Jonathan Firth
Jonathan Firth | |
|---|---|
| Born | Jonathan Stephen Firth 6 April 1967 |
| Nationality | British |
| Occupation | Actor |
| Years active | 1990-present |
| Parent(s) | David and Shirley Firth |
| Relatives | Colin Firth (brother) Kate Firth (sister) |
| Awards | 2004 CFT Excellence Award for Best Actor in a Motion Picture, Luther |
Jonathan Stephen Firth (born 6 April 1967) is an English actor best known for his roles in such noted British television productions as Middlemarch, Far from the Madding Crowd, and Victoria & Albert. He lives in Islington, North London.
Early life
Jonathan Firth was born in Brentwood, Essex, England to Shirley Jean (née Rolles) and David Norman Lewis Firth. His parents were both children of Methodist missionaries in India, who worked as teachers in Nigeria after their marriage.[1] He is the younger brother of actor Colin Firth and voice coach Kate Firth. The family moved many times, from Billericay to Brentwood, Essex, and then to St. Louis, Missouri (USA) for a year when Jonathan was five.[1]
Upon returning to England the family settled in Winchester, Hampshire, where his father became a history lecturer at King Alfred's College and his mother was a comparative religion lecturer at King Alfred's College, Winchester (now the University of Winchester).[1]
Firth studied at Central School of Speech and Drama and Peter Symonds College in Winchester. His flatmate at one time was actor Rufus Sewell.[2]
After graduation, he toured with the Royal Shakespeare Company,[3] where he made his debut at the age of twenty-seven as Henry VI (1994).[4]
Acting career
In addition to his roles in the theatre, Firth has acted in cinematic films and radio dramas,[5] narrated audiobooks, and has also made notable television appearances, such as Linton Heathcliff in Emily Brontë's Wuthering Heights (1992); Fred Vincy in Middlemarch (1994); Sergeant Troy in Far from the Madding Crowd, for which he received a nomination for best actor;[4] Lord Arthur Goring in An Ideal Husband (2000); and Prince Albert in Victoria & Albert (2001). He portrayed Joshua in the 2000 biblical film, In the Beginning.[4][6]
In 2003, he acted in the BBC's dramatised documentary Pompeii: The Last Day.[7] That same year, Firth appeared in the film Luther, portraying Cardinal Aleander, the papal adviser who sought Luther's excommunication. For his performance, he received the CFT Excellence Award for Best Actor in a Motion Picture.[4]
He has also guest-starred in Van der Valk (1991), Inspector Morse (1992); Covington Cross (1992); Cadfael (1994); Agatha Christie's Poirot: Hickory Dickory Dock (1995); Tales from the Crypt (1996); Midsomer Murders (1997); Kangaroo Palace (1998), an Australian drama set in the 1960s; The Magical Legend of the Leprechauns (1999); The Inspector Lynley Mysteries (2002); Sparkling Cyanide (2003); and Jericho (2005).[6][4][8] He appeared in The Prince and Me 2: The Royal Wedding (2006), The Prince and Me: A Royal Honeymoon (2008) and The Prince and Me: The Elephant Adventure (2010).[4][6]
In 2008, Firth starred as the chef in a short film, The Chef's Letter,[9] played Evan in the radio production of Dame Daphne du Maurier's September Tide,[6] and was also featured in an episode of the American television series Ghost Whisperer. In 2009 he portrayed Dr. David Fuller in the German film production of Albert Schweitzer.[4][6]
In 2016, he appears as Rex Bishop in the BBC series Father Brown episode 4.1 "The Mask of the Demon".
Theatre
- Eden End (Farrant), Royal Theatre, June 2011
- Henry VI, Part III (Henry), Royal Shakespeare Company
- The Lulu Plays (Schwartz), Almeida Theatre, London
- Bad Company (Ian), National Theatre Studio
Audio books
- War and Peace by Leo Tolstoy. Narrator, BBC Audiobooks, 1997
- Julius Caesar by William Shakespeare. Narrator, BBC Radio Collection, 1999
- Shadows of Glory by William Woodruff. Narrator, 2003
- Twelfth Night by William Shakespeare. Narrator, BBC Audiobooks, 2005
- The Two Noble Kinsmen: Arkangel Complete Shakespeare. Narrator, BBC Audiobooks, 2003
- Measure for Measure by William Shakespeare. Narrator, 2006
- Nobody True by James Herbert. Narrator, 2007
- Sepulchre by James Herbert. Narrator, 2008
- I'll Never Be Young Again by Daphne Du Maurier. Narrator
- In Search for Lost Time by Marcel Proust. Narrator, BBC Audiobooks, 2009
- Short Stories: The Thinking Man's Collection. Narrator, 2010
- Heathrow Nights by Jan Mark. Narrator, 2011
References
- ^ a b c "Courtesy of Tiscali Entertainment". 29 July 2011. Retrieved 20 May 2015.
- ^ "Showcase: Jonathan Firth". 29 July 2011. Retrieved 20 May 2015.
- ^ Dunbar, Polly (20 May 2015). "And the Oscar for best supporting brother goes to... If only Colin Firth's younger sibling had put on THAT wet shirt". London, UK: Daily Mail. Retrieved 29 July 2011.
- ^ a b c d e f g "Jonathan Firth CV". 31 July 2011. Retrieved 20 May 2015.
- ^ "Radio Roles". 20 May 2015. Retrieved 29 July 2011.
- ^ a b c d e Jonathan Firth at IMDb
- ^ Dunbar, Polly. "And the Oscar for best supporting brother goes to... If only Colin Firth's younger sibling had put on THAT wet shirt". London: Daily Mail. Retrieved 20 May 2015.
- ^ "Jericho: The Hollow Men". Retrieved 20 May 2015.
- ^ "The Chef's Letter". 20 May 2015. Retrieved 29 July 2011.
