.com, Inc. Retrieved 30 January 2013.
  68. ^ "Empire review". Archived from the original on 3 March 2010.
  69. ^ Peter Bradshaw (10 July 2008). "Mamma Mia!". The Guardian.
  70. ^ "'Mamma Mia,' here we go again – this time on screen". philly-archives. Archived from the original on 11 December 2010. Retrieved 30 January 2013.
  71. ^ "Easy Virtue brings British humour to Rome Film Festival". Reuters. Retrieved 27 October 2008.
  72. ^ Colin Firth, Genova Interview. AOL Entertainment Canada Archived 24 October 2008 at the Wayback Machine
  73. ^ "Colin Firth's discomfort in skin-tight spandex for A Christmas Carol animated movie". The Telegraph. 3 November 2009. Archived from the original on 10 January 2022. Retrieved 30 January 2013.
  74. ^ "Bafta wins for Carey Mulligan and Colin Firth". BBC News. 21 February 2010. Retrieved 14 February 2011.
  75. ^ Evans, Ian (2010), Tom Hooper, Colin Firth and Geoffrey Rush at The King's Speech premiere at the 35th Toronto International Film Festival, DigitalHit.com, retrieved 3 August 2011
  76. ^ Whitworth, Melissa (17 January 2011). "Golden Globes 2011: Colin Firth wins Best Actor as The Social Network takes four awards". The Daily Telegraph. London. Archived from the original on 10 January 2022. Retrieved 14 February 2011.
  77. ^ Brown, Mark (14 February 2011). "Baftas 2011: The King's Speech sweeps the board". The Guardian. London. Retrieved 14 February 2011.
  78. ^ Singh, Anita (28 February 2011). "Colin Firth takes Oscars crown as British film proves mother knows best". The Daily Telegraph. London. Archived from the original on 3 March 2011. Retrieved 28 February 2011.
  79. ^ "The King's Speech box office statistics". Box Office Mojo. IMDb.com, Inc. Retrieved 23 January 2013.
  80. ^ "Benedict Cumberbatch Joins 'Tinker, Tailor, Soldier, Spy'". 16 August 2010. Retrieved 4 September 2010.
  81. ^ "Tinker Tailor Soldier, Spy 2011". Rotten Tomatoes. Flixster, Inc. Retrieved 3 February 2013.
  82. ^ Romney, Johnathan (18 September 2011). "Tinker Tailor Soldier Spy (15)". The Independent. Retrieved 3 February 2013.
  83. ^ Young, Deborah (9 May 2011). "Tinker, Tailor, Soldier, Spy: Venice Film Review". The Hollywood Reporter. Retrieved 3 February 2013.
  84. ^ Felperin, Leslie (5 September 2011). "Venice Film Festival Review Tinker Tailor Soldier Spy". Variety. Retrieved 3 February 2013.
  85. ^ "Gambit (2013) – International Box Office". Box Office Mojo. Retrieved 1 January 2013.
  86. ^ "Gambit (2012)". Rotten Tomatoes. Retrieved 1 January 2013.
  87. ^ Newman, Kim (November 2012). "Empire's Gambit Movie Review". Empire. Retrieved 3 February 2013.
  88. ^ Johnston, Trevor (8 November 2012). "Gambit (12A)". Time Out London. Retrieved 3 February 2013.
  89. ^ Dalton, Stephen (11 July 2012). "The Bottom Line Starry art-heist remake is more clumsy sketch than Old Master". The Hollywood Reporter. Retrieved 3 February 2013.
  90. ^ "Gambit 2012". IMDb. Retrieved 31 October 2012.
  91. ^ "Ged Doherty". LinkedIn. Retrieved 12 June 2016.[permanent dead link]
  92. ^ Staff (9 December 2015). "Eye in the Sky: watch the UK trailer for the drone warfare drama starring Helen Mirren and Alan Rickman – video". The Guardian. Retrieved 17 June 2022.
  93. ^ Ben Child (May 2013). "Colin Firth to star in Woody Allen's next film, alongside Emma Stone". The Guardian.
  94. ^ "Kingsman: The Secret Service (2015)". Box Office Mojo. 1 March 2015. Retrieved 23 June 2015.
  95. ^ Breznican, Anthony (17 June 2014). "Colin Firth leaving as voice of 'Paddington' movie – EXCLUSIVE". Entertainment Weekly. Retrieved 19 November 2014.
  96. ^ "PICTURES: Colin Firth and Rachel Weisz on a Teignmouth film set". Western Morning News. Archived from the original on 30 June 2015.
  97. ^ Khomami, Nadia (6 November 2012). "Colin Firth and Jude Law to star in upcoming literary drama Genius". The Telegraph.
  98. ^ McClintock, Pamela (2 July 2013). "Berlin 2013: Colin Firth, Jude Law's 'Genius' Sells Around the World (Exclusive)". The Hollywood Reporter. Retrieved 11 February 2013.
  99. ^ Grater, Tom (22 September 2016). "Rupert Everett, Colin Firth begin filming Oscar Wilde biopic". Screen Daily. Screen International. Retrieved 4 October 2016.
  100. ^ "Red Nose Day Love Actually sequel: what happened to every character in the Comic Relief special". 24 March 2017.
  101. ^ Shoard, Catherine (11 July 2016). "Colin Firth back from the dead for Kingsman 2". The Guardian. Retrieved 1 September 2017.
  102. ^ Zach Seemayer (22 June 2017). "EXCLUSIVE: Dominic Cooper Dishes on Returning for 'Mamma Mia 2': It's 'a Phone Call I've Been Waiting For'". Entertainment Tonight. Retrieved 12 August 2017. The actor will be joining a slew of big-name stars who are returning to the fun franchise, including Meryl Streep, Colin Firth, Amanda Seyfried and Pierce Brosnan.
  103. ^ Kroll, Justin (10 February 2017). "Colin Firth Joins Emily Blunt in 'Mary Poppins' Sequel (EXCLUSIVE)". Variety. Retrieved 24 October 2016.
  104. ^ "Colin Firth to Star in Submarine Disaster Movie 'Kursk'". The Hollywood Reporter. 25 May 2016. Retrieved 5 May 2017.
  105. ^ "Lea Seydoux Boards EuropaCorp Submarine Drama 'Kursk' – Berlin". Deadline Hollywood. 9 February 2017. Retrieved 5 May 2017.
  106. ^ Galuppo, Mia (28 March 2019). "Colin Firth, Benedict Cumberbatch Join Sam Mendes' WWI Movie '1917'". The Hollywood Reporter. Archived from the original on 28 March 2019. Retrieved 7 May 2020.
  107. ^ Allen, Ben (17 April 2018). "Colin Firth and Julie Walters to star in classic children's adaptation The Secret Garden". Radio Times. Retrieved 30 October 2020.
  108. ^ Hammond, Pete (9 July 2021). "'Mothering Sunday' Cannes Review: Josh O'Connor And Odessa Young Give Their All In Raw, Naked, And Intense British Romantic Drama". Deadline Hollywood.
  109. ^ Grobar, Matt (21 December 2021). "'Empire Of Light': Colin Firth, Toby Jones, Crystal Clarke & Tanya Moodie Join Sam Mendes' Searchlight Pictures Drama". Deadline Hollywood. Retrieved 25 December 2021.
  110. ^ Ritman, Alex (14 December 2021). "Warner Bros. Postpones U.K. Release of Colin Firth WWII Drama 'Operation Mincemeat' as Omicron Soars (Exclusive)". The Hollywood Reporter.
  111. ^ "How 'The Staircase' Brings Kathleen Peterson's Story to Life". The Hollywood Reporter. 4 May 2022.
  112. ^ lmw. "Colin Firth Career Timeline: Department of Nothing". Hem.passagen.se. Archived from the original on 15 November 2013. Retrieved 3 May 2010.
  113. ^ "Nick Hornby". Penguin.co.uk. Archived from the original on 14 July 2010. Retrieved 3 May 2010.
  114. ^ "TreeHouse". Penguin.co.uk. Archived from the original on 12 October 2012. Retrieved 3 May 2010.
  115. ^ "Colin Firth Biography". Tiscali.co.uk. Archived from the original on 5 June 2008. Retrieved 3 May 2010.
  116. ^ "We Are One". Survival International. Retrieved 3 May 2010.
  117. ^ (a) In Prison My Whole Life Sundance Film Festival website; (b) Official Website of the film (c) Review of In Prison My Whole Life. (Registration required) at screendaily.com
  118. ^ Kanai, Ryota; Feilden, Tom; Firth, Colin; Rees, Geraint (2011). "Political Orientations Are Correlated with Brain Structure in Young Adults". Current Biology. 21 (8): 677–680. Bibcode:2011CBio...21..677K. doi:10.1016/j.cub.2011.03.017. PMC 3092984. PMID 21474316.
  119. ^ "The voter's grey matter". Nature. 474 (7352): 423. 2011. doi:10.1038/474423f.
  120. ^ "Colin Firth lends voice to classic novel reading". CBS This Morning. 7 May 2012. Retrieved 7 May 2012.
  121. ^ "The Audies 2013". Retrieved 14 April 2014.
  122. ^ a b "'Love Actually' star Colin Firth condemns Bushman evictions". Survival International. Archived from the original on 29 July 2009. Retrieved 27 February 2007.
  123. ^ "Audio". Survival International. Archived from the original on 4 April 2008.
  124. ^ Chamberlain, Gethin (22 April 2012). "'They're killing us': world's most endangered tribe cries for help". The Guardian. Retrieved 22 April 2012.
  125. ^ Firth, Colin (26 February 2007). "Britain's shameful deportations of asylum seekers". The Guardian. Retrieved 2 February 2013.
  126. ^ Colin Firth (26 February 2007). "We must stop a deportation that is likely to end in murder". The Independent. London. Archived from the original on 28 February 2007. Retrieved 27 February 2007.
  127. ^ "Colin Firth voices outrage at deportations to Congo". Refugee Council, 27 February 2007. Refugee Council. Retrieved 2 February 2013.[permanent dead link]
  128. ^ Andrew Johnson (26 February 2007). "Colin Firth makes plea for nurse 'facing murder' in Congo". The Independent. London. Archived from the original on 28 February 2007. Retrieved 27 February 2007.
  129. ^ Damian Spellman (27 February 2007). "Firth's intervention saves nurse from deportation". The Independent. London. Archived from the original on 2 March 2007. Retrieved 27 February 2007.
  130. ^ "The King's Speech Star to Auction Himself for Charity". EF News International. Archived from the original on 22 December 2011.
  131. ^ "Make Trade Fair". Oxfam International. Archived from the original on 7 July 2009.
  132. ^ "Celebrities present 18 million-strong Make Trade Fair petition to World Trade boss in Hong Kong". Oxfam International. Archived from the original on 2 December 2008.
  133. ^ "Colin Firth Profile in the Independent". firth.com.
  134. ^ Lisa Grainger (17 November 2007). "Colin Firth's New Eco-Store". The Times. London. Archived from the original on 5 July 2008. Retrieved 30 April 2010.
  135. ^ Brightwide Archived 20 February 2010 at the Wayback Machine web site. Meanwhile, out of service. Retrieved 15 July 2015
  136. ^ Adam Dawtrey (22 September 2009). "The Rebirth of Colin Firth". The Guardian. London. Retrieved 30 April 2010.
  137. ^ Backers, Celebrity (16 March 2010). "Colin Firth on why he's stopped voting Labour and now supports the Lib Dems". Libdemvoice. Archived from the original on 5 May 2010. Retrieved 3 May 2010.
  138. ^ Wintour, Patrick (14 December 2010). "Colin Firth: I no longer support the Liberal Democrats". The Guardian. London.
  139. ^ "Benjamin Zephaniah 'airbrushed from Yes to AV leaflets'". BBC News. 3 April 2011.
  140. ^ Endorsement from Colin Firth Archived 10 February 2023 at the Wayback Machine Roots & Shoots
  141. ^ "William Joseph Firth(1990)". Archived from the original on 9 July 2015.
  142. ^ Steiner, Susie (31 March 2001). "Twice Shy". GY. London. Retrieved 20 May 2008.
  143. ^ "Colin Firth, in Italian, on the Differences Between British, American and Canadian Actors/Part 2". YouTube. December 2018. Archived from the original on 28 October 2021.
  144. ^ Eden, Richard (17 June 2012). "Colin Firth's wife Livia refuses to let the sun set on her eco dream". The Daily Telegraph. Archived from the original on 10 January 2022. Retrieved 23 April 2015.
  145. ^ O'Ceallaigh, John (30 November 2012). "Livia Firth's traveling life". The Daily Telegraph. Archived from the original on 9 June 2014. Retrieved 23 April 2015.
  146. ^ "'Bridget Jones' actor Colin Firth and wife split after 22 years". Reuters. 13 December 2019. Retrieved 10 May 2021.
  147. ^ "Colin Firth and Livia Giuggioli announce separation after 22 years of marriage". USA Today. 13 December 2019. Retrieved 20 August 2022.
  148. ^ "British actor Colin Firth gets Italian citizenship after Brexit vote". Muslim Global. Retrieved 24 September 2017.
  149. ^ Squires, Nick (23 May 2017). "Colin Firth applies for Italian citizenship". The Daily Telegraph. Archived from the original on 10 January 2022. Retrieved 21 July 2017.
  150. ^ "British star Colin Firth becomes Italian citizen following Brexit decision". Fox News Channel. 23 September 2017. Retrieved 30 September 2017.
  151. ^ "Colin Firth becomes Italian citizen amid 'uncertainty' but says he will always be 'extremely British'". The Telegraph. 30 April 2018. Archived from the original on 10 January 2022.
  152. ^ "'Piers' Preview: 'King's Speech' star Firth 'likes voting'; unelected institutions 'a problem' – Piers Morgan – CNN.com Blogs". 22 July 2011. Archived from the original on 22 July 2011. Retrieved 21 November 2020.
  153. ^ "People: 'King's Speech's' Colin Firth is an anti-monarchist". The Denver Post. 28 January 2011. Archived from the original on 10 February 2023. Retrieved 21 November 2020.
  154. ^ "Colin Firth Receives Honorary Degree". starpulse. 26 October 2007. Archived from the original on 29 October 2013. Retrieved 6 July 2012.
  155. ^ "Colin Firth – Honorary speech 2007 Graduation at University of Winchester". YouTube. Archived from the original on 27 July 2013.
  156. ^ "Colin Firth wins a star on Hollywood's Walk of Fame". The Guardian. London. 14 January 2011. Archived from the original on 31 October 2013.
  157. ^ "The 2011 Time 100". Time. 21 April 2011. Archived from the original on 25 April 2011. Retrieved 11 June 2011.
  158. ^ "Colin Firth becomes Freeman of the City of London" Archived 13 March 2012 at the Wayback Machine 1 March 2012, News release at City of London website
  159. ^ Celebrating Ten – website of the University of the Arts London
  160. ^ "Main list of the 2011 Queen's birthday honours recipients" (PDF). BBC News UK. Retrieved 11 June 2011.
[edit]
Wikimedia Commons has media related to Colin Firth.
Retrieved from "https://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Colin_Firth&oldid=1256275388"