Early life and education

Wilkinson was born in Wharfedale, the son of Marjorie and Thomas Wilkinson, a farmer. At the age of four, he moved with his family to Canada, where they lived for several years before returning to the United Kingdom and running a pub in Cornwall. Wilkinson graduated from the University of Kent, where he was a member of T24 Drama Society (then named UKCD) and attended the Royal Academy of Dramatic Art.

Career

Wilkinson made his acting debut in 1976 and worked on several British television series, most notably the mini-series First Among Equals (1986). He first gained critical acclaim with his appearance as Mr. Pecksniff, in the BBC's 1994 adaptation of Martin Chuzzlewit. He made only the occasional film, including a brief appearance in 1995's Sense and Sensibility and a villain in The Ghost and the Darkness (1996). After becoming part of the ensemble cast of the comedy-drama The Full Monty in 1997, a role which earned him a BAFTA, he began to take film roles more frequently, including supporting roles in Oscar and Lucinda, Wilde, Shakespeare in Love, and The Patriot. He also starred with Jackie Chan in the 1998 film Rush Hour, as the evil British Ambassador/Juntao.

His portrayal of Matt Fowler, in Todd Field's In the Bedroom, received international praise from critics. For the role, he was named Best Actor of the Year by the New York Film Critics' Circle, and went on to be nominated for the Academy Award for Best Actor. That success was followed up by Eternal Sunshine of the Spotless Mind, Normal, The Exorcism of Emily Rose, Batman Begins, and Separate Lies.

In 2007, Wilkinson played Arthur Edens, an attorney with bipolar disorder, in Michael Clayton and garnered much critical acclaim and a nomination for the Academy Award for Best Supporting Actor. The same year, he played an uncle planning for murder in Woody Allen's Cassandra's Dream.

In 2008, Wilkinson portrayed American patriot Benjamin Franklin in the HBO mini-series John Adams. In the HBO film, Recount, Wilkinson portrayed American political adviser and lawyer, James A. Baker, in Baker's capacity as Chief Counsel to George W. Bush during the 2000 U.S. Presidential Election, receiving an Emmy Award for the former and a nomination for the latter. He also received a Golden Globe Award and Screen Actors' Guild Award nomination for his role in John Adams. He also portrayed Friedrich Fromm, Commander in Chief of the German Reserve Army, alongside Tom Cruise in the 2008 World War II thriller Valkyrie.

Wilkinson starred in the horror comedy Burke and Hare, which is directed by John Landis. He portrayed a covert CIA agent in Roman Polanski's The Ghost Writer. He played another historical character, Joseph P. Kennedy, Sr., in the 2011 television miniseries The Kennedys, for which he was nominated for the Primetime Emmy Award for Outstanding Supporting Actor in a Miniseries or a Movie. He and his wife portrayed husband and wife Joe and Rose Kennedy. Earlier that year, he appeared in The Green Hornet and Mission: Impossible - Ghost Protocol.

Personal life

Wilkinson lives in North London with his wife, actress Diana Hardcastle, and their two children, Alice and Molly.

Honours

Wilkinson received a Doctor of Letters honorary degree from the University of Kent in July 2001.

In the 2005 New Year Honours, he was appointed Officer of the Order of the British Empire (OBE) "for services to Drama".

Filmography

Year	Film	Role	Notes
1976	Smuga cienia	Chef Ransome	Polish adaptation of Joseph Conrad's The Shadow Line
1983	Spyship	Martin Taylor	BBC television miniseries (6 episodes) loosely based on the loss of FV Gaul in 1974
1984	Parker	Tom
	A Pocket Full of Rye	Detective Inspector Neele	Television film; TV adaptation of the Agatha Christie novel with Joan Hickson as Miss Marple
1985	Sylvia	Keith Henderson
	Wetherby	Roger Braithwaite
1986	Sharma and Beyond	Vivian
	First Among Equals	Raymond Gould	Television miniseries
1988	The Attic: The Hiding of Anne Frank	Silberbauer	Television film
1989	First and Last	Stephen	Television film
1990	Inspector Morse	Music Master Jake Normington	Episode: "The Infernal Serpent" (series 4)
1990	Paper Mask	Dr. Thorn
1991	Prime Suspect	Peter Rawlins	Television miniseries
1993	In the Name of the Father	Grant Richardson
1994	Priest	Father Matthew Thomas
	Performance	Duke Vincentio	Episode: "Measure for Measure"
	Martin Chuzzlewit	Seth Pecksniff	Television miniseries Nominated — British Academy Television Award for Best Actor
	A Business Affair	Bob
	Prince of Jutland	Hardvendel
1995	Sense and Sensibility	Mr. Dashwood
1996	The Ghost and the Darkness	Robert Beaumont
	Eskimo Day	Hugh Lloyd
1997	Smilla's Sense of Snow	Prof. Loyen
	The Full Monty	Gerald	BAFTA Award for Best Actor in a Supporting Role Screen Actors Guild Award for Outstanding Performance by a Cast in a Motion Picture Nominated — MTV Film Award for Best Dance Sequence
	Wilde	Marquess of Queensberry
	Oscar and Lucinda	Hugh Stratton
	Cold Enough for Snow	Hugh Lloyd	Television film Nominated — British Academy Television Award for Best Actor
1998	The Governess	Mr. Charles Cavendish
	Rush Hour	Thomas Griffin/Juntao
	Shakespeare in Love	Hugh Fennyman	Screen Actors Guild Award for Outstanding Performance by a Cast in a Motion Picture Nominated — BAFTA Award for Best Actor in a Supporting Role
1999	Ride with the Devil	Orton Brown
	Molokai: The Story of Father Damien	Brother Joseph Dutton
	David Copperfield	Narrator (Old David Copperfield)
2000	Essex Boys	John Dyke
	The Patriot	General Charles Lord Cornwallis
	Chain of Fools	Robert Bollingsworth
2001	In the Bedroom	Matt Fowler	Independent Spirit Award for Best Male Lead New York Film Critics Circle Award for Best Actor New York Film Critics Online Award for Best Actor Sundance Film Festival Special Jury Prize for Dramatic Acting (shared with Sissy Spacek) Nominated — Academy Award for Best Actor Nominated — American Film Institute Award for Actor of the Year Nominated — BAFTA Award for Best Actor in a Leading Role Nominated — Chicago Film Critics Association Award for Best Actor Nominated — Dallas-Fort Worth Film Critics Association Award for Best Actor Nominated — Las Vegas Film Critics Society Award for Best Actor Nominated — Los Angeles Film Critics Association Award for Best Actor Nominated — National Society of Film Critics Award for Best Actor Nominated — Online Film Critics Society Award for Best Actor Nominated — Screen Actors Guild Award for Outstanding Performance by a Cast in a Motion Picture Nominated — Screen Actors Guild Award for Outstanding Performance by a Male Actor in a Leading Role Nominated — Southeastern Film Critics Association Award for Best Actor Nominated — Vancouver Film Critics Circle Award for Best Actor
	Another Life	Mr. Carlton
	Black Knight	Sir Knolte of Malborough
2002	The Gathering Storm	Sir Robert Vansittart	Television film
	The Importance of Being Earnest	Dr. Frederick Chasuble	Television film
	An Angel for May	Sam Wheeler	Television film
2003	Normal	Roy Applewood	Nominated — Golden Globe Award for Best Actor - Miniseries or Television Film Nominated — Primetime Emmy Award for Outstanding Lead Actor in a Miniseries or a Movie Nominated — Satellite Award for Best Actor - Miniseries or Television Film
	Girl with a Pearl Earring	Pieter Van Ruijven
2004	If Only	Taxi driver
	Piccadilly Jim	Bingley Crocker
	Eternal Sunshine of the Spotless Mind	Dr. Howard Mierzwiak
	Stage Beauty	Betterton
	A Good Woman	Tuppy
2005	Ripley Under Ground	John Webster
	Batman Begins	Carmine Falcone	Also voiced the character in the film's video game adaptation
	The Exorcism of Emily Rose	Father Moore
	Separate Lies	James Manning	Nominated — London Critics Circle Film Award for British Actor of the Year
2006	The Night of the White Pants	Max Hagan
	The Last Kiss	Stephen
2007	Dedication	Rudy Holt
	Cassandra's Dream	Howard
	Michael Clayton	Arthur Edens	London Film Critics Circle Award for British Supporting Actor of the Year Satellite Award for Best Supporting Actor - Motion Picture Nominated — Academy Award for Best Supporting Actor Nominated — BAFTA Award for Best Actor in a Supporting Role Nominated — Broadcast Film Critics Association Award for Best Supporting Actor Nominated — Chicago Film Critics Association Award for Best Supporting Actor Nominated — Dallas-Fort Worth Film Critics Association Award for Best Supporting Actor Nominated — Golden Globe Award for Best Supporting Actor - Motion Picture Nominated — London Film Critics Circle Award for British Actor of the Year Nominated — Online Film Critics Society Award for Best Supporting Actor Nominated — Prism Award for Performance in a Feature Film Nominated — San Diego Film Critics Society Award for Best Supporting Actor Nominated — Screen Actors Guild Award for Outstanding Performance by a Male Actor in a Supporting Role Nominated — St. Louis Gateway Film Critics Association Award for Best Supporting Actor Nominated — Vancouver Film Critics Circle Award for Best Supporting Actor
2008	John Adams	Benjamin Franklin	Golden Globe Award for Best Supporting Actor - Series, Miniseries or Television Film Primetime Emmy Award for Outstanding Lead Actor in a Miniseries or a Movie Nominated — Monte Carlo TV Festival Award for Outstanding Actor - Mini Series Nominated — Screen Actors Guild Award for Outstanding Performance by a Male Actor in a Miniseries or Television Movie
	Recount	James Baker	Nominated — Golden Globe Award for Best Actor - Miniseries or Television Film Nominated — Primetime Emmy Award for Outstanding Lead Actor in a Miniseries or a Movie Nominated — Satellite Award for Best Actor - Miniseries or Television Film
	RocknRolla	Lenny Cole
	Valkyrie	Friedrich Fromm
	A Number	Salter	Nominated — Screen Actors Guild Award for Outstanding Performance by a Male Actor in a Miniseries or Television Movie
2009	Duplicity	Howard Tully
	44 Inch Chest	Archie	San Diego Film Critics Society Award for Best Cast
	The Gruffalo	Fox	Voice only
	Jackboots on Whitehall	Goebbels	Voice only
2010	The Ghost Writer	Paul Emmett
	Burke and Hare	Dr. Robert Knox
2011	The Green Hornet	James Reid
	The Conspirator	Reverdy Johnson
	The Kennedys	Joseph P. Kennedy, Sr.	Television miniseries Nominated — Primetime Emmy Award for Outstanding Lead Actor in a Miniseries or a Movie Nominated — Monte Carlo TV Festival Award for Mini-Series - Best Performance by an Actor
	The Debt	Stefan
	The Gruffalo's Child	Fox
	Mission: Impossible - Ghost Protocol	IMF Secretary	Uncredited
2012	The Best Exotic Marigold Hotel	Graham	Nominated — British Independent Film Award for Best Supporting Actor Nominated — Screen Actors Guild Award for Outstanding Performance by a Cast in a Motion Picture
	Sleeping Dogs	Superintendent Pendrew	Video game role - voice only
	Fury	Xavier
2013	The Lone Ranger	Latham Cole
	Belle	Lord Mansfield
	Felony	Detective Carl Summer
2014	The Grand Budapest Hotel	Author
	Good People	DI John Halden
	Selma	Lyndon B. Johnson
	Jenny's Wedding	Eddie
2015	Unfinished Business	Timothy McWinters
	Little Boy	Fr. Oliver
	Bone in the Throat	Charlie
2016	The Choice	Dr. Shep
	Snowden	Ewen MacAskill	Post-production
	This Beautiful Fantastic	Alfie Stephenson	Post-production
	Carrie Pilby	Mr. Pilby	Filming
	Denial		Post-production
2017	Kong: Skull Island		Filming

[ Source: Wikipedia ]