James Nesbitt
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.
Photos
Films (47)
The Heist Before Christmas
2023 · Bank Robber
The Coronation Concert
2023 · Self
James Nesbit: A Game of Two Halves
2020 · Himself
Lost Lives
2019 · Self (voice)
Le Hobbit : La Bataille des cinq armées
2014 · Bofur
Gold
2014 · Frank McGunn
River Deep, Mountain High: James Nesbitt in New Zealand
2013 · Self
Le Hobbit : La Désolation de Smaug
2013 · Bofur
Le Hobbit : Un voyage inattendu
2012 · Bofur
Here Comes the Summer: The Undertones Story
2012 · Narrator
Ennemis jurés
2011 · Tribune Sicinius
Outcast
2010 · Cathal
The Way : La Route Ensemble
2010 · Jack
Alex Higgins: The People's Champion
2010 · Narrator
Matching Jack
2010 · Connor
Occupation
2009 · Mike Swift
Cherrybomb
2009 · Crilly
À l'ombre de la vengeance
2009 · Joe Griffin
Blessed
2008 · Peter
James Ellis: An Actor's Life
2007 · Himself
The 50 Greatest Television Dramas
2007 · Self
Balle de match
2005 · Detective Banner
Millions
2005 · Ronnie
Big Dippers
2005 · Ray
James Nesbitt Presents Eat My Goal
2004 · Presenter
Quite Ugly One Morning
2004 · Jack Parlabane
Wall of Silence
2004 · Stuart Robe
Bloody Sunday
2002 · Ivan Cooper
Women Talking Dirty
2001 · Stanley
Lucky break
2001 · James 'Jimmy' Hands
Wild About Harry
2000 · Walter Adair
The Most Fertile Man in Ireland
2000 · 'Mad Dog' Billy Wilson
The Adventures of Young Indiana Jones: Trenches of Hell
1999 · Yuri
Waking Ned
1998 · Pig Finn
Resurrection Man
1998 · Ryan
The James Gang
1997 · Graham Armstrong
This Is the Sea
1997 · Constable Hubert Porter
Welcome to Sarajevo
1997 · Gregg
Jude
1996 · Uncle Joe
Go Now
1995 · Tony
Love Lies Bleeding
1993 · Niall
Hear My Song
1991 · Fintan O'Donnell
Virtuoso
1989 · Young Man
The End of the World Man
1986 · Policeman
The Cry
1984 · B Special (uncredited)
Ireland's Rugby Number 10
· Narrator
So You're Going to Die
· Liam Gallagher
Séries (56)
Ne t'enfuis plus
2026 · Simon Greene
Tu me manques
2025 · Dominic Calligan
Suspect
2022 · Danny Frater
The John Bishop Show
2022 · Self
Ne t'éloigne pas
2021 · DS Michael Broome
Bloodlands
2021 · DCI Tom Brannick
DNA Journey
2019 · Self
James Nesbitt: Disasters That Changed Britain
2018
Stan Lee's Lucky Man: The Bracelet Chronicles
2017 · Harry Clayton
The Secret
2016 · Colin Howell
Michael McIntyre's Big Show
2016 · Self
Lucky Man
2016 · Harry Clayton
Babylon
2014 · Commissioner Richard Miller
The Missing
2014 · Tony Hughes
The Jonathan Ross Show
2011 · Self
Monroe
2011 · Gabriel Monroe
The Deep : Voyage au fond des mers
2010 · Clem Donnelly
Occupation
2009 · Mike Swift
Chris Moyles' Quiz Night
2009 · Self
Midnight Man
2008 · Max Raban
La Passion
2008 · Pilate
Fairy Tales
2008 · Hans M. Prince
Jekyll
2007 · Dr. Tom Jackman
El show de Graham Norton
2007 · Self
The One Show
2006 · Self - Guest
Soccer Aid
2006
OFI Sunday
2005
The Friday Night Project
2005 · Self - Host
Parkinson
2004 · Self - Guest
Passer By
2004 · Joe Keyes
Canterbury Tales
2003 · Nick Zakian
The Terry and Gaby Show
2003
Top Gear
2002 · Self
Tracteur Tom
2002 · Matt (voice)
Friday Night with Jonathan Ross
2001 · Self
Murphy's Law
2001 · DS Tommy Murphy
Cold Feet
1998 · Adam Williams
Playing the Field
1998
Parkinson
1998 · Self
Never Mind the Buzzcocks
1996 · Self
Ballykissangel
1996 · Leo McGarvey
TFI Friday
1996
Soccer AM
1995 · Self
Searching
1995 · Duncan
Common As Muck
1994
GMTV
1993 · Self
Between the Lines
1992
The Young Indiana Jones Chronicles
1992 · Yuri
Soldier Soldier
1991 · Corporal Bryan Casey
ScreenPlay
1986 · Niall
Boon
1986 · Martin Mulholland
Lovejoy
1986 · Jerry Boyle
Screen Two
1985 · Young man
The Hollywood Greats
1977
The Late Late Show
1962 · Self
Hercule