Jim Broadbent

JIM BROADBENT

He was born on May 24, 1949, in Lincoln (Lincolnshire), England.

His father, a furniture maker, and his mother, a sculptor, were amateur actors and acted in a small theater.

After receiving an elementary education at a boarding school in Reading, Jim went to art school, but soon transferred from there to the London Academy of Music and Dramatic Art.

After graduating from the Academy in 1972, worked in a modest position as an assistant director in the open air theater in Regent's Park.

He began with roles in provincial theaters, until in the second half of the seventies, founded with his friend, actor Patrick Barlow, a two-man company, the National Theater of Brent. Their repertoire included small comic plays, in which Broadbent played a variety of roles - from John the Baptist to Marie Antoinette.

He first managed to attract the attention of a wide audience in 1976, having played several roles in a cycle of plays based on the science fiction novel by Robert Shea, "The Illuminati!", directed by the famous British actor, director and writer Ken Campbell.

Broadbent went on to work at the Royal National Theatre and the Royal Shakespeare Theatre.

He first appeared on the movie screen in 1978 in a cameo role in The Howl. For quite a long time acted in small roles. In addition, he worked on television, in a popular comedy series "Blackadder" with the famous comedian Rowan Atkinson.

In 1987, Broadbent married a working costume designer.

The turning point in his career came in 1990, thanks to director Mike Leigh, with whom Broadbent had already worked in the theater. In his comedy "Life is Beautiful!" Broadbent played his first major film role.

The most impressive acting work of this period was the role of the wily Buckingham in an original interpretation of Shakespeare's "Richard III" (1996) directed by Richard Loncraine.

The next big achievement for the actor was again due to Mike Leigh - for his role in his musical-historical film "The Clutter" (1999), Broadbent was nominated for the British Academy of Film and Television and was named best actor at the Venice Film Festival in 1999, receiving the "Volpi Cup.

Soon he was waiting for another triumph in the psychological drama "Iris" (2001). This role can be considered the most successful in Broadbent′s acting biography. This time his talent has been recognized across the ocean - for this film, he was awarded the "Oscar" and "Golden Globe" as best supporting actor.

Broadbent is still lucky - his talent as a performer of character roles is in demand, he is often filmed both at home and in the United States.

The actor, along with his wife, Anastasia Lewis, lives in North London.

The amateur acting troupe, the Lindsey Rural Actors of Lincolnshire, in which his parents once played, still exists to this day, Broadbent is its honorary president.

PRIZES AND AWARDS

Golden Globe Award (2001):

Best Supporting Actor ("Iris")

BAFTA Award (2001):

Best Supporting Actor ("Moulin Rouge")