Geoffrey Rush is an Australian actor of the stage and screen. He has received what is known as the Triple Crown of Acting, meaning an Academy Award, Tony Award and Primetime Emmy Awards, which represent film, theatre and television respectively. Over his career he has also received four Actor Awards, three British Academy Film Awards, a Critics' Choice Movie Award, and two Golden Globe Awards. Rush is the founding president of the Australian Academy of Cinema and Television Arts and was named the 2012 Australian of the Year.
Rush received the Academy Award for Best Actor for his portrayal of pianist David Helfgott in the biographical film Shine (1996). He was Oscar-nominated for playing Philip Henslowe in the romantic period film Shakespeare in Love (1998), the Marquis de Sade in the period drama Quills (2000), and Lionel Logue in the historical drama The King's Speech (2010). He won the BAFTA Award for Best Actor in a Leading Role, the Golden Globe Award for Best Actor in a Motion Picture – Drama, and the Screen Actors Guild Award for Outstanding Performance by a Male Actor in a Leading Role for Shine. He also won the BAFTA Awards for Shakespeare in Love (1998), and The King's Speech (2010).
For his work in television he received Primetime Emmy Award for Outstanding Lead Actor in a Limited Series or Movie, the Golden Globe Award for Best Actor – Miniseries or Television Film, and the Screen Actors Guild Award for Outstanding Performance by a Male Actor in a Miniseries or Television Movie for his performance as Peter Sellers in the HBO film The Life and Death of Peter Sellers (2003). Rush was nominated for the Primetime Emmy Award, Golden Globe Award, and Screen Actors Guild Award for Outstanding Actor in a Limited Series or Movie for his portrayal of theoretical physicist Albert Einstein in the National Geographic anthology miniseries Genius (2017).
On stage, Rush received the Tony Award for Best Actor in a Play for his performance as King Berenger in the French absurdist comedy Exit the King (2009). For his roles in theatre he also received a Drama Desk Award, an Outer Critics Circle Award, and two Helpmann Awards. He was nominated for the Drama Desk Award for Outstanding Actor in a Play for playing Poprishchin in the Russian farce Diary of a Madman (2011).
Major associations Academy Awards Year Category Nominated work Result 1997 Best Actor Shine 1999 Best Supporting Actor Shakespeare in Love 2001 Best Actor Quills 2011 Best Supporting Actor The King's Speech
Actor Awards Year Category Nominated work Result 1997 Outstanding Male Actor in a Leading Role ShineOutstanding Cast in a Motion Picture1999Outstanding Male Actor in a Supporting RoleShakespeare in LoveOutstanding Cast in a Motion Picture2001Outstanding Male Actor in a Leading RoleQuills 2005Outstanding Male Actor in a Miniseries or TV MovieThe Life and Death of Peter Sellers 2011Outstanding Male Actor in a Supporting Role The King's SpeechOutstanding Cast in a Motion Picture2018Outstanding Male Actor in Miniseries or TV MovieGenius
BAFTA Awards Year Category Nominated work Result British Academy Film Awards 1997 Best Actor in a Leading Role Shine 1999Best Actor in a Supporting Role Elizabeth Shakespeare in Love 2001 Best Actor in a Leading Role Quills 2011 Best Actor in a Supporting Role The King's Speech
Critics' Choice Awards Year Category Nominated work Result Critics' Choice Movie Awards 1996 Best Actor Shine 2000 Best Actor Quills 2010 Best Supporting Actor The Kings Speech
Emmy Award Year Category Nominated work Result Primetime Emmy Awards 2005 Outstanding Lead Actor in a Limited Series or Movie The Life and Death of Peter Sellers 2017 Genius
Golden Globe Awards Year Category Nominated work Result 1997 Best Actor in a Motion Picture – Drama Shine 1999 Best Supporting Actor – Motion Picture Shakespeare in Love 2001 Best Actor in a Motion Picture – Drama Quills 2005 Best Actor in a Miniseries or Motion Picture – Television The Life and Death of Peter Sellers 2011 Best Supporting Actor – Motion Picture The King's Speech 2018 Best Actor in a Miniseries or Motion Picture – Television Genius
Tony Award Year Category Nominated work Result 2009 Best Actor in a Play Exit the King
Other theatre awards Organizations Year Category Work Result Drama Desk Award 2009 Outstanding Actor in a Play Exit the King 2011 Diary of a Madman Outer Critics Circle Award 2009 Outstanding Actor in a Play Exit the King Helpmann Award 2001 Best Male Actor in a Play The Small Poppies 2008 Exit the King 2010 Best Male Actor in a Musical The Drowsy Chaperone 2011 Best Male Actor in a Play Diary of a Madman 2013 Best Male Actor in a Musical A Funny Thing Happened on the Way to the Forum
Miscellaneous associations Organizations Year Category Work Result Australian Academy Film Awards 1996 Best Actor in a Leading Role Shine 1998 Best Actor in a Supporting Role A Little Bit of Soul 2002 Best Actor in a Leading Role Swimming Upstream 2006 Best Actor in a Supporting Role Candy 2011 Best Actor in a Leading Role The Eye of the Storm Annie Awards 2012Outstanding Voice Acting in a Feature ProductionLegend of the Guardians: The Owls of Ga'HooleMo Awards 2006 Actor in Play Geoffrey Rush
Honorary awards Organizations Year Award Result Sidney Myer Performing Arts Awards 1993 Statue University of Queensland 1998 Bachelor of Arts, Honorary Doctorate the Queen's New Year's Honours List 2001 Australian Centenary Medal Australian Film Institute Award 2003 Global Achievement Award Brisbane International Film Festival 2004 Chauvel Award American Film Institute 2009 Longford Life Achievement Award Santa Barbara International Film Festival 2011 Montecito Award Australian Academy of Cinema and Television Arts 2012 Australian of the Year Companion of the Order of Australia (AC) 2014 Medal the Karlovy Vary International Film Festival 2022 Outstanding Artistic Contribution to World Cinema
References
External links
Geoffrey Rush – Stage acting credits Professional photographs of Geoffrey Rush – National Library of Australia