James Nesbitt
- Known for
- Acting
- Born
- Jan 15, 1965 (age 61)
- Place of birth
- Ballymena, County Antrim, Northern Ireland
- Credits
- 101
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.
Known for
The Hobbit: An Unexpected Journey
2012Movie
Bofur
The Hobbit: The Battle of the Five Armies
2014Movie
Bofur
The Hobbit: The Desolation of Smaug
2013Movie
Bofur
Match Point
2005Movie
Detective Banner
Top Gear
2002TV
Self
The Way
2010Movie
Jack
Filmography
Run Away
2026TV
Simon Greene
Missing You
2025TV
Dominic Calligan
The Heist Before Christmas
2023Movie
Bank Robber
The Coronation Concert
2023Movie
Self
Suspect
2022TV
Danny Frater
The John Bishop Show
2022TV
Self
Stay Close
2021TV
DS Michael Broome
Bloodlands
2021TV
DCI Tom Brannick
James Nesbit: A Game of Two Halves
2020Movie
Himself
DNA Journey
2019TV
Self
Lost Lives
2019Movie
Self (voice)
James Nesbitt: Disasters That Changed Britain
2018TV
Stan Lee's Lucky Man: The Bracelet Chronicles
2017TV
Harry Clayton
The Secret
2016TV
Colin Howell
Michael McIntyre's Big Show
2016TV
Self
Stan Lee's Lucky Man
2016TV
Harry Clayton
The Hobbit: The Battle of the Five Armies
2014Movie
Bofur
Babylon
2014TV
Commissioner Richard Miller
The Missing
2014TV
Tony Hughes
Gold
2014Movie
Frank McGunn
River Deep, Mountain High: James Nesbitt in New Zealand
2013Movie
Self
The Hobbit: The Desolation of Smaug
2013Movie
Bofur
The Hobbit: An Unexpected Journey
2012Movie
Bofur
Here Comes the Summer: The Undertones Story
2012Movie
Narrator
The Jonathan Ross Show
2011TV
Self
Monroe
2011TV
Gabriel Monroe
Coriolanus
2011Movie
Tribune Sicinius
Outcast
2010Movie
Cathal
The Way
2010Movie
Jack
Alex Higgins: The People's Champion
2010Movie
Narrator
Matching Jack
2010Movie
Connor
The Deep
2010TV
Clem Donnelly
Occupation
2009TV
Mike Swift
Occupation
2009Movie
Mike Swift
Chris Moyles' Quiz Night
2009TV
Self
Cherrybomb
2009Movie
Crilly
Five Minutes of Heaven
2009Movie
Joe Griffin
Blessed
2008Movie
Peter
Midnight Man
2008TV
Max Raban
The Passion
2008TV
Pilate
Fairy Tales
2008TV
Hans M. Prince
James Ellis: An Actor's Life
2007Movie
Himself
Jekyll
2007TV
Dr. Tom Jackman
The Graham Norton Show
2007TV
Self
The 50 Greatest Television Dramas
2007Movie
Self
The One Show
2006TV
Self - Guest
Soccer Aid
2006TV
OFI Sunday
2005TV
Match Point
2005Movie
Detective Banner
Millions
2005Movie
Ronnie
Big Dippers
2005Movie
Ray
The Friday Night Project
2005TV
Self - Host
James Nesbitt Presents Eat My Goal
2004Movie
Presenter
Quite Ugly One Morning
2004Movie
Jack Parlabane
Parkinson
2004TV
Self - Guest
Passer By
2004TV
Joe Keyes
Wall of Silence
2004Movie
Stuart Robe
Canterbury Tales
2003TV
Nick Zakian
The Terry and Gaby Show
2003TV
Top Gear
2002TV
Self
Tractor Tom
2002TV
Matt (voice)
Bloody Sunday
2002Movie
Ivan Cooper
Women Talking Dirty
2001Movie
Stanley
Friday Night with Jonathan Ross
2001TV
Self
Murphy's Law
2001TV
DS Tommy Murphy
Lucky Break
2001Movie
James 'Jimmy' Hands
Wild About Harry
2000Movie
Walter Adair
The Most Fertile Man in Ireland
2000Movie
'Mad Dog' Billy Wilson
The Adventures of Young Indiana Jones: Trenches of Hell
1999Movie
Yuri
Waking Ned
1998Movie
Pig Finn
Cold Feet
1998TV
Adam Williams
Playing the Field
1998TV
Resurrection Man
1998Movie
Ryan
Parkinson
1998TV
Self
The James Gang
1997Movie
Graham Armstrong
This Is the Sea
1997Movie
Constable Hubert Porter
Welcome to Sarajevo
1997Movie
Gregg
Never Mind the Buzzcocks
1996TV
Self
Ballykissangel
1996TV
Leo McGarvey
TFI Friday
1996TV
Jude
1996Movie
Uncle Joe
Go Now
1995Movie
Tony
Soccer AM
1995TV
Self
Common As Muck
1994TV
Love Lies Bleeding
1993Movie
Niall
GMTV
1993TV
Self
Between the Lines
1992TV
The Young Indiana Jones Chronicles
1992TV
Yuri
Hear My Song
1991Movie
Fintan O'Donnell
Soldier Soldier
1991TV
Corporal Bryan Casey
Virtuoso
1989Movie
Young Man
The End of the World Man
1986Movie
Policeman
ScreenPlay
1986TV
Niall
Lovejoy
1986TV
Jerry Boyle
Screen Two
1985TV
Young man
The Cry
1984Movie
B Special (uncredited)
The Hollywood Greats
1977TV
The Late Late Show
1962TV
Self
Hercule
TV
So You're Going to Die
Movie
Liam Gallagher
Ireland's Rugby Number 10
Movie
Narrator