In 2012, he founded the production company Raindog Films, under which he served as a producer forEye in the Sky (2015) andLoving (2016). His films have grossed more than $3 billion from 42 releases worldwide.[6] Firth has campaigned for the rights of Indigenous people and is a member ofSurvival International. He has also campaigned on issues of asylum seekers, refugees' rights and the environment. He commissioned and co-authored a scientific paper on a study of the differences in brain structure between people of differing political orientations.[7]
Firth was born in the village ofGrayshott, Hampshire,[8] to parents who were academics and teachers. His mother, Shirley Jean (née Rolles), was acomparative religion lecturer at King Alfred's College (now theUniversity of Winchester); and his father, David Norman Lewis Firth, was a history lecturer at King Alfred's and education officer for theNigerian government.[9][10][11] Firth is the eldest of three children; his sisterKate is an actress and voice coach, and his brotherJonathan is also an actor.[12] His maternal grandparents wereCongregationalist ministers and his paternal grandfather was anAnglican priest. They did overseasmissionary work, and both of his parents were born and spent part of their childhoods inIndia.[13][14][15]
As a child, Firth frequently travelled due to his parents' work, spending some years inNigeria.[16] He also lived inSt. Louis,Missouri, when he was 11, which he has described as "a difficult time".[17] On returning to England, he attended the Montgomery of Alamein Secondary School (nowKings' School, Winchester), which at the time was a statecomprehensive school inWinchester, Hampshire. He was still an outsider and the target ofbullying. To counter this, he adopted the local working-class Hampshire accent and copied his schoolmates' lack of interest in schoolwork.[18]
Firth began attending drama workshops at age 10, and by 14 had decided to be a professional actor. Untilfurther education, he was not academically inclined, later saying in an interview, "I didn't like school. I just thought it was boring and mediocre and nothing they taught me seemed to be of any interest at all."[17] However, atBarton Peveril Sixth Form College inEastleigh, he was imbued with a love ofEnglish literature by an enthusiastic teacher, Penny Edwards, and has said that his two years there were among the happiest of his life.[19]
In 1987, Firth and other up-and-coming British actors such asTim Roth,Bruce Payne andPaul McGann were dubbed the 'Brit Pack'.[25] That year, he appeared withKenneth Branagh in the film version ofJ. L. Carr'sA Month in the Country.[26] Sheila Johnston observed a theme in his early work of playing those traumatised by war.[27] He portrayed real-life British soldierRobert LawrenceMC in the 1988 BBC dramatisationTumbledown. Lawrence was severely injured at theBattle of Mount Tumbledown during theFalklands War, and the film details his struggles to adjust to his disability whilst confronted with indifference from the government and public. It attracted controversy at the time, with criticism coming from left and right sides of the political spectrum.[27] Despite this, the performance brought Firth a Royal TV Society Best Actor Award, and a nomination for the 1989BAFTATelevision Award.[28] In 1989, he played the title role inMiloš Forman'sValmont, based onLes Liaisons dangereuses.[29] Released just a year afterDangerous Liaisons, it did not make a big impact in comparison. That year he also played a paranoid, socially awkward character in theArgentinian psychological thrillerApartment Zero.[30]
Firth finally became a British household name through his role as the aloof, haughty aristocratMr. Darcy in the 1995BBC television adaptation ofJane Austen'sPride and Prejudice. Producer Sue Birtwistle's first choice for the part, he was eventually persuaded to take it despite his unfamiliarity with Austen's writing.[31] He and co-starJennifer Ehle began a romantic relationship during the filming, which received media attention only after their separation.[32] Sheila Johnston wrote that Firth's approach to the part "lent Darcy complex shades of coldness, even caddishness, in the early episodes".[27] The series was an international success and unexpectedly elevated Firth to stardom[32]—in some part due to a scene not from the novel, where he emerges from a lake swim in a wet shirt.[33] Although he did not mind being recognised as "a romantic idol as a Darcy with smouldering sex appeal"[34] in a role that "officially turned him into a heart-throb",[35] he expressed the wish not to be associated withPride and Prejudice forever.[36] He was, therefore, reluctant to accept similar roles and risk becomingtypecast.[18]
For a time, it did seem as if Mr. Darcy would overshadow the rest of Firth's career, and there were humorous allusions to the role in his next five movies.[37] The most notable was his casting as the love interestMark Darcy in thefilm adaptation ofBridget Jones's Diary, itself a modern-day retelling ofPride and Prejudice. Firth accepted the part as he saw it as an opportunity to lampoon his Mr. Darcy character.[38] The film was very successful[39] and critically well-liked.[40] A2004 sequel was mostly panned by critics[41] but still financially successful.
Prior to this, Firth had a significant supporting role inThe English Patient (1996) as the husband ofKristin Scott Thomas's character, whose jealousy of her adultery leads to tragedy. That year he also played the husband of the character of Kristin's sister,Serena Scott Thomas, in the television miniseriesNostromo. Of the two he said "Serena was a much more faithful wife."
Firth featured in the ensemble all-star cast ofRichard Curtis'sLove Actually (2003), another financial success[44] which divided critics.[45][46] He was also given solo billing as the romantic lead inHope Springs, but it received very poor reviews[47][48] and made little box-office impact.[49] He starred asAmanda Bynes' character's father in the 2003 teen comedyWhat A Girl Wants, which was based on the playThe Reluctant Debutante.[50] He played painterJohannes Vermeer oppositeScarlett Johansson in the 2003 releaseGirl with a Pearl Earring; some critics praised the film's subtlety[51] and sumptuous visuals,[52] whilst others found it almost restrained, tedious and bereft of emotion.[53] Nevertheless, it received mostly favourable reviews, was moderately successful[54] and earned several awards and nominations.
In 2005 Firth appeared inNanny McPhee withEmma Thompson, in which he plays a struggling widowed father, it was a rare venture for him into thefantasy genre.[55] He also appeared inWhere the Truth Lies, a return to some of his darker, more intense early roles, that included a notorious scene featuring abisexualorgy.[56] Sheila Johnston wrote that it "confounded his fans", but nonetheless that his character "draws knowingly on that suave, cultivated persona",[57] which could be traced from Mr. Darcy. Other films from this time includedThen She Found Me (2007) withHelen Hunt andThe Last Legion (2007) withAishwarya Rai.
In 2008, he played the adultBlake Morrison reminiscing on his difficult relationship with his ailing father in the film adaptation of Morrison's memoir,And When Did You Last See Your Father? It received generally favorable reviews.[58][59]Peter Bradshaw ofThe Guardian gave it four out of five stars.[60]Manohla Dargis inThe New York Times said: "It's a pleasure to watch Mr. Firth–a supremely controlled actor who makes each developing fissure visible–show the adult Blake coming to terms with his contradictory feelings, letting the love and the hurt pour out of him."[61]Philip French ofThe Observer wrote that Firth "[does] quiet agonising to perfection."[62] However, Derek Elley ofVariety called the film "an unashamed tearjerker that's all wrapping and no center." While he conceded that it was "undeniably effective at a gut level despite its dramatic shortcomings", he added, "Things aren't helped any by Firth's dour perf, as his Blake comes across as a self-centered whiner, a latter-day Me Generation figure who's obsessed with finding problems when there really aren't any."[63]
The film adaptation ofMamma Mia! (2008) was Firth's first foray intomusicals. He described the experience as "a bit nerve-wracking"[64] but believed he got off lightly by being tasked with one of the less demanding songs,Our Last Summer.[65]Mamma Mia became the highest grossing British-made film of all time,[66] taking in over $600 million worldwide.[67] LikeLove Actually, it polarised critics, with supporters such asEmpire calling it "cute, clean, camp fun, full of sunshine, and toe tappers",[68] whereas Peter Bradshaw inThe Guardian said the film gave him a "need to vomit".[69] Carrie Rickey inThe Philadelphia Inquirer described Firth's performance as "the embodiment of forced mirth."[70] That year, Firth also starred inEasy Virtue, which screened at the Rome Film Festival to excellent reviews.[71] He starred inGenova, which premiered at the2008 Toronto International Film Festival.[72]In 2009 he appeared inA Christmas Carol, an adaptation ofCharles Dickens' novel, using theperformance capture procedure, playing Scrooge's optimistic nephew Fred, withJim Carrey,Gary Oldman,Robin Wright Penn,Bob Hoskins andCary Elwes.
At the66th Venice International Film Festival in 2009, Firth received theVolpi Cup for Best Actor for his role inTom Ford's directorial debutA Single Man, as a college professor grappling with solitude after the death of his longtime partner. His performance earned him career-best reviews and Academy Award, Golden Globe, Screen Actors' Guild, BAFTA, and BFCA nominations; he won the BAFTA Award for Best Actor in a Leading Role in February 2010.[73]
Firth appeared as senior British secret agentBill Haydon in the 2011 adaptation of theJohn le Carré novelTinker Tailor Soldier Spy, directed byTomas Alfredson and co-starringGary Oldman,Benedict Cumberbatch,Tom Hardy,Mark Strong andJohn Hurt.[79] It gathered mostly excellent reviews.[80]The Independent described Firth's performance as "suavely arrogant" and praised the film.[81] Deborah Young inThe Hollywood Reporter thought Firth got "all the best dialogue", which he delivered "sardonically".[82] Leslie Felperin inVariety wrote that all the actors brought their "A game" and Firth was in "particularlycholeric, amusing form."[83]
In May 2011, Firth began filmingGambit — a remake ofRonald Neame's1960s crime caper, in the part originally played byMichael Caine. It was released in the UK in November 2012 and was a financial and critical failure.[84][85]Empire'sKim Newman wrote, "Firth starts out homaging Caine with hishorn-rimmed cool but soon defaults to his usual repressed British cold mode",[86] whilstTime Out London called his a "likeable performance", although criticised the film overall.[87] Stephen Dalton inThe Hollywood Reporter said, "To his credit, Firth keeps his performance grounded in downbeat realism while all around are wildly mugging in desperate pursuit of thin, forced laughs.[88][89] In 2012, Firth co-founded Raindog Films with British music industry executive and entrepreneurGed Doherty.[90] Its first feature,Eye in the Sky, for which Firth was co-producer, was released in April 2016.[91]
In May 2013, it was announced that Firth had signed to co-star withEmma Stone inWoody Allen's romantic comedyMagic in the Moonlight, set in the 1920s and shot on theFrench Riviera.[92] In 2014, he did his first turn asHarry Hart / Agent Galahad in the spy action filmKingsman: The Secret Service, which grossed $414.4 million against an $81 million budget.[93] Firth had been announced to voicePaddington Bear for the filmPaddington; however, he announced his withdrawal on 17 June 2014, saying: "It's been bittersweet to see this delightful creature take shape and come to the sad realization that he simply doesn't have my voice".[94]
Firth's first published work, "The Department of Nothing", appeared inSpeaking with the Angel (2000),[112] a collection of short stories edited byNick Hornby[113] and published to benefit theTreeHouse Trust[114] to aid autistic children. He met Hornby during the filming of the originalFever Pitch.[115] He contributed to the bookWe Are One: A Celebration of Tribal Peoples (2009),[116] which explores the cultures, diversity and challenges of Indigenous peoples around the world. It features contributions from many Western writers, includingLaurens van der Post,Noam Chomsky,Claude Lévi-Strauss; and from Indigenous people such asDavi Kopenawa Yanomami andRoy Sesana. Profits from the book's sale benefit the Indigenous rights organisationSurvival International. Firth was an executive producer for the filmIn Prison My Whole Life, featuring Noam Chomsky andAngela Davis. It was selected to the 2007 London Film Festival and the 2008 Sundance Film Festival.[117]
In December 2010, Firth was guest editor onBBC Radio 4'sToday programme, where he commissioned research to scan the brains of volunteers (mostly university students) to see if there were structural differences that might account for political leanings.[7] The resulting academic paper listed him as an author, along with twoUniversity College London researchers[118][119] and the science reporter of the BBC Radio 4Today programme. For his contribution, professorJohn Jost called Firth a 'scientific ambassador' in the field of political neuroscience.[7] The study suggested that conservatives had more development in theamygdala, and liberals in theanterior cingulate cortex.
Firth has been a longstanding supporter ofSurvival International, anon-governmental organisation that advocates for the rights of tribal peoples.[122] Speaking in 2001, he said, "My interest in tribal peoples goes back many years ... and I have supported [Survival] ever since."[123] In 2003, during the promotion ofLove Actually, he spoke in defence of the Indigenous people ofBotswana, condemning the Botswana government's eviction of theGana and Gwi people (San) from theCentral Kalahari Game Reserve. He said of San, "These people are not the remnants of a past era who need to be brought up to date. Those who are able to continue to live on the land that is rightfully theirs are facing the 21st century with a confidence that many of us in the so-called developed world can only envy."[122] He has also backed a Survival International campaign to press the Brazilian government to take more decisive action in defence ofAwá-Guajá people, whose land and livelihood is critically threatened by the actions of loggers.[124]
As a supporter of theRefugee Council, Firth was involved in a campaign to stop thedeportation of a group of 42 Congoleseasylum seekers, expressing concerns in open letters toThe Independent andThe Guardian that they faced being murdered on their return to theDemocratic Republic of Congo.[125][126][127] Firth said: "To me, it's just basic civilisation to help people. I find this incredibly painful to see how we dismiss the most desperate people in our society. It's easily done. It plays to the tabloids, to theMiddle-Englandxenophobes. It just makes me furious. And all from a government we once had such high hopes for."[128] Four of the asylum seekers were given last-minute reprieves from deportation.[129]
Firth, along with other celebrities, has been involved in theOxfam[130] global campaignMake Trade Fair, focusing on trade practices considered especially unfair to third-world producers, including dumping, high import tariffs, and labour rights.[131][132][133] He and some collaborators opened Eco, an eco-friendly shop in West London,[134] which offers fair-trade and eco-friendly goods, and expert advice on making spaces more energy efficient. In October 2009, at theLondon Film Festival, he launched a film and political activism website, Brightwide (since decommissioned), with his wife Livia.[135][136]
During the2010 general election, Firth announced his support for theLiberal Democrats, having previously been aLabour supporter, citing asylum and refugees' rights as key reasons for the change.[137] In December 2010, he publicly dropped his support of the Liberal Democrats, citing their U-turn ontuition fees, and said that he was currently unaffiliated.[138] He appeared in literature supporting changing the British electoral system fromfirst-past-the-post toalternative vote for electing members of parliament to theHouse of Commons, in the unsuccessfulAlternative Vote referendum in 2011.[139]
In 2009, Firth joined the10:10 project, supporting the movement calling for people to reduce their carbon footprints. In 2010, he endorsed "Roots & Shoots",[140] an education programme in the UK run by theJane Goodall Institute.
In 1989, Firth began a relationship withMeg Tilly, his co-star inValmont. Their son, William Joseph Firth, was born in 1990.[141] William is now also an actor, appearing with his father inBridget Jones's Baby in 2016. The family moved to theLower Mainland ofBritish Columbia, Canada but Firth and Tilly ultimately broke up in 1994. During the filming ofPride and Prejudice, Firth and co-starJennifer Ehle began a romantic relationship, which received media attention only after their separation.[32]
In 1997, Firth married Italian activistLivia Giuggioli.[142] They have two sons, Luca and Matteo.[18] Firth speaks fluent Italian.[143] The family divided their time betweenWandsworth, in London, andUmbria, Italy.[144][145] They announced their separation in 2019.[146] They had gone through a private separation several years prior, but had reconciled.[147]
Firth was a vocal opponent of theBrexit initiative for the United Kingdom to leave the European Union. Following the referendum's passage, and the ensuing uncertainty over rights of non-EU citizens, he applied for "dual citizenship (British and Italian)" in 2017 to "have the same passports as his wife and children".[148][149] The ItalianMinistry of the Interior announced Firth's application had been approved on 22 September 2017. Firth stated regarding the decision that "I have a passionate love of Italy" but "will always be extremely British (you only have to look at or listen to me)."[150][151]
In 2011, after winning the Academy Award for his portrayal of King George VI inThe King's Speech, Firth suggested that he may be arepublican (anti-monarchist) in aCNN interview withPiers Morgan, saying that voting was "one of his favourite things" and that unelected institutions were "a problem for him".[152]
^Fenton, Andrew (27 March 2008)."Colin Firth has ended his feud with Rupert Everett".Herald Sun. Retrieved27 January 2013."Everett publicly branded Firth 'boring' and classified him as 'a ghastly guitar-playing redbrick socialist who was going to give his first half-million away to charity'. 'We didn't get along very well the first time we worked together,' Firth says simply. 'I think he was probably terribly threatened because I was an awful lot better than him.'" There is some truth to this because in Everett's 2006 autobiography, the gay actor admits he fancied, and felt threatened by, Firth at the time.
^Van Poznak, Elissa (January 1987)."The Brit Pack".The Face. No. 81. pp. 36–39. Archived from the original on 7 October 2011. Retrieved10 November 2019.
^Bradshaw, Peter (21 July 2008)."Hope Springs Our Review".The Guardian. Retrieved29 January 2013.It made me want to tumble off the red plush seats, curl up into a foetal ball and mew like a maltreated kitten
^Ivan-Zadeh, Larushka (6 July 2008)."Mamma Mia! Firth is a super trooper".Metro, Sunday 6 Jul 2008. Associated Newspapers Limited. Retrieved30 January 2013.
^Irvine, Chris (30 October 2008)."Mamma Mia becomes highest grossing British film".The Daily Telegraph.Archived from the original on 10 January 2022. Retrieved30 January 2013.The film has made £66,995,224 in the UK, beating Harry Potter and the Sorcerer's Stone.
^"Mamma Mia! gross".Box Office Mojo. IMDb.com, Inc. Retrieved30 January 2013.
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