Geoffrey Rush facts for kids

Quick facts for kids Geoffrey Rush AC
Rush in 2017
Born	Geoffrey Roy Rush (1951-07-06) 6 July 1951 (age 73) Toowoomba, Queensland, Australia
Alma mater	University of Queensland (BA)
Occupation	Actor film producer composer
Years active	1971–present
Spouse(s)	Jane Menelaus ​ (m. 1988)​
Children	2
Awards	Full list

Geoffrey Roy Rush (born 6 July 1951) is a famous Australian actor. He is known for playing many different and interesting characters in movies and on stage.

Geoffrey Rush has won many important awards. These include an Academy Award (for movies), a Primetime Emmy Award (for TV shows), and a Tony Award (for theatre). This makes him the only Australian actor to win the "Triple Crown of Acting". He has also won three BAFTA Awards and two Golden Globe Awards. Geoffrey Rush was also named the 2012 Australian of the Year.

He started his acting career in 1971 with the Queensland Theatre Company. He also studied acting in Paris for two years. He became very well-known for his role in the movie Shine (1996), where he won an Academy Award. Many people also know him as Captain Hector Barbossa from the Pirates of the Caribbean movies.

Early Life and Education

Geoffrey Rush was born on 6 July 1951 in Toowoomba, Queensland, Australia. His mother was a sales assistant, and his father was an accountant. His parents divorced when he was five years old. He then lived with his mother's parents in Brisbane.

Before becoming an actor, Rush went to Everton Park State High School. He then studied at the University of Queensland. While at university, the Queensland Theatre Company noticed his talent. He started his acting career with them in 1971.

In 1975, Rush went to Paris, France, for two years. There, he studied acting, movement, and mime at a special school called L'École Internationale de Théâtre Jacques Lecoq. After this, he returned to Australia to continue his stage career. In 1979, he even shared an apartment with actor Mel Gibson while they were in a play together.

Acting Career

Early Roles and Theatre Work

Geoffrey Rush first appeared on stage in a play called Wrong Side of the Moon. He worked with the Queensland Theatre Company for four years. He acted in many different types of plays, from classic dramas to fun pantomimes.

His first movie role was in the Australian film Hoodwink in 1981. The next year, he was in Starstruck. He also performed in plays by William Shakespeare, like The Winter's Tale. He was also in a long-running play called The Importance of Being Earnest. His wife, Jane Menelaus, also acted in this play.

In the 1990s, Rush had small roles in TV shows. He continued to work a lot in theatre. In 1994, he played Horatio in a play called Hamlet in Sydney.

Becoming a Movie Star

Rush played Sir Francis Walsingham in Elizabeth (1998)

Geoffrey Rush became a big movie star with his role in the 1996 film Shine. For this movie, he won the Academy Award for Best Actor. He even took piano lessons again for the role. He played most of the piano parts himself in the film.

In 1998, he was in three big historical movies. He played Javert in Les Misérables. He also played Sir Francis Walsingham in Elizabeth, alongside fellow Australian actor Cate Blanchett. Lastly, he played Philip Henslowe in the romantic comedy Shakespeare in Love. For this role, he was nominated for many awards. In 1999, Rush starred in the horror film House on Haunted Hill. He also played a villain in the superhero comedy Mystery Men.

In 2000, Rush starred in Quills. He received great reviews for his acting in this film. He was nominated for his third Academy Award for Best Actor. His career continued to be very busy. From 2001 to 2003, he appeared in nine movies. In 2002, he played Leon Trotsky in the movie Frida.

Famous Roles and Recent Work

Rush at the 2011 Cannes Film Festival

In 2003, Geoffrey Rush was in several movies. He voiced Nigel the pelican in the animated film Finding Nemo. He also starred as Captain Hector Barbossa in Pirates of the Caribbean: The Curse of the Black Pearl. This movie was a huge success. Rush continued to play Captain Barbossa in all the Pirates of the Caribbean sequels. These include Dead Man's Chest (2006), At World's End (2007), On Stranger Tides (2011), and Dead Men Tell No Tales (2017). He even voiced his character for the Pirates of the Caribbean rides at Disneyland.

Rush played the actor Peter Sellers in the TV movie The Life and Death of Peter Sellers (2004). For this role, he won a Primetime Emmy Award. In 2005, he was in Steven Spielberg's film Munich. This movie was also very successful.

Rush at the Sydney premiere of Pirates of the Caribbean: On Stranger Tides in 2011

In 2009, Rush made his first appearance on Broadway in the play Exit the King. He won a Tony Award for Best Actor in a Play for his performance. In 2010, he played Lionel Logue in the historical movie The King's Speech. This film was about King George VI and his speech problems. Rush's acting was highly praised, and he won a British Academy Film Award.

In 2013, Rush appeared in The Book Thief, a movie based on a popular book. Critics liked his performance, saying he brought warmth and humor to the film. In 2017, Rush played Albert Einstein in the TV series Genius. He received an Primetime Emmy Award nomination for this role. In 2019, he starred in the movie Storm Boy.

Upcoming Projects

Geoffrey Rush has more exciting projects coming up. He is set to play Groucho Marx in a movie called Raised Eyebrows. He will also star in an action-comedy film called Verona Spies. In 2023, it was announced he would be in the thriller The Rule of Jenny Pen.

Acting Credits

Film

Television

Theatre

As actor

As director

Awards and Honours

Geoffrey Rush has won many important awards for his acting. He has achieved the "Triple Crown of Acting". This means he has won an Academy Award (for movies), a Tony Award (for theatre), and an Emmy Award (for television).

He won his Academy Award for his role in Shine (1996). He was also nominated for three other Oscars. For his TV work, he won a Primetime Emmy Award for playing Peter Sellers in The Life and Death of Peter Sellers (2003). His Tony Award was for his role in the play Exit the King (2009).

Geoffrey Rush was the first president of the Australian Academy of Cinema and Television Arts. In 2012, he was named Australian of the Year. In 2014, he received the Companion of the Order of Australia (AC). This is Australia's highest award for civilians. He received it for his great work in the arts. He was also recognized for being a role model for young artists.

He has received other honors too. These include an Honorary Doctorate from the University of Queensland in 1998. In 2001, he received the Australian Centenary Medal for his services to the arts. He also received the Australian Film Institute Longford Life Achievement Award in 2009.

Personal Life

Family

Since 1988, Geoffrey Rush has been married to actress Jane Menelaus. They have a daughter and a son together. The family lives in Melbourne, Australia.

See also

In Spanish: Geoffrey Rush para niños