Colin Firth spent his early childhood in Nigeria, returning to England at age five. His first professional role was as "Guy Bennet" in the West End production of 'Another Country'. From this performance he was chosen to play the character of "Judd" in the movie of the play, with Rupert Everett (who had also played "Bennet" in another production).

Colin went on to play a variety of character parts in both film and television. His strong and consistant work culminated in earning him the Royal Television Society Best Actor award and a BAFTA nomination for his portrayal of Robert Lawrence in the 1989 TV production 'Tumbledown'. His next BAFTA nomination came for his celebrated portrayl of "Mr. Darcy" in the 1995 BBC mini-series, 'Pride and Prejudice'.

His stiff-necked, repressed, yet passionate "Mr Darcy" in 'Pride and Prejudice' made him one of the most popular and desirable British actors around. He became an instant sex symbol in his native Britain, almost overnight, with women all over the country demanding to know who this tall, dark stranger was and to see more of him.

Numerous film and television roles followed, including 'The English Patient', 'Fever Pitch', 'Shakespeare In Love' (again with Rupert Everett), 'Bridget Jones's Diary', 'The Importance of Being Earnest' (again with Rupert Everett) and 'Love Actually' (with Alan Rickman and Emma Thompson).

While playing many contemporary roles in film, Colin is considered the quintessential period drama actor, as evidenced by his many film and television credits. Even his contemporary characters sometimes carry names that hark back to Jane Austin and tight bodices - "Henry Dashwood" in 'What a Girl Wants', shares the same surname as one of the families in 'Sense and Sensibility', and "Mark Darcy" in 'Brigit Jones's Diary' was a deliberate reference by writer Helen Fielding to the role that launched Colin into a nation's consciousness - that of "Mr Fitzwilliam Darcy" in 'Pride and Prejudice'. If you watch the films closely, you'll see the two characters are even of the same mold and disposition.

He is quoted as saying about the two Darcy roles: "I was delighted to become a popular-culture reference point. I'm still delighted about it actually, and I still find it to be weird."

FILM

• Trauma (2004) .... Ben
• Girl with a Pearl Earring (2003) .... Johannes Vermeer
• Love Actually (2003) .... Jamie
• What a Girl Wants (2003) .... Henry Dashwood
• Hope Springs (2003) .... Colin Ware
• The Importance of Being Earnest (2002) .... Jack
• Bridget Jones's Diary (2001) .... Mark Darcy
• Londinium (2000) .... Allen Portland
• Relative Values (2000) .... Peter Ingleton
• Blackadder Back & Forth (1999) .... William Shakespeare
• The Secret Laughter of Women (1999) .... Matthew Field
• My Life So Far (1999) .... Edward
• Shakespeare in Love (1998) .... Lord Wessex
• A Thousand Acres (1997) .... Jess Clark
• Fever Pitch (1997) .... Paul Ashworth
• The English Patient (1996) .... Geoffrey Clifton
• Circle of Friends (1995) .... Simon Westward
• Playmaker (1994) .... Ross Talbert/Michael Condren
• The Hour of the Pig (1993) .... Richard Courtois
• Out of the Blue (1991) .... Alan
• Femme Fatale (1991) .... Joseph Prince
• Wings of Fame (1990) .... Brian Smith
• Valmont (1989) .... Valmont
• Apartment Zero (1988) .... Adrian LeDuc
• A Month in the Country (1987) .... Tom Birkin
• Dutch Girls (1985) .... Neil Truelove
• 1919 (1985) .... Young Alexander
• Another Country (1984) .... Tommy Judd

TELEVISION

• Conspiracy (2001) .... Dr. Wilhelm Stuckart
• Donovan Quick (1999) .... Donovan Quick
• The Turn of the Screw (1999) .... The Master
• Nostromo (1996) (mini) .... Charles Gould
• Widowing of Mrs. Holroyd, The (1995) .... Charles Holroyd
• Pride and Prejudice (1995) (mini) .... Fitzwilliam Darcy
• The Deep Blue Sea (1994) .... Freddie Page
• Master of the Moor (1994) .... Stephen Whalby
• Hostages (1993) .... John McCarthy
• Tumbledown (1989) .... Robert Lawrence
• Tales from the Hollywood Hills: Pat Hobby Teamed with Genius (1987) .... Rene Wilcox
• The Secret Garden (1987) .... Adult Colin Craven
• Lost Empires (1986) (mini) .... Richard Herncastle
• Camille (1984) .... Armand Duval

THEATRE

• "Three Days of Rain" - The Donmar Warehouse. London, UK. 1999 - 2000.
• “Chatsky” - The Almedia, London, UK. 1993.
• “The Caretaker” - Comedy Theatre, London, UK. 1991.
• “Desire Under the Elms” - Greenwich Theatre, London, UK. 1987.
• “The Lonely Road” - The Old Vic, London, UK. 1985.
• “The Doctor's Dilemma” - Churchill Theatre, Bromley, Kent, UK. 1984.
• “Another Country” - Queens Theatre, London, UK. 1981.

WEBSITES

• ColinFirth.com (Fan Site)
• Colin Firth @ IMDB
• Colin Firth @ Google Directory
• Google Search for Colin Firth