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James Nesbitt

Actor, ProducerBorn January 15, 1965 (60 years)
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.

Movies & Shows on Plex

  • Match Point
  • Line of Duty
  • Coriolanus
  • Outcast
  • Gold
  • Monroe
  • Boon
  • Women Talking Dirty

Known For

  • The Hobbit: An Unexpected Journey
  • The Hobbit: The Desolation of Smaug
  • The Hobbit: The Battle of the Five Armies
  • Bloody Sunday
  • Missing You (2025)
  • Stay Close
  • The Missing
  • Jekyll
  • Millions
  • Bloodlands (2021)
  • The Way
  • Five Minutes of Heaven
  • Stan Lee's Lucky Man
  • Cold Feet
  • Waking Ned Devine
  • The Secret (2016)
  • Outcast
  • Cherrybomb
  • Babylon (2014)
  • Lucky Break
  • Murphy's Law (2001)
  • Gold
  • Monroe
  • Welcome to Sarajevo

Featured Videos

    Filmography

    2025
    Missing You (2025) (TV Series) · as Calligan
    2023
    The Heist Before Christmas · as Bank Robber
    2022
    Suspect (2022) (TV Series) · as Danny Frater
    2021
    Stay Close (TV Series) · as Ds Michael Broome
    2021
    Bloodlands (2021) (TV Series) · as Dci Tom Brannick
    2019
    2017
    Stan Lee's Lucky Man: The Bracelet Chronicles (TV Series) · as Harry Clayton
    2016
    The Secret (2016) (TV Series) · as Colin Howell
    2016
    Stan Lee's Lucky Man (TV Series) · as Harry Clayton
    2014
    2014
    The Missing (TV Series) · as Tony Hughes
    2014
    Gold · as Frank Mcgunn
    2014
    Babylon (2014) (TV Series) · as Richard Miller
    2013
    2012
    2012
    2012
    Line of Duty (TV Series) · as Dci Marcus Thurwell
    2011
    Monroe (TV Series) · as Gabriel Monroe
    2011
    Coriolanus · as Tribune Sicinius
    2010
    Outcast · as Cathal
    2010
    The Way · as Jack
    2010
    2010
    Matching Jack · as Connor
    2010
    The Deep (TV Series) · as Clem Donnelly
    2009
    Occupation (TV Series) · as Mike Swift
    2009
    Occupation · as Mike Swift
    2009
    Five Minutes of Heaven · as Joe Griffin
    2009
    Cherrybomb · as Crilly
    2008
    Blessed · as Peter
    2008
    Midnight Man (TV Series) · as Max Raban
    2008
    The Passion (TV Series) · as Pilate
    2008
    Fairy Tales (TV Series)
    2007
    Jekyll (TV Series) · as Dr. Tom Jackman
    2006
    Soccer Aid (TV Series)
    2005
    Match Point · as Detective Banner
    2004
    2004
    Quite Ugly One Morning · as Jack Parlabane
    2004
    Millions · as Ronnie
    2004
    Passer By · as Joe Keyes
    2004
    Wall of Silence · as Stuart Robe
    2003
    2003
    Canterbury Tales (TV Series) · as Nick Zakian
    2003
    Murphy's Law (2001) (TV Series) · as Thomas Murphy
    2002
    Bloody Sunday · as Ivan Cooper
    2002
    Tractor Tom (TV Series) · as Matt (voice)
    2001
    Murphy's Law · as Ds Tommy Murphy
    2001
    Lucky Break · as James 'jimmy' Hands
    2000
    Wild About Harry · as Walter Adair
    2000
    The Most Fertile Man in Ireland · as 'mad Dog' Billy Wilson
    1999
    1999
    1998
    Waking Ned Devine · as Pig Finn
    1998
    Playing the Field (TV Series)
    1998
    Resurrection Man · as Ryan
    1997
    The James Gang · as Graham Armstrong
    1997
    1997
    This Is the Sea · as Constable Hubert Porter
    1997
    Touching Evil (TV Series) · as David Laney
    1997
    Cold Feet (TV Series) · as Adam Williams
    1997
    Jumpers · as Gerald Clarke
    1996
    Jude · as Uncle Joe
    1996
    Ballykissangel (TV Series) · as Leo Mcgarvey
    1995
    Go Now · as Tony
    1994
    Common As Muck (TV Series)
    1994
    The All New Alexei Sayle Show (TV Series) · as Various Characters
    1992
    Between the Lines (TV Series)
    1992
    Covington Cross (TV Series) · as Humphrey
    1992
    The Young Indiana Jones Chronicles (TV Series) · as Yuri
    1991
    Hear My Song · as Fintan O'donnell
    1991
    Soldier Soldier (TV Series) · as Corporal Bryan Casey
    1989
    Tricky Business (TV Series) · as Robber
    1986
    The End of the World Man · as Policeman
    1986
    Screenplay (1986) (TV Series) · as Niall
    1986
    Boon (TV Series) · as Martin Mulholland
    1986
    Lovejoy (TV Series) · as Jerry Boyle
    1985
    Jonny Briggs (TV Series) · as Robber
    1984
    Screen Two (TV Series) · as Young Man
    1977
    1970
    Play for Today (TV Series) · as 'b' Special

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