Geoffrey Rush

Geoffrey Rush

Birth name: Geoffrey Roy Rush
Born: July 6, 1951
Age: 73
Birthplace: Toowoomba, Queensland, Australia
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Biography

Geoffrey Roy Rush AC (born 6 July 1951) is an Australian actor and film producer. He is the youngest of the few people who have won the "Triple Crown of Acting": the Academy Award, the Primetime Emmy Award, and the Tony Award. He has won one Academy Award for acting (from four nominations), three British Academy Film Awards (from five nominations), two Golden Globe Awards and four Screen Actors Guild Awards. He is the founding President of the Australian Academy of Cinema and Television Arts and was named the 2012 Australian of the Year. He is also the first actor to win the Academy Award, BAFTA Award, Critics’ Choice Movie Award, Golden Globe Award, and Screen Actors Guild Award for a single performance in film for his performance in Shine (1996).

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Early life

Rush was born in Toowoomba, Queensland, the son of Merle (Bischof), a department store sales assistant, and Roy Baden Rush, an accountant for the Royal Australian Air Force. His father was of English, Irish, and Scottish ancestry, and his mother was of German descent. His parents divorced when he was five, and his mother subsequently took him to live with her parents in suburban Brisbane. Before he began his acting career, Rush attended Everton Park State High School and graduated from the University of Queensland with Bachelor's Degree in Arts. While at university, he was talent-spotted by Queensland Theatre Company (QTC) in Brisbane. Rush began his career with QTC in 1971, appearing in 17 productions.

In 1975, Rush went to Paris for two years and studied mime, movement and theatre at L'École Internationale de Théâtre Jacques Lecoq, before returning to resume his stage career with QTC. In 1979, he shared an apartment with actor Mel Gibson for four months while they co-starred in a stage production of Waiting for Godot.

Stage career

Rush made his theatre debut in the QTC's production of Wrong Side of the Moon. He worked with the QTC for four years, appearing in roles ranging across classical plays and pantomime, from Juno and the Paycock to Hamlet on Ice. Following these, Rush left for Paris where he studied further.

Rush's acting credits include Shakespeare's plays, The Winter's Tale (with the State Theatre Company of South Australia in 1987 at The Playhouse in Adelaide) and Troilus and Cressida (at the Old Museum Building in 1989). He also appeared in an ongoing production of Oscar Wilde's The Importance of Being Earnest as John Worthing (Ernest) (in which his wife, Jane Menelaus, appeared as Gwendolen).

In September 1998, Rush played the title role in the Beaumarchais play The Marriage of Figaro for the QTC. This was the opening production of the Optus Playhouse at the Queensland Performing Arts Centre at South Bank in Brisbane. A pun on Rush's name (and the circumstances) was used in the opening prologue of the play with the comment that the "Optus Playhouse was opening with a Rush".

Rush has appeared on stage for the Brisbane Arts Theatre and in many other theatre venues. He has also worked as a theatre director. In 2007, he starred as King Berenger in a production of Eugène Ionesco's Exit the King at the Malthouse Theatre in Melbourne and Company B in Sydney, directed by Neil Armfield. For this performance, he received a Helpmann Award nomination for best male actor in a play.

Rush made his Broadway debut in a restaging of Exit the King under Malthouse Theatre's touring moniker Malthouse Melbourne and Company B Belvoir. This restaging featured a new American cast including Susan Sarandon. The show opened on 26 March 2009 at the Ethel Barrymore Theatre. Rush won the Outer Critics Circle Award, Theatre World Award, Drama Desk Award, the Distinguished Performance Award from the Drama League Award and the 2009 Tony Award for Best Performance by a Leading Actor in a Play.

In 2010, Rush played Man in Chair in The Drowsy Chaperone on its Australian tour.

In 2011, Rush played the lead in a theatrical adaptation of Nikolai Gogol's short story The Diary of a Madman at the Brooklyn Academy of Music. Rush won for this role Helpmann Award and was nominated for the Drama Desk Award.

From November 2011, Rush played the role of Lady Bracknell in the Melbourne Theatre Company production of The Importance of Being Earnest. Other actors from the 1988 production include Jane Menelaus, this time as Miss Prism, and Bob Hornery, who had played Canon Chasuble, as the two butlers.

Film career

Rush made his film debut in the Australian film Hoodwink in 1981. His next film was Gillian Armstrong's Starstruck, the following year. In the coming years he appeared in small roles on television dramas, including a role as a dentist in a 1993 episode of the British television series Lovejoy. He made his breakthrough performance in 1996 with Shine, for which he won the Academy Award for Best Actor.

In 1998, he appeared in three major films: Les Misérables, Elizabeth, and Shakespeare in Love for which he received his second Academy Award nomination as Academy Award for Best Supporting Actor.

In 1999, Rush took the lead role as Steven Price in the horror film House on Haunted Hill. In 2000, he received his third Academy Award nomination, for Quills, in which he played the Marquis de Sade and He role the voice of Bunyip Bluegum in The Magic Pudding.

Rush's career continued at a fast pace, with nine films released from 2001 to 2003. He starred in the film Pirates of the Caribbean: The Curse of the Black Pearl, as Captain Hector Barbossa, also appearing in its sequels, Dead Man's Chest, At World's End and On Stranger Tides.

Rush reprised his character's voice for the enhancements at the Pirates of the Caribbean attractions at Disneyland and the Magic Kingdom theme parks, which involved an Audio-Animatronic with Rush's likeness being installed (including one at Tokyo Disneyland). He also voiced Nigel the pelican in Finding Nemo.

Rush played actor Peter Sellers in the television film The Life and Death of Peter Sellers. For this performance, he won an Emmy Award for Outstanding Lead Actor in a Miniseries or a Movie, a SAG Award for Best Performance by an Actor in a Television Movie or Miniseries, and a Golden Globe Award for Best Actor in a Miniseries or Motion Picture made for Television. In 2005, he starred in Steven Spielberg's Munich as Ephraim, a Mossad agent.

In 2006, Rush hosted the Australian Film Institute Awards for the Nine Network. He was the Master of Ceremonies again at the 2007 AFI Awards.

In the beginning of 2009, Rush appeared in a series of special edition postage stamps featuring some of Australia's internationally recognised actors. He, Cate Blanchett, Russell Crowe, and Nicole Kidman each appear twice in the series. Rush's image is taken from Shine.

In 2010, Rush played speech therapist Lionel Logue in The King's Speech, a part that earned him a BAFTA and nominations for the Academy Awards and Golden Globe Awards for Best Supporting Actor.

Rush returned as Captain Hector Barbossa in Pirates of the Caribbean: On Stranger Tides, starring Johnny Depp, in 2011. Rush is also preparing for a film version of The Drowsy Chaperone, an award-winning stage musical. In addition, he voiced the alien Tomar-Re in the film adaptation of the Green Lantern comic book series.

In 2011, Rush made a cameo in a commercial, The Potato Peeler, for the Melbourne International Film Festival (MIFF), playing a Polish peasant. He spoke his lines in Polish for the part.

In August 2011 he was appointed the foundation President of the newly formed Australian Academy of Cinema and Television Arts.

In 2013, Rush starred alongside Jim Sturgess in The Best Offer and the film version of the best-selling novel The Book Thief. On August 4, 2015, Rush appeared on the documentary TV series Who Do You Think You Are? on Series 7, Episode 1 on the SBS.

Personal life

Since 1988, Rush has been married to actress Jane Menelaus, with whom he has a daughter, Angelica (born 1992), and a son, James (born 1995). Rush lives in the Melbourne suburb of Camberwell, Victoria.

Filmography

Film and television
Year Title Role Notes
1979-1981 Consumer Capers Jim Boy TV series
1981 Hoodwink Detective 1
1981 Menotti TV series
1982 Starstruck Floor Manager
1987 Twelfth Night Sir Andrew Aguecheek
1995 "Dad and Dave on our selection" Dave
1996 Shine David Helfgott (adult) Academy Award for Best Actor
Australian Film Institute Award for Best Actor in a Leading Role
BAFTA Award for Best Actor in a Leading Role
Boston Society of Film Critics Award for Best Actor
Broadcast Film Critics Association Award for Best Actor
Film Critics Circle of Australia Award for Best Actor - Male
Florida Film Critics Circle Award for Best Actor
Golden Globe Award for Best Actor - Motion Picture Drama
London Film Critics Circle Award for Best Actor
Los Angeles Film Critics Association Award for Best Actor
New York Film Critics Circle Award for Best Actor
Satellite Award for Best Actor - Motion Picture Drama
Screen Actors Guild Award for Outstanding Performance by a Male Actor in a Leading Role
Society of Texas Film Critics Award for Best Actor
Nominated - Chicago Film Critics Association Award for Best Actor
Nominated - Chicago Film Critics Association Award for Most Promising Actor
Nominated - National Society of Film Critics Award for Best Actor
Nominated - Screen Actors Guild Award for Outstanding Performance by a Cast in a Motion Picture
Nominated - Southeastern Film Critics Association Award for Best Actor
1996 Mercury Bill Wyatt TV series
1996 Children of the Revolution Zachary Welch
1997 Frontier Soldier Administrator David Collins TV mini-series
1997 Oscar and Lucinda Narrator (voice)
1998 A Little Bit of Soul Godfrey Usher Nominated - Australian Film Institute Award for Best Actor in a Supporting Role
1998 Elizabeth Sir Francis Walsingham BAFTA Award for Best Actor in a Supporting Role
1998 Les Misérables Inspector Javert
1998 Shakespeare in Love Philip Henslowe Screen Actors Guild Award for Outstanding Performance by a Cast in a Motion Picture
Nominated - Academy Award for Best Supporting Actor
Nominated - BAFTA Award for Best Actor in a Supporting Role
Nominated - Blockbuster Entertainment Award for Favorite Supporting Actor - Comedy/Romance
Nominated - Golden Globe Award for Best Supporting Actor - Motion Picture
Nominated - Satellite Award for Best Supporting Actor - Motion Picture
Nominated - Screen Actors Guild Award for Outstanding Performance by a Male Actor in a Supporting Role
1999 Mystery Men Casanova Frankenstein
1999 House on Haunted Hill Stephen H. Price
2000 Quills Marquis de Sade Florida Film Critics Circle Award for Best Actor
Kansas City Film Critics Circle Award for Best Actor
Las Vegas Film Critics Society Award for Best Actor
Phoenix Film Critics Society Award for Best Actor
Satellite Award for Best Actor - Motion Picture Drama
Nominated - Academy Award for Best Actor
Nominated - BAFTA Award for Best Actor in a Leading Role
Nominated - Broadcast Film Critics Association Award for Best Actor
Nominated - Chicago Film Critics Association Award for Best Actor
Nominated - Dallas-Fort Worth Film Critics Association Award for Best Actor
Nominated - Golden Globe Award for Best Actor - Motion Picture Drama
Nominated - Online Film Critics Society Award for Best Actor
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
2000 Magic Pudding, TheThe Magic Pudding Bunyip Bluegum (voice)
2001 The Tailor of Panama Harold 'Harry' Pendel
2001 Lantana John Knox
2002 Frida Leon Trotsky
2002 Banger Sisters, TheThe Banger Sisters Harry Plummer
2003 Pirates of the Caribbean: The Curse of the Black Pearl Captain Hector Barbossa Nominated - MTV Movie Award for Best Villain
Nominated - Satellite Award for Best Supporting Actor - Motion Picture
Nominated - Saturn Award for Best Supporting Actor
2003 Swimming Upstream Harold Fingleton Nominated - Australian Film Institute Award for Best Actor in a Leading Role
Nominated - Film Critics Circle of Australia Award for Best Actor - Male
Nominated - Inside Film Award for Best Actor
2003 Ned Kelly Superintendent Francis Hare
2003 Finding Nemo Nigel (voice)
2003 Intolerable Cruelty Donovan Donaly
2003 Harvie Krumpet Narrator (voice)
2004 Life and Death of Peter Sellers, TheThe Life and Death of Peter Sellers Peter Sellers Primetime Emmy Award for Outstanding Lead Actor - Miniseries or a Movie
Golden Globe Award for Best Actor - Miniseries or Television Film
Screen Actors Guild Award for Outstanding Performance by a Male Actor in a Miniseries or Television Movie
Nominated - British Independent Film Award for Best Actor
Nominated - London Film Critics Circle Award for Best Actor
Nominated - Satellite Award for Best Actor - Miniseries or Television Film
2005 Munich Mossad case officer Ephraim Nominated - Washington D.C. Area Film Critics Association Award for Best Supporting Actor
2006 Pirates of the Caribbean: Dead Man's Chest Captain Hector Barbossa Cameo (Uncredited)
2006 Candy Casper Film Critics Circle of Australia Award for Best Actor in a Supporting Role
Nominated - Australian Film Institute Award for Best Actor in a Supporting Role
2007 Pirates of the Caribbean: At World's End Captain Hector Barbossa
2007 Elizabeth: The Golden Age Sir Francis Walsingham
2008 $9.99 Angel (voice)
2009 Bran Nue Dae Father Benedictus
2010 Legend of the Guardians: The Owls of Ga'Hoole Ezylryb & Lyze of Kiel (voice only) (voice)
Nominated - Annie Award for Best Voice Acting in an Animated Feature Production
2010 King's Speech, TheThe King's Speech Lionel Logue Also Producer
BAFTA Award for Best Actor in a Supporting Role
British Independent Film Award for Best Supporting Actor
Central Ohio Film Critics Association Award for Best Supporting Actor
National Society of Film Critics Award for Best Supporting Actor
Santa Barbara International Film Festival for Best Ensemble Cast
Screen Actors Guild Award for Outstanding Performance by a Cast in a Motion Picture
Southeastern Film Critics Association Award for Best Supporting Actor
Nominated - Academy Award for Best Supporting Actor
Nominated - Broadcast Film Critics Association Award for Best Acting Ensemble
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 - Denver Film Critics Society Award for Best Supporting Actor
Nominated - Detroit Film Critics Society Award for Best Supporting Actor
Nominated - Golden Globe Award for Best Supporting Actor - Motion Picture
Nominated - Houston Film Critics Society Award for Best Supporting Actor
Nominated - Las Vegas Film Critics Society Award for Best Supporting Actor
Nominated - Los Angeles Film Critics Association Award for Best Supporting Actor
Nominated - National Movie Award for Best Performance of the Year
Nominated - North Texas Film Critics Association Award for Best Supporting Actor
Nominated - Online Film Critics Society Award for Best Supporting Actor
Nominated - Phoenix Film Critics Society Award for Best Cast
Nominated - Phoenix Film Critics Society Award for Best Supporting Actor
Nominated - San Diego Film Critics Society Award for Best Supporting Actor
Nominated - Satellite Award for Best Supporting Actor - Motion Picture
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 - Toronto Film Critics Association Award for Best Supporting Actor
Nominated - Utah Film Critics Association Award for Best Supporting Actor
Nominated - Vancouver Film Critics Circle Award for Best Supporting Actor
Nominated - Washington D.C. Area Film Critics Association Award for Best Supporting Actor
2010 Lowdown Narrator (voice)
2010 Warrior's Way, TheThe Warrior's Way Ron
2011 Pirates of the Caribbean: On Stranger Tides Captain Hector Barbossa Nominated - People's Choice Award for Favorite Ensemble Movie Cast
2011 Green Lantern Tomar-Re (voice)
2011 Eye of the Storm, TheThe Eye of the Storm Basil Hunter Nominated - AACTA Award for Best Actor in a Leading Role
Nominated - Film Critics Circle of Australia Award for Best Actor - Male
Nominated - Inside Film Award for Best Actor
2013 The Best Offer Virgil Oldman
2013 The Book Thief Hans Hubermann Nominated - AACTA International Award for Best Supporting Actor
2014 Unity Narrator Documentary
2015 The Daughter Henry
2015 Minions The Narrator Voice
2015 Holding the Man Barry
2016 Gods of Egypt Ra
2017 Pirates of the Caribbean: Dead Men Tell No Tales Captain Hector Barbossa Post-production

Award and nominations

Academy Awards

Year Category Film Result
1996 Best Actor Shine Won
1998 Best Supporting Actor Shakespeare in Love Nominated
2002 Best Actor Quills Nominated
2010 Best Supporting Actor The King's Speech Nominated


BAFTA Awards

Year Category Film Result
1996 Best Actor in a Leading Role Shine Won
1998 Best Actor in a Supporting Role Elizabeth Won
1998 Best Actor in a Supporting Role Shakespeare in Love Nominated
2002 Best Actor in a Leading Role Quills Nominated
2010 Best Actor in a Supporting Role The King's Speech Won

Golden Globe Awards

Year Category Film Result
1996 Best Actor - Motion Picture Drama Shine Won
1998 Best Supporting Actor - Motion Picture Shakespeare in Love Nominated
2002 Best Actor - Motion Picture Drama Quills Nominated
2004 Best Actor - Miniseries or Television Film The Life and Death of Peter Sellers Won
2010 Best Supporting Actor - Motion Picture The King's Speech Nominated

Other awards

  • Awarded an Honorary Doctorate of Letters by the University of Queensland, in Australia.
  • Awarded the Australian Centenary Medal in the 2001 Queen's New Year's Honours List for his services to the arts especially through a distinguished acting career.
  • Appointed a Companion of the Order of Australia (AC) in 2014, one of Australia's highest civilian honours, for eminent service to the arts as a theatre performer, motion picture actor and film producer, as a role model and mentor for aspiring artists, and through support for, and promotion of, the Australian arts industry.
  • 2012: Australian of the Year
  • 2011: Santa Barbara International Film Festival - Montecito Award
  • 2009: Australian Film Institute Longford Life Achievement Award
  • 2003: Australian Film Institute Awards - Global Achievement Award
  • 2004: Brisbane International Film Festival - Chauvel Award
  • 2003: Hollywood Film Festival for Supporting Actor of the Year
  • 1994: Sidney Myer Performing Arts Awards

[ Source: Wikipedia ]


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