Geoffrey Rush in Pirates of the Caribbean: The Curse of the Black Pearl (2003)
One of Australia’s most respected actors, GEOFFREY RUSH’s (Barbossa) career has spanned over 70 theatrical productions and some 20 feature films. After taking a degree in English at the University of Queensland, Geoffrey traveled to Paris in 1975 to study at the Jaques Lecoq School of Mime, Movement and Theatre. On his return to Australia he played the Fool opposite Warren Mitchell in “King Lear” and costarred with roommate Mel Gibson in “Waiting for Godot.” He was a principal member of Jim Sharman’s pioneering Lighthouse ensemble in the early ’80s, where he played leading roles in numerous classics. As a director, he has staged productions for the Queensland Theatre Company, the Adelaide Festival, Company B Belvoir, and Magpie Theatre for Young People, for which he served as director for two years. Geoffrey has also staged his own co-adaptation of Aristophanes’ “Frogs.”
In 1989, Geoffrey’s lead performance in Neil Armfield’s production of “The Diary of a Madman” earned him the Sydney Critics’ Circle Award for Most Outstanding Performance, the Variety Club Award for Best Actor and the 1990 Victorian Green Room Award for Best Actor. This highly acclaimed production toured Moscow and St. Petersburg before a triumphant return season at the Adelaide Festival. For the next three years, Geoffrey received Best Actor nominations in the Sydney Critics’ Circle Awards for his starring roles in Gogol’s “The Government Inspector,” the Sydney Theatre Company’s production of Chekhov’s “Uncle Vanya” and Mamet’s “Oleanna,” in which he co-starred with Cate Blanchett. In 1994 Geoffrey received rave reviews for his role as Horatio in the Company B Belvoir production of “Hamlet.” In the same year, he received the prestigious Sidney Myer Performing Arts Award for his work in theatre.
Geoffrey’s Australian film credits include Gillian Armstrong’s “Starstruck” and “Oscar and Lucinda,” Neil Armfield’s “Twelfth Night,” George Whaley’s “On Our Selection,” “Children of the Revolution” with Judy Davis and Sam Neill and “A Little Bit of Soul,” directed by Peter Duncan. Geoffrey was lauded for his lead role as pianist David Helfgott in “Shine,” receiving numerous awards including AFI, New York and Los Angeles Film Critics’ Awards, a Broadcast Film Critics’ Award, a Film Critics’ Circle of Australia Award, a SAG Award, a Golden Globe Award, a BAFTA Award and an Oscar® for Best Actor. More recently, Geoffrey starred opposite Barbara Hershey in the critically acclaimed “Lantana.” His upcoming Australian releases include “Swimming Upstream.”
Geoffrey played Inspector Javert in “Les Miserables,” directed by Bille August, and Walsingham in Shekhar Kapur’s “Elizabeth,” for which he received a BAFTA nomination for Best Supporting Actor. He played Henslowe in “Shakespeare in Love,” directed by John Madden, for which he received a BAFTA Award, an Oscar® nomination and a Golden Globe nomination for Best Supporting Actor. In 1999, Geoffrey played Casanova in “Mystery Men” for Universal Pictures and Steven B. Price in “House on Haunted Hill,” directed by William Malone. In 2000, he portrayed The Marquis in “Quills,” directed by Phillip Kaufman, for which he was nominated for an Academy Award® for Best Actor. He portrayed Harry Pendel in “The Tailor of Panama” directed by John Boorman and Superintendent Hare in Gregor Jordan’s “Ned Kelly” alongside Heath Ledger and Orlando Bloom.
Most recently, Geoffrey co-starred with Goldie Hawn and Susan Sarandon in “The Banger Sisters” and in the highly praised “Frida,” with Academy Award® nominee Salma Hayek in the title role. He lends his voice to the character of Nigel in the Disney/Pixar animated hit film, “Finding Nemo,” currently in theatres.
Soon to be released is the Coen brothers’ romantic comedy “Intolerable Cruelty,” in which Geoffrey co-stars with George Clooney, Catherine Zeta-Jones and Billy Bob Thornton. He is currently on location in London, starring in the title role of “The Life and Death of Peter Sellers.”
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