Geoffrey Rush

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Biography

Geoffrey Roy Rush was born on July 6, 1951, in Toowoomba, Queensland, Australia, to Merle .

  • Primary profession
  • Actor·soundtrack·producer
  • Country
  • Australia
  • Nationality
  • Australian
  • Gender
  • Male
  • Birth date
  • 06 July 1951
  • Place of birth
  • Toowoomba
  • Residence
  • Melbourne
  • Spouses
  • Jane Menelaus
  • Education
  • University of

Movies

TV

Books

Awards

Trivia

He adapted Beaumarchais s play "The Marriage of Figaro", with Neil Armfield , for the inaugural production in the new Optus Playhouse in the Queensland Performing Arts Complex, in Brisbane, Queensland, Australia, in September, 1998. He also played the title role of Figaro in the same production.

Children: Angelica and James

Once lived with Mel Gibson while they were in college.

He began his acting career with the Queensland Theatre Company in Brisbane, Queensland, Australia.

Has an Arts Degree from the University of Queensland.

Awarded an Honorary Doctorate of Letters by the University of Queensland, in Australia.

Attended the Jacques Lecoq School of Mime, Movement and Theater.

Actively involved with Melbourne Community Groups in preserving historical landscapes from adverse development; particularly in regard to Camberwell Railway Station where he organized a protest march, attended by Barry Humphries amongst other luminaries.

He was named Alumnus of the Year by the University of Queensland (Australia) in 1998.

He won an Oscar for playing David Helfgott in Shine , making him one of 12 actors to win the Award for playing a real person who was still alive at the evening of the Award ceremony (as of 2007).

He was awarded the Australian Centenary Medal in the 2001 Queens New Years Honours List for his services to the arts especially through a distinguished acting career.

Is one of 11 actors to have won the Academy Award, BAFTA Award, Critics Choice Award, Golden Globe Award and SAG Award for the same performance. The others in chronological order are Jamie Foxx for Ray , Philip Seymour Hoffman for Capote , Forest Whitaker for The Last King of Scotland , Javier Bardem for No Country for Old Men , Daniel Day-Lewis for There Will Be Blood , Heath Ledger for The Dark Knight , and Christoph Waltz for Inglourious Basterds , Colin Firth for The Kings Speech , Christopher Plummer for Beginners , and J.K. Simmons for Whiplash .

He was awarded the 2009 Tony Award for Actor in a Leading Role for his performance in the play, "Exit the King" on Broadway in New York City.

Became the 19th actor to win the triple crown of acting: In 2009 won the Tony Award for Best Actor in a Play (Exit the King) to go with his Oscar for Shine , and his Emmy for The Life and Death of Peter Sellers .

His favorite film is City Lights and often shows it at parties to people who have never seen the film before. Other favorites include Zelig , Voyna i mir , Persona and Amarcord .

Became the fourth actor to appear in 2 films to gross $1 billion with Pirates of the Caribbean: Dead Mans Chest , and Pirates of the Caribbean: On Stranger Tides . He is the first actor from the southern hemisphere to achieve this feat.

Rush was awarded the Australian of the Year for 2012 by Australian PM Julia Gillard.

Is one of 9 actors to have won the Triple Crown of Acting (an Oscar, Emmy and Tony); the others in chronological order are Thomas Mitchell , Melvyn Douglas , Paul Scofield , Jack Albertson , Jason Robards , Jeremy Irons , Al Pacino and Christopher Plummer.

His father was of English, Irish, and Scottish ancestry, and his mother was of German descent.

(May 2004) Currently lives in Melbourne, Australia

(January 2009) Darlinghurst, New South Wales, Australia

As of 2014, has appeared in five films that were nominated for the Best Picture Oscar: Shine , Elizabeth , Shakespeare in Love , Munich and The Kings Speech . Shakespeare in Love and The Kings Speech are winners in the category.

Is an accomplished pianist, whom needed no hand stand-in for Shine ,and played almost all of the pieces in the movie himself.

He appeared in two Best Picture Academy Award winners: Shakespeare in Love and The Kings Speech . Colin Firth also appeared in both films.

He won an Oscar for playing David Helfgott in Shine , making him one of 17 actors to win the Award for playing a real person who was still alive at the evening of the Award ceremony (as of 2015). The other sixteen actors and their respective performances are: Spencer Tracy for playing Father Edward Flanagan in Boys Town , Gary Cooper for playing Alvin C. York in Sergeant York , Patty Duke for playing Helen Keller in The Miracle Worker , Jason Robards for playing Benjamin C. Bradlee in All the Presidents Men , Robert De Niro for playing Jake LaMotta in Raging Bull , Sissy Spacek for playing Loretta Lynn in Coal Miners Daughter , Jeremy Irons for playing Claus von Blow in Reversal of Fortune , Susan Sarandon for playing Sister Helen Prejean in Dead Man Walking , Julia Roberts for playing Erin Brockovich-Ellis in Erin Brockovich , Jim Broadbent for playing John Bayley in Iris (2001/I) , Helen Mirren for playing Queen Elizabeth II in The Queen , Sandra Bullock for playing Leigh Anne Tuohy in The Blind Side , Melissa Leo for playing Alice Eklund-Ward in The Fighter , Christian Bale for playing Dicky Eklund in The Fighter , Meryl Streep for playing Margaret Thatcher in The Iron Lady and most recently Eddie Redmayne for playing Stephen Hawking in The Theory of Everything .

He was awarded the AC (Companion of the Order of Australia) in the 2014 Queens Birthday Honours LIst for his services and contributions to performing arts as an actor and producer.

Quotes

"My career has been in theatre for 23 years, with spits and coughs in,bits and pieces of films. Scott [Hicks] very nicely said my entire,career had been my audition [for the role in Shine (1996) ]".

[on accepting roles that might be considered risky] Occasionally you,need to jump off a cliff and do things you know are not immediately,within your grasp.

I always felt thrilled and amazed that I could put actor on my tax form.

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