James Nesbitt (born 15 January 1965) is a Northern Irish actor. Born in Ballymena, County Antrim, Northern Ireland, Nesbitt grew up in the nearby village of Broughshane, before moving to Coleraine, County Londonderry. He wanted to become a teacher, like his father, so began a degree in French at the University of Ulster. He dropped out after a year when he decided to become an actor, and transferred to the Central School of Speech and Drama in London. After graduating in 1987, he spent seven years performing in plays that varied from the musical Up on the Roof (1987, 1989) to the political drama Paddywack (1994). He made his feature film debut playing talent agent Fintan O'Donnell in Hear My Song (1991).
Nesbitt got his breakthrough television role playing Adam Williams in the romantic comedy-drama Cold Feet (1998–2003), which won him a British Comedy Award, a Television and Radio Industries Club Award, and a National Television Award. His first significant film role came when he appeared as pig farmer "Pig" Finn in Waking Ned (1998). With the rest of the starring cast, Nesbitt was nominated for a Screen Actors Guild Award. In Lucky Break (2001), he made his debut as a film lead playing prisoner Jimmy Hands. The next year, he played Ivan Cooper in the television film Bloody Sunday, about the 1972 shootings in Derry. A departure from his previous "cheeky chappie" roles, the film was a turning point in his career. He won a British Independent Film Award and was nominated for the British Academy Television Award for Best Actor.
Nesbitt has also starred in Murphy's Law (2001–2007) as undercover detective Tommy Murphy—a role that was created for him by writer Colin Bateman. The role twice gained Nesbitt Best Actor nominations at the Irish Film & Television Awards (IFTA). In 2007, he starred in the dual role of Tom Jackman and Mr Hyde in Steven Moffat's Jekyll, which earned him a Golden Globe Award nomination in 2008. Nesbitt has since appeared in several more dramatic roles; he starred alongside Liam Neeson in Five Minutes of Heaven (2009), and was one of three lead actors in the television miniseries Occupation (2009) and The Deep (2010). He also starred in the movies Outcast (2010) and Emilio Estevez's The Way (2011), and has been cast in Peter Jackson's The Hobbit (2012/13).
Nesbitt is married to former actress Sonia Forbes-Adam, with whom he has two daughters. He is a patron of numerous charities and in 2010 accepted the ceremonial position of Chancellor of the University of Ulster.
2023
as Bank Robber
2023
as Self
2022
as Danny Frater
2021
as DS Michael Broome
2021
as DCI Tom Brannick
2020
as Himself
2019
as Self
2019
2018
2017
as Harry Clayton
2016
as Colin Howell
2016
as Self
2016
as Harry Clayton
2014
as Bofur
2014
as Richard Miller
2014
as Tony Hughes
2014
as Frank McGunn
2013
as Self
2013
as Bofur
2012
as Bofur
2012
as Narrator
2011
as Gabriel Monroe
2011
as Tribune Sicinius
2010
as Cathal
2010
as Jack
2010
as Narrator
2010
as Connor
2010
as Clem Donnelly
2009
as Mike Swift
2009
as Mike Swift
2009
as Self
2009
as Crilly
2009
as Joe Griffin
2008
as Peter
2008
as Max Raban
2008
as Pilate
2008
2007
as Himself
2007
as Dr. Tom Jackman
2007
as Self
2006
2005
2005
as Detective Banner
2005
as Ray
2004
as Presenter
2004
as Jack Parlabane
2004
as Ronnie
2004
as Joe Keyes
2004
as Stuart Robe
2003
as Nick Zakian
2003
2002
as Matt (voice)
2002
as Ivan Cooper
2001
as Stanley
2001
as Thomas Murphy
2001
as James 'Jimmy' Hands
2000
as Walter Adair
2000
as 'Mad Dog' Billy Wilson
1999
as Yuri
1998
as Adam Williams
1998
as Pig Finn
1998
1998
as Ryan
1997
as Graham Armstrong
1997
as Constable Hubert Porter
1997
as Gregg
1996
as Self
1996
1996
as Leo McGarvey
1996
as Uncle Joe
1995
as Tony
1994
1993
as Niall
1992
1992
as Yuri
1991
as Fintan O'Donnell
1991
as Corporal Bryan Casey
1989
as Young Man
1986
as Policeman
1986
as Jerry Boyle
1984
as B Special (uncredited)
1977
as Narrator