Geoffrey Rush Biography

Geoffrey Rush was a star of the Australian stage for two decades before his Oscar-winning performance in Shine (1996) made him an international movie star. Since then the classically trained actor has appeared in dozens of films and earned three more Oscar nominations, for Shakespeare in Love (1998, with Gwyneth Paltrow), Quills (2000) and as the speech therapist to King George VI in The King’s Speech (2010). Never really movie-star handsome, with a lumpy face that shows passion, humor and guile, Geoffrey Rush is known for his many appearances in period pieces, including Elizabeth (1998, starring Cate Blanchett) and Pirates of the Caribbean: The Curse of the Black Pearl (2003, with Johnny Depp) and the sequels Pirates of the Caribbean: Dead Man’s Chest (2006) and Pirates of the Caribbean: At World’s End (2007). Geoffrey Rush has also appeared in modern comedies and dramas, from Mystery Men (1999, starring Ben Stiller) to Steven Spielberg‘s Munich (2005, with Eric Bana). His other films include Frida (2002, starring Salma Hayek), Finding Nemo (2003, with Ellen Degeneres), Elizabeth: The Golden Age (2007) and the curious animated film The Legend of the Guardians: The Owls of Ga’Hoole (2010).