ACTOR · BORN 1951
Geoffrey Rush
- Born
- 6 July 1951, Toowoomba, Queensland, Australia
- Known for
- Pirates of the Caribbean: The Curse of the Black Pearl (2003), Finding Nemo (2003), Pirates of the Caribbean: Dead Man's Chest (2006), Pirates of the Caribbean: At World's End (2007)
27 archived facts 5 topics 1 source Last reviewed Sep 2026
All facts (27)
- #001
Geoffrey Rush is one of nine actors to have won the Triple Crown of Acting (an Oscar, an Emmy and a Tony); the others, in chronological order, are Thomas Mitchell, Melvyn Douglas, Paul Scofield, Jack Albertson, Jason Robards, Jeremy Irons, Al Pacino and Christopher Plummer.
- #002
For Shine (1996), Geoffrey Rush is an accomplished pianist who needed no hand double and played nearly all of the pieces in the film himself.
- #003
Geoffrey Rush once lived with Mel Gibson while they were at university.
- #004
Geoffrey Rush won an Oscar for his role as David Helfgott in Shine (1996), making him one of 12 actors to win an Oscar for portraying a real person who was still alive on the night of the ceremony (as of 2007).
- #005
Geoffrey Rush became the 19th actor to win the Triple Crown of Acting: in 2009 he won the Oscar for Shine (1996), the Emmy for his role in The Life and Death of Peter Sellers (2004) and the Tony Award for Best Actor in a Play for Exit the King.
- #006
With Pirates of the Caribbean: Dead Man's Chest (2006) and Pirates of the Caribbean: On Stranger Tides (2011), Geoffrey Rush became the fourth actor to appear in two films that each grossed $1 billion. He was the first actor from the Southern Hemisphere to achieve this.
- #007
Geoffrey Rush's favourite film is City Lights (1931), and he often shows it at parties to people who have never seen it before. Other favourites include Zelig (1983), War and Peace (1965), Persona (1966) and Amarcord (1973).
- #008
Geoffrey Rush holds a Diploma of Arts from the University of Queensland.
- #009
As of 2014, Geoffrey Rush had appeared in five films nominated for the Best Picture Oscar: Shine (1996), Elizabeth (1998), Shakespeare in Love (1998), Munich (2005) and The King's Speech (2010). Shakespeare in Love (1998) and The King's Speech (2010) won in that category.
- #010
Geoffrey Rush began his acting career at the Queensland Theatre Company in Brisbane, Queensland, Australia.
- #011
Geoffrey Rush is one of 14 actors to have won the Oscar, BAFTA Award, Critics' Choice Award, Golden Globe Award and SAG Award for the same performance. In chronological order, the others are Jamie Foxx for Ray (2004), Philip Seymour Hoffman for Capote (2005), Forest Whitaker for The Last King of Scotland (2006), Javier Bardem for No Country for Old Men (2007), Daniel Day-Lewis for There Will Be Blood (2007), Heath Ledger for The Dark Knight (2008), Christoph Waltz for Inglourious Basterds (2009), Colin Firth for The King's Speech (2010), Christopher Plummer for Beginners (2010), J. K. Simmons for Whiplash (2014), Leonardo DiCaprio for The Revenant (2015), Sam Rockwell for Three Billboards Outside Ebbing, Missouri (2017) and Gary Oldman for Darkest Hour (2017).
- #012
Geoffrey Rush appeared in two films that won the Best Picture Oscar: Shakespeare in Love (1998) and The King's Speech (2010). Colin Firth appeared in both films as well.
- #013
Geoffrey Rush currently lives in Melbourne, Australia.
- #014
Geoffrey Rush is actively involved with Melbourne community groups in protecting historic landscapes from adverse development; in particular, regarding Camberwell railway station, he organised a protest march (2004) that was also attended by Barry Humphries and other public figures.
- #015
In 1998, Geoffrey Rush was named Alumnus of the Year by the University of Queensland (Australia).
- #016
Geoffrey Rush's children are Angelica (1992) and James (1995).
- #017
Geoffrey Rush's father was of English, Irish and Scottish descent, and his mother was of German descent.
- #018
Geoffrey Rush was awarded the Centenary Medal in the 2001 Queen's New Year Honours for his service to the arts, particularly through his distinguished acting career.
- #019
In September 1998, Geoffrey Rush adapted Beaumarchais's play "The Marriage of Figaro" with Neil Armfield for the opening production of the new Optus Playhouse at the Queensland Performing Arts Complex in Brisbane, Queensland, Australia. He also played the title role of Figaro in the same production.
- #020
Geoffrey Rush was awarded an honorary Doctor of Letters by the University of Queensland in Australia.
- #021
Geoffrey Rush was appointed a Companion of the Order of Australia (AC) in the 2014 Queen's Birthday Honours for his service and contributions to the performing arts as an actor and producer.
- #022
Rush was named Australian of the Year in 2012 by Australian Prime Minister Julia Gillard.
- #023
In 1999, Geoffrey Rush won the BAFTA for Best Supporting Actor for Shakespeare in Love, not for Elizabeth.
- #024
Disneyland, Disney World, Tokyo Disneyland, Disneyland Park (Paris) and Shanghai Disneyland all feature Captain Barbossa animatronics in their Pirates of the Caribbean rides.
- #025
Geoffrey Rush won the Oscar for his role as David Helfgott in Shine (1996), making him one of 17 actors who have won the award for portraying a real person who was still alive on the night of the ceremony (as of 2015). The other sixteen actors and their performances are: Spencer Tracy as Father Edward Flanagan in Boys Town (1938), Gary Cooper as Alvin C. York in Sergeant York (1941), Patty Duke as Helen Keller in The Miracle Worker (1962), Jason Robards as Ben Bradlee in All the President's Men (1976), Robert De Niro as Jake LaMotta in Raging Bull (1980), Sissy Spacek as Loretta Lynn in Coal Miner's Daughter (1980), Jeremy Irons as Claus von Bülow in Reversal of Fortune (1990), Susan Sarandon as Sister Helen Prejean in Dead Man Walking (1995), Julia Roberts as Erin Brockovich-Ellis in Erin Brockovich (2000), Jim Broadbent as John Bayley in Iris (2001), Helen Mirren as Queen Elizabeth II in The Queen (2006), Sandra Bullock as Leigh Anne Tuohy in The Blind Side (2009), Melissa Leo as Alice Eklund-Ward in The Fighter (2010), Christian Bale as Dicky Eklund in The Fighter (2010), Meryl Streep as Margaret Thatcher in The Iron Lady (2011) and finally Eddie Redmayne as Stephen Hawking in The Theory of Everything (2014).
- #026
Geoffrey Rush attended the Jacques Lecoq Mime, Movement and Theatre School.
- #027
Geoffrey Rush won the 2009 Tony Award for Best Actor for his performance in Exit the King, which played on Broadway in New York City.
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