Biografia

Was offered a role in the Lord of the Rings trilogy, but didn't like the prospect of a year long production keeping him away from his family.

Graduated from the University of Kent at Canterbury with a degree in English and American Literature. Was awarded an Honorary Doctor of Letters degree by the University in 2001.

He has appeared in eight films that have been nominated for the Best Picture Oscar: Nel nome del padre (1993), Ragione e sentimento (1995), Full Monty - Squattrinati organizzati (1997), Shakespeare in Love (1998), In the Bedroom (2001), Michael Clayton (2007), Grand Budapest Hotel (2014) and Selma - La strada per la libertà (2014). Shakespeare in Love won in the category.

He was awarded the O.B.E. (Officer of the order of the British Empire) in the 2005 Queen's New Years Honours List for his services to Drama.

Attended the Royal Academy of Dramatic Arts.

There are no acting challenges in a good script, only in a bad script.

All good actors are easy to work with. It's the ones that aren't very good who tend to be very difficult.

I'm temperamentally suited to the business of acting. I'm quite fatalistic. If it's not happening, it's not happening, and there's very little you can do.

Surprise is perhaps the storyteller's greatest weapon.

[on deciding which roles to take]: "You just follow your nose. You ask those simple really instinctive questions like you know: Can I shine in this role?, Can I do this role better than anybody in the world?, Is there something in it that I recognize?... Its really not to do with the money, or the director, or the other members of the cast. The first simple thing is: Am I going to enjoy playing this character?... Its a purely instinctive decision."