Geoffrey Roy Rush[citation needed] was born on 6 July 1951 inToowoomba,Queensland, the son of Merle (Bischof), a department store sales assistant, and Roy Baden Rush, an accountant for theRoyal Australian Air Force.[9][10] His father was of English, Irish, and Scottish ancestry, and his mother was of German descent.[11] He has an older sister.[12] His parents divorced when he was five, and his mother subsequently took him to live with her parents in suburbanBrisbane.[13] Before he began his acting career, Rush attendedEverton Park State High School, and graduated from theUniversity of Queensland with a bachelor's degree in Arts.[14] While at university, he was talent-spotted byQueensland Theatre Company (QTC) in Brisbane. Rush began his career with QTC in 1971, appearing in 17 productions.
Rush made his theatre debut in the QTC's production ofWrong Side of the Moon.[when?] He worked with the QTC for four years, appearing in roles ranging across classical plays and pantomime, fromJuno and the Paycock toHamlet on Ice. Following these, Rush left for Paris where he studied further.[citation needed]
Rush appears in a 1980 documentary film about Australianfringe theatre narrated bySpike Milligan, calledAmazing Scenes. In it, he performs with a group called "Clowneroonies".[16]
In the 1990s Rush appeared in small roles on television dramas, including a role as a dentist in a 1993 episode of the British television seriesLovejoy. Rush starred oppositeCate Blanchett in a production ofDavid Mamet's two-character playOleanna (1993) at theSydney Theatre Company. It was Blanchett's first major role after graduating from theNational Institute of Dramatic Arts. Rush played a university professor entangled with a student played by Blanchett.[17] She described the role as a "seminal one for [her], which hit the world at that time, making it electric."[18] She also described Rush as a mentor to her.[19] Rush also continued his work in theatre. In 1994, Rush playedHoratio in a production ofHamlet alongsideRichard Roxburgh,Jacqueline McKenzie andDavid Wenham in theCompany B production at theBelvoir St Theatre in Sydney.
Rush made his film breakthrough with his performance in 1996 withShine, for which he won theAcademy Award for Best Actor. Rush had once learned piano up until aged fourteen and retook piano lessons again thirty years later for the role, choosing to perform most of the piano playing himself rather than using ahand double.[20] That same year,James L. Brooks flew him to Los Angeles to audition for the part of Simon Bishop inAs Good as It Gets and offered him the role, but Rush declined it (it went toGreg Kinnear).[21] In September 1998, Rush played the title role in theBeaumarchais playThe Marriage of Figaro for the QTC. This was the opening production of the Optus Playhouse at theQueensland Performing Arts Centre atSouth Bank inBrisbane. Apun on Rush's name (and the circumstances) was used in the opening prologue of the play with the comment that the "Optus Playhouse was opening with a Rush".
In 2000, Rush starred inPhilip Kaufman'sQuills where he played theMarquis de Sade alongsideKate Winslet,Joaquin Phoenix andMichael Caine. The film was written byTony Award winning playwrightDoug Wright who adapted the film's screenplay from his play. Rush received widespread critical acclaim for his performance withRolling Stone criticPeter Travers' describing his performance as "volcanic", and "scandalously good".[22] For his performance in the film he received his thirdOscar nomination this time forBest Actor. Rush's career continued at a fast pace, with nine films released from 2001 to 2003. In 2002, Rush playedLeon Trotsky toSalma Hayek'sFrida Kahlo inJulie Taymor'sFrida. In the reaction to the#MeToo Movement, Hayek wrote an opinion piece inThe New York Times detailing the harassmentHarvey Weinstein perpetrated against her. In the article she wrote about her determination to make the movie and praised Rush as a collaborator and for agreeing to act in the film.[23]
Rush returned asCaptain Hector Barbossa inPirates of the Caribbean: On Stranger Tides, starringJohnny Depp, in 2011. Rush is also preparing for a film version ofThe Drowsy Chaperone, an award-winning stage musical.[32] In addition, he voiced the alienTomar-Re in the film adaptation of theGreen Lantern comic book series.[33] In 2011 Rush portrayed Sir Basil Hunter in the Fred Schepisi directed adaptation of Australian Nobel laureate Patrick White's novel,The Eye of the Storm. In 2011, Rush played the lead in a theatrical adaptation ofNikolai Gogol's short storyThe Diary of a Madman at theBrooklyn Academy of Music. He won for this role theHelpmann Award and was nominated for theDrama Desk Award.[34] From November 2011, Rush played the role of Lady Bracknell in theMelbourne Theatre Company production ofThe Importance of Being Earnest.[35] Other actors from the 1988 production include Jane Menelaus, this time as Miss Prism, andBob Hornery, who had played Canon Chasuble, as the two butlers.[36] In 2011, Rush made a cameo in a commercial,The Potato Peeler, for the Melbourne International Film Festival (MIFF), playing a Polish farmer. He spoke his lines inPolish for the part.[37] From 2011 to 2017, Rush was served as the foundation president of the newly formedAustralian Academy of Cinema and Television Arts.[38][39]
In 2013, Rush appeared alongsideJim Sturgess in psychological thrillerThe Best Offer withThe Hollywood Reporter noting in their mixed review, "[The film] is worth watching for Geoffrey Rush’s sensitive, never pandering performance as an effete master auctioneer who gradually discovers he has a heart".[40] Rush also appeared in thefilm adaptation of the best-selling novelThe Book Thief (2013). Dennis Harvey ofVariety Magazine praised his performance writing, that "Rush generously provides the movie's primary warmth and humor".[41] His performance earned him a nomination for theAACTA International Award for Best Supporting Actor.[42] From 2015 to 2016 Rush returned to the stage portraying thetitle character in a revival ofWilliam Shakespeare'sKing Lear at theRoslyn Packer Theatre in Australia. Jason Blake ofThe Sydney Morning Herald wrote of his performance, "Like all great clowns, Rush has an instinctive understanding of the abject. What he lacks in a traditional stage monarch's gravitas, he makes up for in willingness and ability to plunge through the merely pitiable and into the realms of anguish and despair."[43]
Rush returned to television, portrayingAlbert Einstein in the first season ofNational Geographic's limited anthology seriesGenius (2017). The series was executive produced byRon Howard and also starredEmily Watson. Luke Buckmaster ofThe Guardian wrote, "[The series] offers a predictably excellent performance from Rush, who since his breakthrough in 1996’sShine as the tormented pianistDavid Helfgott, has been attracted to eccentric genius characters like a moth to the light."[44] Rush won widespread acclaim earning nominations for thePrimetime Emmy Award,Golden Globe Award andScreen Actors Guild Award for Best Actor in a Limited Series or Television Film. Also in 2017, Rush starred inStanley Tucci's filmFinal Portrait alongsideArmie Hammer. The film had its world premiere at theBerlin International Film Festival. The film received positive reviews from critics earning a 73% fromRotten Tomatoes with the consensus reading, "Final Portrait finds writer-director Stanley Tucci patiently telling a quietly absorbing story, brought to life by a talented ensemble led by Geoffrey Rush and Armie Hammer.[45]
In 2018, Rush played the character of adult Michael Kingley in the family dramaStorm Boy alongside Finn Little,Jai Courtney, andTrevor Jamieson. It was released on 17 January 2019.[46] Frank Scheck ofThe Hollywood Reporter wrote that the film "provide[s] the opportunity for Rush to deliver one of his more subtle, effective performances in recent years".[47] In 2023 it was announced Rush would star oppositeJohn Lithgow in the horror thrillerThe Rule of Jenny Pen.[48] The film received positive reviews with Alison Foreman ofIndieWire writing, "Both Lithgow and Rush [are] fully committed to the twisted two-hander" adding, "Rush enjoys a wonderfully self-contradictory performance that’s equal parts desperate and ferocious. Summoning the bravado he once brought to thePirates of the Caribbean films."[49] Lithgow and Rush shared the Best Actor prize at Spain’sSitges Film Festival in October 2024.[50]
In 2022, he was announced to be starring asGroucho Marx in an adaptation of the memoirRaised Eyebrows. The film will be directed byOren Moverman and co-starSienna Miller andCharlie Plummer.[51] Rush said of the project that the Marx film is not a biopic, but rather a “tragic comedy about mortality”, about the last three years of Marx’s life. Rush is also set to star oppositeEmma Roberts in the action-comedy filmVerona Spies.[52] In 2025, it was announced Rush would star oppositeIsabelle Huppert in a film adaptation of theJustin Fleming stage playBurnt Piano directed byFred Schepisi.[53]
Known for his deep voice and expressive face has acted in extensive roles in film, theater and television. He is one of the few people to have won the "Triple Crown" (Emmy Award,Tony Award andAcademy Award).[54] Throughout Rush's career he has been known to play eccentric off-beat characters. He credits the traditional theater as well as the movements ofJacques Lecoq and European actor-based traditions which appealed to him.[55] He has described the roles he's played as being, "thedrunks, the rogues, the ratbags, the idiots, and thewise fools."[56]Time Out noted his memorable roles in period dramas.[57] Rush has stated, "Costume drama is a very difficult phrase for me. I want to be taken into the inner lives and the world and the political forces, the inner and outer worlds of the narrative with an immediacy that makes me not even think about the costumes."[58]
Since 1988, Rush has been married to actressJane Menelaus, with whom he has a daughter and a son. Rush lives in Melbourne, and spent several years in Castlemaine, Victoria.[80]
On 30 November 2017, theSydney tabloid newspaperThe Daily Telegraph published a front-page article alleging that Rush engaged in "inappropriate behaviour" onstage with a co-star during theSydney Theatre Company's 2015 production ofKing Lear. The story contained no corroboration for the allegations, though the STC divulged to theTelegraph that they had received a complaint about allegedsexual harassment by Rush.Eryn Jean Norvill, who had starred asCordelia alongside Rush, alleged that the actor had touched her inappropriately without her consent.[81]
TheTelegraph's story was picked up by various newspapers in Australia but not by theMelbourneHerald Sun because of concerns that theTelegraph was "running with a yarn which is highlylibellous".[82] Rush denied the allegations and, on 8 December 2017, announced that he had filed adefamation suit with theFederal Court of Australia, charging that theTelegraph "made false, pejorative and demeaning claims, splattering them with unrelenting bombast on its front pages".[83] In anaffidavit, Rush stated that as a result of the allegations, he had been suffering fromanxiety,insomnia and loss of appetite, and felt that "his worth to the theatre and film industry is now irreparably damaged".[84]
The trial was concluded on 9 November 2018. On 11 April 2019, the judge ruled in favour of Rush, awarding him $850,000. In his written statement defending his ruling, Justice Michael Wigney said that none of Norvill's claims were proven, due to her evidence being "not credible or reliable and contradicted by other members of the cast", and that Rush's evidence was overwhelming. He also criticised theTelegraph for "recklessly irresponsible pieces ofsensationalist journalism of the very worst kind".[85] A month later, theTelegraph was ordered to pay Rush an extended judgement of $2.87 million.The Telegraph motioned to appeal but the judgement was upheld.[86]
On 16 December 2018,The New York Times published an interview with Australian actressYael Stone, who accused Rush of sexual misconduct during the production of a theatre adaptation ofDiary of a Madman in 2010 and 2011.[87] Among the allegations Stone made in interviews to theTimes andABC were incidents where Rush angled a hand mirror over a shower cubicle to observe her naked, sent her flirtytext messages and danced naked in front of her in her dressing room.[88]
Rush responded in a statement to theTimes through his attorneys, saying that Stone's allegations were "incorrect and in some instances have been taken completely out of context. However, clearly Yael has been upset on occasion by the spirited enthusiasm I generally bring to my work. I sincerely and deeply regret if I have caused her any distress. This, most certainly, has never been my intention."[89]
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