Early life

Broadbent was born in Holton cum Beckering, in Lincolnshire, the second son of Doreen "Dee" Broadbent (née Findlay), a sculptor, and Roy Laverick Broadbent, an artist, sculptor, interior designer and furniture maker who turned a former church into a theatre named after him. Broadbent's parents were both amateur actors who co-founded the Holton Players acting troupe at Holton cum Beckering; the two have been described by the BBC as conscientious objectors who "worked the land" rather than participate in World War II. He had a twin sister who died at birth. Broadbent was educated at Leighton Park School, a Quaker school in Reading, and briefly attended art college before transferring to the London Academy of Music and Dramatic Art from which he graduated in 1972.

Career

Broadbent's early stagework included a number of productions for The National Theatre of Brent, as the downtrodden assistant Wallace to Patrick Barlow's self-important actor/manager character Desmond Olivier Dingle. Broadbent and Barlow played many male and female character roles in comically less-than-epic tellings of historical and religious stories such as The Complete Guide to Sex, The Greatest Story Ever Told, Revolution!!, and All The World's A Globe. These were hits at the Edinburgh Fringe, in London, and on tour. Later stage work included the original productions of Kafka's Dick (1986) and Our Country's Good (1988) at the Royal Court Theatre and work for the Royal National Theatre including "The Government Inspector". Work on the stage with Mike Leigh includes Goosepimples and Ecstasy.

Broadbent had worked with Stephen Frears in The Hit (1984) and Terry Gilliam in Time Bandits (1981) and Brazil (1985) before establishing himself in Mike Leigh's Life Is Sweet (1990). He proved his ability as a character actor in films including The Crying Game (1992), Enchanted April (1992), Bullets over Broadway (1994), The Borrowers (1997), and Little Voice (1998) before taking a leading role in another Mike Leigh film, Topsy-Turvy (1999), playing dramatist Sir William S. Gilbert. He played "The Shy Doctor" in the 1999 Comic Relief parody Doctor Who sketch, Doctor Who and the Curse of Fatal Death. In 2001, Broadbent starred in three of the year's most successful films: Bridget Jones's Diary; Moulin Rouge!, for which he won a BAFTA; and Iris, for which he won an Oscar for his portrayal of John Bayley.

Broadbent voiced Madame Gasket from the 2005 film Robots. Broadbent also appeared as DCI Roy Slater, an associate character in the enormously popular sitcom Only Fools and Horses. The character appeared in three episodes over an eight-year period. He had originally been offered the lead role of Del Boy in the series, but he turned it down due to other commitments. He has also played a role in the Inspector Morse series. Other comic roles include the lead role in the sitcom The Peter Principle and occasional guest appearances in Not The Nine O'Clock News, Only Fools and Horses, and Victoria Wood As Seen on TV. He played Don Speekingleesh in The Queen of Spain's Beard in the first series of The Black Adder in 1983. He also played the role of Prince Albert in Blackadder's Christmas Carol, first broadcast in 1988. He joined Rowan Atkinson in his Spider-Man spoof Spider-Plant Man, as a disgruntled Batman, jealous of Spider-Plant Man's success.

Broadbent played the title role in the Channel 4 drama Longford in October 2006, earning a BAFTA TV Award, a Golden Globe, and a 2007 Emmy nomination for his performance as Frank Pakenham (1905-2001), Earl of Longford, which was centred on Longford's ultimately unsuccessful campaign for the parole of Myra Hindley from her life imprisonment for the Moors Murders.

Broadbent appeared as Inspector Frank Butterman in Hot Fuzz in 2007.

He appeared in the original radio production of The Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy, playing the character Vroomfondel. He was also a regular in Stephen Fry's radio comedy show Saturday Night Fry, which aired on BBC Radio 4 in 1988.

Broadbent played Dean Charles Stanforth in the fourth film in the Indiana Jones series, Indiana Jones and the Kingdom of the Crystal Skull; King William IV in The Young Victoria; and Horace Slughorn in the sixth Harry Potter movie, Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince, as well as the final movie in the series Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows - Part 2. In 2008, he starred as pro-Newtonian physicist Sir Oliver Lodge in the fact-based single drama Einstein and Eddington for the BBC.

In 2009, he portrayed Sam Longson, chairman of Derby County football club in the 1960s and 1970s, in the film The Damned United; the starring character in the film was football manager Brian Clough, played by Michael Sheen.

In 2010, he provided the voice for the character Major Mouse in a series of radio advertisements and one produced for television for an energy company, E.ON, for their eonenergyfit.com website campaign. He also starred as the older Logan Mountstuart in the TV adaptation of William Boyd's novel Any Human Heart.

He had a lead role in Exile, a BBC One drama, starring John Simm and written by Danny Brocklehurst.

In 2012 he played Denis Thatcher opposite Oscar-winner Meryl Streep as the former Prime Minister in The Iron Lady.

Personal life

Broadbent is married to painter and former theatre designer Anastasia Lewis.

Filmography and awards

Year	Title	Role	Notes
1979	Not the Nine O'Clock News	Union negotiator	Sketch: "Final Demands"
1980	Breaking Glass	Station Porter
1981	Dogs of War, TheThe Dogs of War	Film crew
1981	Time Bandits	Compere
1982	Bird of Prey	DI Richardson
1982	Birth of a Nation	Geoff Fig
1982	Objects of Affection	Cemetery Attendant	Episode: "Our Winnie"
1983	Black Adder, TheThe Black Adder	Don Speekingleesh	Television series Episode: "The Queen of Spain's Beard"
1983-1991	Only Fools and Horses	Det. Chief Insp. Roy Slater	Television series: 3 episodes
1985	Brazil	Dr. Jaffe
1985	Good Father, TheThe Good Father	Roger Miles
1985	Happy Families	Dalcroix	Television series: 3 episodes
1987	Superman IV: The Quest for Peace	Jean Pierre Dubois
1987	Victoria Wood As Seen On TV	the Doctor	Appears in a sketch spoofing Doctor Who
1988	Blackadder's Christmas Carol	Prince Albert	Television special
1989	Revolution!!	Wallace	Television film Also writer
1989	Erik the Viking	Ernest the Viking
1990	Life Is Sweet	Andy
1991	Gone to the Dogs	Jim Morley
1991	Murder Most Horrid	Selwyn Proops	Television series, 1 episode: "A Determined Woman".
1992	A Sense of History	The 23rd Earl of Leete	Television film Also writer
1992	Enchanted April	Frederick Arbuthnot
1992	Crying Game, TheThe Crying Game	Col
1993	Prince Cinders	Ugly Brother
1994	Bullets over Broadway	Warner Purcell
1994	Princess Caraboo	Mr. Worrall
1994	Widows' Peak	Con Clancy
1995	Richard III	The Duke of Buckingham
1995	The Last Englishman	Col. Alfred D. Wintle
1996-2000	Percy the Park Keeper	Percy	Voice for animated children's series
1997	Borrowers, TheThe Borrowers	Pod Clock
1997	Smilla's Sense of Snow	Dr. Lagermann
1998	Avengers, TheThe Avengers	Mother
1998	Little Voice	Mr. Boo	Nominated—Screen Actors Guild Award for Outstanding Performance by a Cast in a Motion Picture
1999	Topsy-Turvy	W. S. Gilbert	Evening Standard British Film Award for Best Actor London Film Critics Circle Award for Best Actor Volpi Cup for Best Actor Nominated—BAFTA Award for Best Actor in a Leading Role Nominated—British Independent Film Award for Best Actor Nominated—Chicago Film Critics Association Award for Best Actor
1999	Doctor Who: Curse of Fatal Death	Credited as The Shy Doctor	Television special
2001	Bridget Jones's Diary	Colin Jones, Bridget's father
2001	Moulin Rouge!	Harold Zidler	BAFTA Award for Best Actor in a Supporting Role Los Angeles Film Critics Association Award for Best Supporting Actor National Board of Review Award for Best Supporting Actor Satellite Award for Best Supporting Actor - Motion Picture Nominated—Screen Actors Guild Award for Outstanding Performance by a Cast in a Motion Picture
2001	Iris	John Bayley	Academy Award for Best Supporting Actor Golden Globe Award for Best Supporting Actor - Motion Picture Los Angeles Film Critics Association Award for Best Supporting Actor National Board of Review Award for Best Supporting Actor Nominated—BAFTA Award for Best Actor in a Leading Role Nominated—Broadcast Film Critics Association Award for Best Supporting Actor Nominated—European Film Award for Best Actor Nominated—Phoenix 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
2002	Gathering Storm, TheThe Gathering Storm	Desmond Morton	Television film Nominated—Emmy Award for Outstanding Supporting Actor - Miniseries or a Movie Nominated—Golden Globe Award for Best Supporting Actor - Series, Miniseries or Television Film Nominated—Satellite Award for Best Supporting Actor - Series, Miniseries or Television Film
2002	Gangs of New York	Boss Tweed
2002	Nicholas Nickleby	Mr. Wackford Squeers	National Board of Review Award for Best Cast
2003	Bright Young Things	Drunk Major
2003	Young Visiters, TheThe Young Visiters	Alfred Salteena	Television film Nominated—British Academy Television Award for Best Actor
2004	Around the World in 80 Days	Lord Kelvin
2004	Pride	Eddie	Voice role Television film
2004	Vanity Fair	Mr. Osborne
2004	Vera Drake	Judge
2004	Bridget Jones: The Edge of Reason	Colin Jones, Bridget's father
2005	Robots	Madame Gasket	Voice role
2005	Valiant	Sergeant	Voice role
2005	Chronicles of Narnia: The Lion, the Witch and the Wardrobe, TheThe Chronicles of Narnia: The Lion, the Witch and the Wardrobe	Professor Kirke
2006	Free Jimmy	Igor Stromowskij	Voice role for 2008 English version
2006	Street, TheThe Street	Stan McDermott	Television series: 3 episodes International Emmy Award for Best Performance by an Actor
2006	Longford	Lord Longford	Television film British Academy Television Award for Best Actor Broadcasting Press Guild Award for Best Actor Golden Globe Award for Best Actor - Miniseries or Television Film Nominated—Emmy Award for Outstanding Lead Actor - Miniseries or a Movie Nominated—Monte Carlo TV Festival for Television Films - Best Performance by an Actor Nominated—Royal Television Society Award for Best Actor - Male Nominated—Satellite Award for Best Actor - Miniseries or Television Film
2006	Art School Confidential	Jimmy
2007	Hot Fuzz	Inspector Frank Butterman
2007	And When Did You Last See Your Father?	Arthur Morrison	Nominated—British Independent Film Award for Best Actor Nominated—London Film Critics Circle Award for Best Actor
2008	Indiana Jones and the Kingdom of the Crystal Skull	Dean Charles Stanforth
2008	Einstein and Eddington	Sir Oliver Lodge	Television film
2008	Inkheart	Fenoglio
2009	Young Victoria, TheThe Young Victoria	King William IV
2009	Damned United, TheThe Damned United	Sam Longson	Nominated—British Independent Film Award for Best Supporting Actor
2009	Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince	Horace Slughorn
2009	Perrier's Bounty	Jim McCrea
2010	Another Year	Tom	Nominated—British Independent Film Award for Best Actor Nominated—London Film Critics Circle Award for Best Actor Nominated—San Diego Film Critics Society Award for Best Cast
2010	Animals United	Winston
2010	Any Human Heart	Logan Mountstuart (older)	Television series: 4 episodes Royal Television Society Award for Best Actor - Male Nominated—British Academy Television Award for Best Actor
2011	Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows - Part 2	Horace Slughorn
2011	Exile	Sam Ronstadt	Television series: 3 episodes
2011	Arthur Christmas	Malcolm "Santa" Claus	Voice role
2011	The Iron Lady	Denis Thatcher	Nominated - BAFTA Award for Best Actor in a Supporting Role
2012	Cloud Atlas	Captain Molyneux, Vyvyan Ayrs, Timothy Cavendish, Korean Musician, Prescient 2
2014	Postman Pat: The Movie	Mr. Brown	Voice only
2013	Closed Circuit	Attorney General
2013	Filth	Dr. Rossi
2013	Le Week-End	Nick Burrows
2013	The Great Train Robbery	Tommy Butler
2013	The Harry Hill Movie	Bill the Cleaner
2013	The Phone Call	Stanley	Short film
2014	Paddington	Mr. Gruber
2014	Get Santa	Santa Claus
2014	Big Game	Herbert
2015	Brooklyn	Father Flood
2015	The Lady in the Van	Underwood
2015	The Go-Between	Old Leo Colston	Television film
2015	London Spy	Scottie	BBC Two's five part series
2016	War & Peace	Prince Nikolai Bolkonsky	BBC Television series
2016	Eddie the Eagle	BBC Commentator
2016	"The Legend of Tarzan"		Completed
2016	The Sense of an Ending	Tony Webster	Filming
2017	Bridget Jones's Baby	Colin Jones, Bridget's father	Filming

Other awards and honours

• 2004: Nominated Grammy Award for Best Spoken Word Album for Children for Winnie-the-Pooh.
• 2007: British Independent Film Awards—Richard Harris Award

Broadbent was offered an OBE in 2002 however declined stating there were more deserving recipients than actors and the British Empire was not something he wanted to "celebrate".

[ Source: Wikipedia ]