Run Away
2026 · TV Show
as Simon Greene
James Nesbitt
1965-01-15
•
Ballymena, County Antrim, Northern Ireland
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.
Filmography
Missing You
2025 · TV Show
as Dominic Calligan
The Coronation Concert
2023 · Movie
as Self
The Heist Before Christmas
2023 · Movie
as Bank Robber
The John Bishop Show
2022 · TV Show
as Self
Suspect
2022 · TV Show
as Danny Frater
Bloodlands
2021 · TV Show
as DCI Tom Brannick
Stay Close
2021 · TV Show
as DS Michael Broome
No image
James Nesbit: A Game of Two Halves
2020 · Movie
as Himself
Lost Lives
2019 · Movie
as Self (voice)
DNA Journey
2019 · TV Show
as Self
James Nesbitt: Disasters That Changed Britain
2018 · TV Show
Stan Lee's Lucky Man: The Bracelet Chronicles
2017 · TV Show
as Harry Clayton
Stan Lee's Lucky Man
2016 · TV Show
as Harry Clayton
The Secret
2016 · TV Show
as Colin Howell
Michael McIntyre's Big Show
2016 · TV Show
as Self
The Hobbit: The Battle of the Five Armies
2014 · Movie
as Bofur
Gold
2014 · Movie
as Frank McGunn
The Missing
2014 · TV Show
as Tony Hughes
Babylon
2014 · TV Show
as Commissioner Richard Miller
The Hobbit: The Desolation of Smaug
2013 · Movie
as Bofur
River Deep, Mountain High: James Nesbitt in New Zealand
2013 · Movie
as Self
The Hobbit: An Unexpected Journey
2012 · Movie
as Bofur
Here Comes the Summer: The Undertones Story
2012 · Movie
as Narrator
Coriolanus
2011 · Movie
as Tribune Sicinius
The Jonathan Ross Show
2011 · TV Show
as Self
Monroe
2011 · TV Show
as Gabriel Monroe
Matching Jack
2010 · Movie
as Connor
The Way
2010 · Movie
as Jack
Outcast
2010 · Movie
as Cathal
Alex Higgins: The People's Champion
2010 · Movie
as Narrator
The Deep
2010 · TV Show
as Clem Donnelly
Cherrybomb
2009 · Movie
as Crilly
Five Minutes of Heaven
2009 · Movie
as Joe Griffin
Occupation
2009 · Movie
as Mike Swift
Occupation
2009 · TV Show
as Mike Swift
Chris Moyles' Quiz Night
2009 · TV Show
as Self
Blessed
2008 · Movie
as Peter
The Passion
2008 · TV Show
as Pilate
Midnight Man
2008 · TV Show
as Max Raban
Fairy Tales
2008 · TV Show
as Hans M. Prince
The 50 Greatest Television Dramas
2007 · Movie
as Self
James Ellis: An Actor's Life
2007 · Movie
as Himself
Jekyll
2007 · TV Show
as Dr. Tom Jackman
The Graham Norton Show
2007 · TV Show
as Self
Soccer Aid
2006 · TV Show
The One Show
2006 · TV Show
as Self - Guest
Millions
2005 · Movie
as Ronnie
Big Dippers
2005 · Movie
as Ray
Match Point
2005 · Movie
as Detective Banner
No image
OFI Sunday
2005 · TV Show
The Friday Night Project
2005 · TV Show
as Self - Host
No image
Quite Ugly One Morning
2004 · Movie
as Jack Parlabane
Wall of Silence
2004 · Movie
as Stuart Robe
James Nesbitt Presents Eat My Goal
2004 · Movie
as Presenter
Passer By
2004 · TV Show
as Joe Keyes
No image
The Terry and Gaby Show
2003 · TV Show
Canterbury Tales
2003 · TV Show
as Nick Zakian
Bloody Sunday
2002 · Movie
as Ivan Cooper
Top Gear
2002 · TV Show
as Self
Tractor Tom
2002 · TV Show
as Matt (voice)
Lucky Break
2001 · Movie
as James 'Jimmy' Hands
Women Talking Dirty
2001 · Movie
as Stanley
Friday Night with Jonathan Ross
2001 · TV Show
as Self
Murphy's Law
2001 · TV Show
as DS Tommy Murphy
Wild About Harry
2000 · Movie
as Walter Adair
The Most Fertile Man in Ireland
2000 · Movie
as 'Mad Dog' Billy Wilson
The Adventures of Young Indiana Jones: Trenches of Hell
1999 · Movie
as Yuri
Resurrection Man
1998 · Movie
as Ryan
Waking Ned
1998 · Movie
as Pig Finn
Cold Feet
1998 · TV Show
as Adam Williams
Playing the Field
1998 · TV Show
Parkinson
1998 · TV Show
as Self
Welcome to Sarajevo
1997 · Movie
as Gregg
This Is the Sea
1997 · Movie
as Constable Hubert Porter
The James Gang
1997 · Movie
as Graham Armstrong
Jude
1996 · Movie
as Uncle Joe
Ballykissangel
1996 · TV Show
as Leo McGarvey
Never Mind the Buzzcocks
1996 · TV Show
as Self
TFI Friday
1996 · TV Show
Go Now
1995 · Movie
as Tony
Soccer AM
1995 · TV Show
as Self
Common As Muck
1994 · TV Show
Love Lies Bleeding
1993 · Movie
as Niall
GMTV
1993 · TV Show
as Self
The Young Indiana Jones Chronicles
1992 · TV Show
as Yuri
Between the Lines
1992 · TV Show
Hear My Song
1991 · Movie
as Fintan O'Donnell
Soldier Soldier
1991 · TV Show
as Corporal Bryan Casey
Virtuoso
1989 · Movie
as Young Man
The End of the World Man
1986 · Movie
as Policeman
Lovejoy
1986 · TV Show
as Jerry Boyle
ScreenPlay
1986 · TV Show
as Niall
Screen Two
1985 · TV Show
as Young man
The Cry
1984 · Movie
as B Special (uncredited)
The Hollywood Greats
1977 · TV Show
The Late Late Show
1962 · TV Show
as Self
Ireland's Rugby Number 10
· Movie
as Narrator
So You're Going to Die
· Movie
as Liam Gallagher
No image
Hercule
· TV Show
