Jim Broadbent facts for kids

Quick facts for kids Jim Broadbent
Broadbent in 2012
Born	James Broadbent (1949-05-24) 24 May 1949 (age 76) Holton cum Beckering, Lincolnshire, England
Education	London Academy of Music and Dramatic Art
Occupation	Actor
Years active	1971–present
Spouse(s)	Anastasia Lewis ​ (m. 1987)​

James "Jim" Broadbent (born 24 May 1949) is a well-known English actor. He has starred in many popular films and TV shows. You might know him from the Harry Potter movies, the Paddington films, or The Chronicles of Narnia: The Lion, the Witch and the Wardrobe. Jim Broadbent has won many important awards, including an Academy Award and two BAFTA Awards, for his amazing acting.

Jim Broadbent: Early Life and Education

Jim Broadbent was born on 24 May 1949 in a place called Holton cum Beckering in Lincolnshire, England. His parents, Doreen and Roy Broadbent, were both artists and loved acting. They even started their own acting group called the Holton Players. They turned an old chapel into a theatre, which is now named the Broadbent Theatre in memory of Jim's father.

Jim went to a Quaker school called Leighton Park School. After that, he studied art for a short time. But he soon decided to follow his passion for acting. He went to the London Academy of Music and Dramatic Art and finished his studies there in 1972.

Becoming an Actor: Jim Broadbent's Career Start

After drama school, Jim Broadbent started acting on stage. He became known for playing a funny character named Wallace, who was an assistant to a silly actor-manager. They performed in many comedy shows that were very popular.

In 1978, Jim also lent his voice to the famous radio series The Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy. He played two alien guards. Many years later, he even voiced the character of Marvin in a later radio series.

During the 1980s, Jim began to appear in small roles in films and on television. He worked with famous directors like Terry Gilliam in movies such as Time Bandits (1981) and Brazil (1985).

Famous TV Roles in the 1980s

One of Jim Broadbent's early well-known TV roles was as Roy Slater in the very popular British comedy show Only Fools and Horses. He played this character in three episodes over several years. Interestingly, he was first offered the main role in the show, but he couldn't take it because he was busy with other projects. He also appeared in other comedy shows, including The Black Adder and Blackadder's Christmas Carol, where he played Prince Albert.

Jim Broadbent: Becoming a Star

Jim Broadbent's big break in films came with the British comedy-drama Life Is Sweet (1990). Throughout the 1990s, he became a respected character actor. This means he's great at playing many different kinds of people.

He appeared in films like Enchanted April (1991), the thriller The Crying Game (1992), and the comedy Bullets over Broadway (1994). He also starred in the family fantasy film The Borrowers (1997) and the musical comedy Little Voice (1998). Towards the end of the 1990s, he played a main role in another film by director Mike Leigh, called Topsy-Turvy (1999).

Big Film Successes in the 2000s

The year 2001 was a huge one for Jim Broadbent. He starred in three very successful films:

• Bridget Jones's Diary
• Moulin Rouge!
• Iris

For his role in Iris, he won an Academy Award! He also won a BAFTA Award for Best Actor in a Supporting Role for Moulin Rouge!.

He continued to appear in major films like Gangs of New York (2002) and Nicholas Nickleby (2002). In 2005, he played Professor Kirke in The Chronicles of Narnia: The Lion, the Witch and the Wardrobe. That same year, he also lent his voice to animated movies like Robots and Valiant.

More Notable TV Roles

Jim Broadbent has also had many important roles on television. He played the main character in the TV film Wide-Eyed and Legless, which was based on a true story. In 2006, he played Lord Longford in the TV drama Longford. This role earned him a BAFTA TV Award and a Golden Globe Award. In 2007, he appeared as Inspector Frank Butterman in the comedy film Hot Fuzz.

Jim Broadbent: Continuing Success

Jim Broadbent continued to take on many exciting roles. In 2008, he was in the fourth Indiana Jones movie, Indiana Jones and the Kingdom of the Crystal Skull, alongside Harrison Ford. He also joined the cast of the Harry Potter movies, playing Horace Slughorn in Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince (2009) and Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows – Part 2 (2011).

In 2010, he worked again with director Mike Leigh in the film Another Year, which was praised by critics. In 2012, he played Denis Thatcher in The Iron Lady, a film about former Prime Minister Margaret Thatcher. He also appeared in the complex science fiction film Cloud Atlas that same year.

Recent Roles and Voice Work

In 2015, Jim Broadbent starred in the Oscar-nominated film Brooklyn. He also appeared in The Lady in the Van (2015) with Maggie Smith.

He has also done a lot of voice work. Since 2015, he has been one of the Voice Trumpets in the children's TV show Teletubbies. He also narrates the popular Kevin the Carrot Christmas adverts for the supermarket Aldi in the UK. In 2020, he even played Santa Claus in one of these adverts!

You might also recognize him from the popular Paddington films, where he plays Samuel Gruber. He was in Paddington (2014) and Paddington 2 (2017), and is set to return for Paddington in Peru in 2024.

In 2017, he joined the cast of the hugely popular HBO series Game of Thrones for its seventh season, playing Archmaester Ebrose. He also appeared in the TV production of King Lear in 2018. More recently, he starred in the film The Duke (2020) and The Unlikely Pilgrimage of Harold Fry (2023).

Film and Television Roles

Jim Broadbent has been in many films and TV shows. Here are some of them:

Selected Films

Selected Television

Jim Broadbent: Personal Life

Jim Broadbent is married to Anastasia Lewis, who is a painter and used to design sets for theatre. They got married in 1987. Jim doesn't have any children of his own, but Anastasia has two sons from a previous relationship. Jim mainly lives in the Lincolnshire Wolds in England, and he also has a home in London.

Awards and Recognition

Jim Broadbent has won many awards for his acting.

• He won an Academy Award for his role in the film Iris (2001).
• He also won a British Academy Film Award for his performance in Moulin Rouge! (2001).
• In 2007, he received a British Academy Television Award for his work in the TV film Longford.
• He has also won two Golden Globe Awards for his roles in Iris and Longford.

Jim Broadbent was offered an award called an OBE in 2002, but he politely turned it down. He felt that there were other people who deserved such honours more than actors.

Images for kids

• 

  The Broadbent Theatre in Wickenby, Lincolnshire. It was named after Roy Broadbent, Jim's father, who helped design it. Photographed in 2006.

• 

  Jim Broadbent at the 2010 Toronto International Film Festival

See also

In Spanish: Jim Broadbent para niños