Born into an academic family - his father is a history lecturer at Winchester University College in Winchester and his mother is a comparative religions lecturer at the Open University.

Colin Firth's first acting experience came in infant's school when he played Jack Frost in a Christmas pantomime.

Three of his four grandparents were Methodist missionaries, and he spent his early childhood in Nigeria, returning to England at age five where he entered a comprehensive school in Winchester.

 He spent two years at the Drama Centre in Chalk Farm where he was "discovered" while playing Hamlet during his final term. His first professional role was as Bennet in the West End production of Another Country. From this performance he was chosen to play the character of Judd in the movie of the play.

 He went on to play a variety of character parts in both film and television.

For his portrayal of Robert Lawrence in the 1989 TV production Tumbledown, he received the Royal Television Society Best Actor award and also a BAFTA nomination.

He also received a BAFTA nomination for Mr. Darcy in the 1995 TV version of "Pride and Prejudice".

Mini Bio from http://www.imdb.com