James Nesbitt

date of birth: January 15, 1965
place of birth: Coleraine, County Derry

James Nesbitt is now internationally known for his role in the Peter Jackson’s “The Hobbit” but has been a household name in Ireland and the UK for decades.

Nesbitt became interested in acting in school after participating in a couple of school plays and local productions. After dropping out of the University of Ulster, he attended the Central School for Speech and Drama in London. He made his theatre debut in 1987 in a production of “Up on the Roof.”

In 1989 Nesbitt went on an international tour of “Hamlet” in which he played several roles. He met actress Sonia Forbes-Adam on the tour and they married in 1993. They have two children together.

He made his television debut in the BBC film “Virtuoso” in the same year. He gained international recognition for his supporting role in “Hear My Song.” Nesbitt became known for playing light, fun characters. He starred in the 1998 Irish comedy “Waking Ned Devine” as Pig Finn and the television series “Cold Feet” between 1998 and 2003.

In 2001 he starred in “Bloody Sunday” about a 1972 protest by the Northern Ireland Civil Rights Movement. The film showed audiences the range of roles he could do. Between 2003 and 2007 he played Tommy Murphy in the television series “Murphy.” The next year he played Mr. Hyde/Dr. Jekyll in the mini television series “Jekyll.” His work on the show earned him a Golden Globe nomination in 2007. In 2008 it was rumored that he would play the next Doctor on the hit series “Doctor Who.”

He starred alongside Liam Neeson in the 2009 film “Five Minutes in Heaven.” The next year, Nesbitt accepted the ceremonial position of Chancellor of the University of Ulster. In 2012, he starred as Bofur in “The Hobbit: An Unexpected Journey” based on J.R.R. Tolkien’s novel.