Geoffrey Rush

Geoffrey Roy Rush was born in Queensland Australia on July 6, 1951. His early interest in the theater gave him the impetus to act in Wrong Side of the Moon in 1971 with the Queensland Theater Company. Rush was known for his classical work, but he was a hit in Queensland as Snoopy in You're a Good Man, Charlie Brown. He continued his stage career in Australia with Revenger's Tragedy, A Midsummer Night's Dream and King Lear.
In 1992 Rush suffered a nervous breakdown due to overwork and the fear that his career would never be successful. He eventually returned to the stage but did not make a film until 1991 in Children of the Revolution. He received the role of David Helfgott in Shine (1996) and won an Oscar, Golden Globe, British Film Award and Australian Film Institute Award for his portrayal.

Rush was not particularly handsome, but he was completely charming. He played in Elizabeth (1998), Quills (2000), and Leon Trotsky in Frida (2002). He lent his voice to Finding Nemo (2003) and played a semi-evil pirate in Pirates of the Caribbean: the Curse of the Black Pearl (2003) and subsequent Pirates franchise films. Rush was also nominated for best supporting actor in Shakespeare in Love (1998) and he played Peter Sellers in The Life and Death of Peter Sellers (2004). Rush often returns to the live stage to act alongside his wife Jane Menelaus. He has two children Angelica and James. Rush has the dubious honor of living with Mel Gibson while in college in Australia.