CineScope
James Nesbitt picture

James Nesbitt

Acting
Known For

60 Years Old

James Nesbitt (born 15 January 1965) is a Northern Irish actor. Born in Ballymena, County Antrim, Northern Ireland, Nesbitt grew up in the nearby village of Broughshane, before moving to Coleraine, County Londonderry. He wanted to become a teacher, like his father, so began a degree in French at the University of Ulster. He dropped out after a year when he decided to become an actor, and transferred to the Central School of Speech and Drama in London. After graduating in 1987, he spent seven years performing in plays that varied from the musical Up on the Roof (1987, 1989) to the political drama Paddywack (1994). He made his feature film debut playing talent agent Fintan O'Donnell in Hear My Song (1991). Nesbitt got his breakthrough television role playing Adam Williams in the romantic comedy-drama Cold Feet (1998–2003), which won him a British Comedy Award, a Television and Radio Industries Club Award, and a National Television Award. His first significant film role came when he appeared as pig farmer "Pig" Finn in Waking Ned (1998). With the rest of the starring cast, Nesbitt was nominated for a Screen Actors Guild Award. In Lucky Break (2001), he made his debut as a film lead playing prisoner Jimmy Hands. The next year, he played Ivan Cooper in the television film Bloody Sunday, about the 1972 shootings in Derry. A departure from his previous "cheeky chappie" roles, the film was a turning point in his career. He won a British Independent Film Award and was nominated for the British Academy Television Award for Best Actor. Nesbitt has also starred in Murphy's Law (2001–2007) as undercover detective Tommy Murphy—a role that was created for him by writer Colin Bateman. The role twice gained Nesbitt Best Actor nominations at the Irish Film & Television Awards (IFTA). In 2007, he starred in the dual role of Tom Jackman and Mr Hyde in Steven Moffat's Jekyll, which earned him a Golden Globe Award nomination in 2008. Nesbitt has since appeared in several more dramatic roles; he starred alongside Liam Neeson in Five Minutes of Heaven (2009), and was one of three lead actors in the television miniseries Occupation (2009) and The Deep (2010). He also starred in the movies Outcast (2010) and Emilio Estevez's The Way (2011), and has been cast in Peter Jackson's The Hobbit (2012/13). Nesbitt is married to former actress Sonia Forbes-Adam, with whom he has two daughters. He is a patron of numerous charities and in 2010 accepted the ceremonial position of Chancellor of the University of Ulster.

Born

Ballymena, County Antrim, Northern Ireland on 15th January 1965

All Credits

The Graham Norton Show Image
The Graham Norton Show
Self
Soccer AM Image
Soccer AM
Self
Chris Moyles' Quiz Night Image
Chris Moyles' Quiz Night
Self
Top Gear Image
Top Gear
Self
Friday Night with Jonathan Ross Image
Friday Night with Jonathan Ross
Self
The Jonathan Ross Show Image
The Jonathan Ross Show
Self
Parkinson Image
Parkinson
Self
The Young Indiana Jones Chronicles Image
The Young Indiana Jones Chronicles
Yuri
Never Mind the Buzzcocks Image
Never Mind the Buzzcocks
Self
Soldier Soldier Image
Soldier Soldier
Corporal Bryan Casey
The One Show Image
The One Show
Self
The One Show Image
The One Show
Self - Guest
Michael McIntyre's Big Show Image
Michael McIntyre's Big Show
Self
Lovejoy Image
Lovejoy
Jerry Boyle
Stan Lee's Lucky Man Image
Stan Lee's Lucky Man
Harry Clayton
Between the Lines Image
Between the Lines
Missing You Image
Missing You
Calligan
Missing You Image
Missing You
Dominic Calligan
The Missing Image
The Missing
Tony Hughes
Stay Close Image
Stay Close
DS Michael Broome
Playing the Field Image
Playing the Field
Babylon Image
Babylon
Richard Miller
Cold Feet Image
Cold Feet
Adam Williams
Tractor Tom Image
Tractor Tom
Matt (voice)
Suspect Image
Suspect
Danny Frater
The Hobbit: The Battle of the Five Armies Image
The Hobbit: The Battle of the Five Armies
Bofur
Jekyll Image
Jekyll
Dr. Tom Jackman
The Hobbit: An Unexpected Journey Image
The Hobbit: An Unexpected Journey
Bofur
GMTV Image
GMTV
Self
Bloodlands Image
Bloodlands
DCI Tom Brannick
No Image
The Terry and Gaby Show
DNA Journey Image
DNA Journey
Self
The Secret Image
The Secret
Colin Howell
The Hobbit: The Desolation of Smaug Image
The Hobbit: The Desolation of Smaug
Bofur
Common As Muck Image
Common As Muck
Ballykissangel Image
Ballykissangel
Leo McGarvey
Ballykissangel Image
Ballykissangel
Match Point Image
Match Point
Detective Banner
Murphy's Law Image
Murphy's Law
Thomas Murphy
Monroe Image
Monroe
Gabriel Monroe
The Late Late Show Image
The Late Late Show
Self
Fairy Tales Image
Fairy Tales
James Nesbitt: Disasters That Changed Britain Image
James Nesbitt: Disasters That Changed Britain
Canterbury Tales Image
Canterbury Tales
Nick Zakian
The Hollywood Greats Image
The Hollywood Greats
The Way Image
The Way
Jack
No Image
OFI Sunday
Soccer Aid Image
Soccer Aid
Coriolanus Image
Coriolanus
Tribune Sicinius
The Passion Image
The Passion
Pilate
The Friday Night Project Image
The Friday Night Project
Self - Host
Millions Image
Millions
Ronnie
Occupation Image
Occupation
Mike Swift
Stan Lee's Lucky Man: The Bracelet Chronicles Image
Stan Lee's Lucky Man: The Bracelet Chronicles
Harry Clayton
The John Bishop Show Image
The John Bishop Show
Self
The Heist Before Christmas Image
The Heist Before Christmas
Bank Robber
The Deep Image
The Deep
Clem Donnelly
Midnight Man Image
Midnight Man
Max Raban
Jude Image
Jude
Uncle Joe
Five Minutes of Heaven Image
Five Minutes of Heaven
Joe Griffin
Outcast Image
Outcast
Cathal
Welcome to Sarajevo Image
Welcome to Sarajevo
Gregg
Passer By Image
Passer By
Joe Keyes
Waking Ned Image
Waking Ned
Pig Finn
Cherrybomb Image
Cherrybomb
Crilly
Bloody Sunday Image
Bloody Sunday
Ivan Cooper
Run Away Image
Run Away
Simon
The Adventures of Young Indiana Jones: Trenches of Hell Image
The Adventures of Young Indiana Jones: Trenches of Hell
Yuri
Lucky Break Image
Lucky Break
James 'Jimmy' Hands
Go Now Image
Go Now
Tony
Gold Image
Gold
Frank McGunn
This Is the Sea Image
This Is the Sea
Constable Hubert Porter
The 50 Greatest Television Dramas Image
The 50 Greatest Television Dramas
Self
Hear My Song Image
Hear My Song
Fintan O'Donnell
Matching Jack Image
Matching Jack
Connor
Wild About Harry Image
Wild About Harry
Walter Adair
The Coronation Concert Image
The Coronation Concert
Self
Women Talking Dirty Image
Women Talking Dirty
Stanley
The Most Fertile Man in Ireland Image
The Most Fertile Man in Ireland
'Mad Dog' Billy Wilson
Occupation Image
Occupation
Mike Swift
Lost Lives Image
Lost Lives
James Ellis: An Actor's Life Image
James Ellis: An Actor's Life
Himself
Here Comes the Summer: The Undertones Story Image
Here Comes the Summer: The Undertones Story
Narrator
Love Lies Bleeding Image
Love Lies Bleeding
Niall
The James Gang Image
The James Gang
Graham Armstrong
Virtuoso Image
Virtuoso
Young Man
Blessed Image
Blessed
Peter
James Nesbitt Presents Eat My Goal Image
James Nesbitt Presents Eat My Goal
Presenter
Wall of Silence Image
Wall of Silence
Stuart Robe
Resurrection Man Image
Resurrection Man
Ryan
River Deep, Mountain High: James Nesbitt in New Zealand Image
River Deep, Mountain High: James Nesbitt in New Zealand
Self
No Image
Quite Ugly One Morning
Jack Parlabane
The Cry Image
The Cry
B Special (uncredited)
No Image
The End of the World Man
Policeman
No Image
Big Dippers
Ray
Alex Higgins: The People's Champion Image
Alex Higgins: The People's Champion
Narrator
Ireland's Rugby Number 10 Image
Ireland's Rugby Number 10
Narrator
No Image
James Nesbit: A Game of Two Halves
Himself