Born into an academic family - his father is a history lecturer at Winchester University College (formerly King Alfred's College) in Winchester and his mother is a comparative religions lecturer at the Open University - Colin Firth's first acting experience came in infant's school when he played "Jack Frost" in a Christmas pantomime. Three of his four grandparents were Methodist missionaries and he spent his early childhood in Nigeria, returning to England at age five where he entered a comprehensive school in Winchester. He spent two years at the Drama Centre in Chalk Farm where he was "discovered" while playing "Hamlet" during his final term. His first professional role was as "Bennet" in the West End production of "Another Country". From this performance, he was chosen to play the character of "Judd" in the movie of the play. He went on to play a variety of character parts in both film and television. For his portrayal of "Robert Lawrence" in the 1989 TV production Tumbledown (1988) (TV), he received the Royal Television Society Best Actor award and also a BAFTA nomination. He also received a BAFTA nomination for "Mr. Darcy" in the 1995 TV version of "Pride and Prejudice" (1995).

1. The Railway Man (2013) - Eric Lomax 2. Tinker Tailor Soldier Spy: UK Premiere Featurette (2012) - Himself 3. The 83rd Annual Academy Awards (2011) - Himself - Winner: Best Actor in a Leading Role 4. Tinker Tailor Soldier Spy (Un spion care ştia prea multe) (2011) - Bill Haydon

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5. The 82nd Annual Academy Awards (2010) - Himself - Nominee: Best Actor in a Leading Role & Presenter: 'An Education' Film Clip 6. Main Street (2010) - Gus Leroy 7. The King's Speech (Discursul regelui) (2010) - King George VI

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8. St Trinian's 2: The Legend of Fritton's Gold (2009) - Geoffrey Thwaites 9. A Christmas Carol (2009) - Fred

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10. A Single Man (2009) - George Falconer

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11. Dorian Gray (2009) - Lord Henry Wotton

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12. Easy Virtue (2008) - Mr. Whittaker 13. The Accidental Husband (2008) - Richard

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14. Mamma Mia! (2008) - Harry

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15. The Last Legion (2007) - Aurelius

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16. Then She Found Me (2007) - Frank

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17. And When Did You Last See Your Father? (2007) - Blake

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18. St. Trinian's (2007) - Geoffrey Thwaites

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19. Nanny McPhee (2005) - Mr. Brown 20. Pride and Prejudice Revisited (2005) - Mr. Darcy / Mark Darcy (archive footage) (uncredited) 21. Bridget Jones: The Edge of Reason (2004) - Mark Darcy 22. Love Actually (2003) - Jamie Bennett 23. Girl with a Pearl Earring (2003) - Johannes Vermeer 24. "Ellen: The Ellen DeGeneres Show" (2003) - Himself (3 episodes, 2006-2012) 25. The Importance of Being Earnest (2002) - John 'Jack' Worthing 26. Judi Dench: A BAFTA Tribute (2002) - Himself 27. Bridget Jones's Diary (2001) - Mark Darcy 28. Londinium (2001) - Allen Portland 29. We Know Where You Live (2001) - Himself 30. My Life So Far (1999) - Edward Pettigrew 31. 'Pride and Prejudice': The Making of... (1999) - Mr. Darcy (archive footage) (uncredited) 32. The Secret Laughter of Women (1999) - Matthew Field 33. Shakespeare in Love (1998) - Lord Wessex 34. A Thousand Acres (1997) - Jess Clark 35. "The Daily Show" (1996) - Himself (5 episodes, 2002-2011) 36. The English Patient (Pacientul englez) (1996) - Geoffrey Clifton 37. "Pride and Prejudice" (1995) - Mr. Darcy (6 episodes, 1995) 38. Pride & Prejudice: From Page to Screen (1995) - Himself 39. "Arena" (1975) - Himself - Narrator / ... (2 episodes, 1985-2010) 40. Hallmark Hall of Fame (1951) - Adult Colin Craven / ... (2 episodes, 1984-1987)

1. Relationship with Meg Tilly began while filming Milos Forman's Valmont (1989).

2. Had a relationship with Jennifer Ehle, whom he met while filming "Pride and Prejudice" (1995)

3. On People Magazine's "50 Most Beautiful People" list (2001).

4. Has twice lost his screen wife to a member of the Fiennes family - to Ralph Fiennes in The English Patient (1996) and to Joseph Fiennes in Shakespeare in Love (1998).

5. Has one child with actress Meg Tilly, William Joseph Firth (born September 20, 1990) and 2 sons with wife Livia Giuggioli named Luca Firth (born March 29, 2001, in Rome) and Matteo Firth (born in August 2003).

6. Brother of Katie Firth (a vocal coach) and Jonathan Firth.

7. Co-starred as the character "Mark Darcy" in the film adaptation of Bridget Jones's Diary (2001), while appears himself as a character in writer Helen Fielding's sequel, which was adapted to the big screen as Bridget Jones: The Edge of Reason (2004).

8. Contributed a short story, "The Department of Nothing", to the collection "Speaking With the Angel", edited by Nick Hornby. Colin Firth starred in the film adaptation of Hornby's semi-autobiographical novel, Fever Pitch (1997).

9. Has played a Mr Darcy on three occasions. Once in "Pride and Prejudice" (1995), in Bridget Jones's Diary (2001) and again in Bridget Jones: The Edge of Reason (2004).

10. Although he usually gets along quite well with other actors, he had a well-publicized verbal feud with Rupert Everett, although the source of this tension is not known.

11. According to Colin Firth, when he was first offered the role of Darcy, his brother incredulously remarked, "Darcy? But isn't he supposed to be sexy?"

12. On the DVD audio commentary for Love Actually (2003), Hugh Grant continuously mocks the looks, age, acting abilities, and alleged vanity of Firth (his sometimes on-screen rival), eventually encouraging his fellow-commentators writer/director Richard Curtis, and co-stars Bill Nighy and Thomas Brodie-Sangster to join in on the mocking. Firth appears to have taken these comments in good nature and said that he and Grant seem to have a "Bette Davis-Joan Crawford" kind of relationship.

13. Attended Kings' School, Winchester

14. Attended Barton Peveril College in Eastleigh. His film teacher still teaches there (as of November 2008).

15. Moved to Nigeria, when he was 2 weeks old, where his father had taken a teaching position..and lived there until age 4.

16. Lived in the US for a year when he was 12.

17. Considers former girlfriend Meg Tilly's children Emily and David (from her first marriage to Tim Zinnemann) to be his own.

18. In addition to his various roles as "Darcy," Firth played at least one other person sharing a name with a Jane Austen character: "Henry Dashwood," his character in What a Girl Wants (2003) is the name of a character in Miss Austen's "Sense and Sensibility.".

19. Lived outside Maple Ridge, British Columbia from 1989 to 1995 with then girlfriend, actress Meg Tilly.

20. He is the second person to win the best actor BAFTA two years in a row (For A Single Man (2009) and The King's Speech (2010)). The first was Rod Steiger in The Pawnbroker (1964) and In the Heat of the Night (1967).

21. Fluent in Italian.

22. He was awarded the CBE (Commander of the Order of the British Empire) in the 2011 Queen's Birthday Honours List for his services to drama.

23. Colin Firth and his wife, documentary film producer Livia Giuggioli, dined with the Duke and Duchess of Cambridge (aka Wills and Kate) at an ARK charity in March 2011.