RUSH, Geoffrey 1951–

PERSONAL

Born July 6, 1951, in Toowoomba, Queensland, Australia; son of Roy (an accountant) and Merle (a department store clerk) Rush; married Jane Menelaus (an actress), 1988; children: Angelica, James. Education: University of Queensland, arts degree, 1971; completed director's course, British Theatre Association, 1975; attended Jacques Lecoq School of Mime, Movement, and Theatre, Paris, France, 1975–77. Avocational Interests: Involved with Melbourne Community Groups.

Addresses: Agent—Creative Artists Agency, 9830 Wilshire Blvd., Beverly Hills, CA 90212. Publicist—Stan Rosenfield & Associates, Ltd., 1540 Broadway, 10th Floor, New York, NY 10036.

Career: Actor, director, and writer. Joined Queensland Theatre Company, Brisbane, Queensland, Australia, 1971.

Awards, Honors: Variety Club Award, stage actor of the year, 1989, Sydney Theatre Critics' Circle Award, most outstanding performance, 1989, Victorian Green Room Award, best actor, 1990, all for The Diary of a Madman; Rosemount Award nomination, most outstanding performance, Sydney Theatre Critics' Circle, 1993, for Oleanna; Sydney Theatre Critics' Circle Award nomination, best performance in a supporting role, Shakespeare Globe Centre Award nomination, 1994, both for Hamlet; Sidney Myer Performing Arts Award, 1994, for work in theatre; New York Film Critics Circle Award, best actor, 1996, Los Angeles Film Critics' Association Award, best actor, 1996, Society of Texas Film Critics Award, best actor, 1996, Boston Society of Film Critics Society Award, best actor, 1996, Australian Film Institute Award, best actor in a lead role, 1996, Golden Globe Award, best performance by an actor in a motion picture—drama, 1997, Academy Award, best actor, 1997, Film Award, best performance by an actor in a leading role, British Academy of Film and Television Arts, 1997, Screen Actors Guild Award, outstanding performance by a male actor in a leading role and Screen Actors Guild Award nomination (with others), outstanding performance by a cast, 1997, Golden Satellite Award, best performance by an actor in a motion picture-drama, 1997, Florida Film Critics Circle Award, best actor, 1997, Film Critics Circle of Australia Award, best actor—male, 1997, Broadcast Film Critics Association Award, best actor, 1997, ALFS Award, actor of the year, London Critics Circle Film Awards, 1998, all for Shine; Australian Film Institute Award nomination, best performance by an actor in a supporting role, 1998, for A Little Bit of Soul; Academy Award nomination, best supporting actor, 1999, Screen Actors Guild Award (with others), outstanding performance by a cast, and Screen Actors Guild Award nomination, outstanding performance by a male actor in a supporting role, 1999, Golden Satellite Award nomination, best performance by an actor in a supporting role in a motion picture—comedy or musical, 1999, Golden Globe Award nomination, best performance by an actor in a supporting role in a motion picture, 1999, Blockbuster Entertainment Award nomination, favorite supporting actor—comedy/romance, 1999, Film Award nomination, best performance by an actor in a supporting role, British Academy of Film and Television Arts, 1999, and Chlotrudis Award nomination, best supporting actor, 1999, all for Shakespeare in Love; Film Award nomination, best performance by an actor in a supporting role, British Academy of Film and Television Arts, 1999, Chlotrudis Award nomination, best supporting actor, 1999, both for Elizabeth; Sierra Award, Las Vegas Film Critics Society Awards, 2000, Academy Award nomination, best actor in a leading role, 2001, Kansas City Film Critics Circle Award, best actor, 2001, Screen Actors Guild Award nomination, outstanding performance by a male actor in a leading role, 2001, Phoenix Film Critics Award, best actor in a leading role, 2001, Online Film Critics Award nomination, best actor, 2001, Golden Satellite Award, best performance by an actor in a motion picture—drama, 2001, Golden Globe Award nomination, best performance by an actor in a motion picture—drama, 2001, Chicago Film Critics Association Award nomination, best actor, 2001, Film Award nomination, best performance by an actor in a leading role, British Academy of Film and Television Arts, 2001, all for Quills; Australian Film Institute Award nomination, best actor in a leading role, 2002, If Award nomination, best actor, 2003, Film Critics Circle of Australia Award nomination, best actor—male, 2003, all for Swimming Upstream; Supporting Actor of the Year Award, Hollywood Film Festival, 2003; Global Achievement Award, Australian Film Institute, 2003; MTV Movie Award nomination, best villain, 2004, Golden Satellite Award nomination, best performance by an actor in a supporting role—comedy or musical, 2004, Saturn Award nomination, best supporting actor, Academy of Science Fiction, Fantasy & Horror Films, 2004, all for Pirates of the Caribbean: The Curse of the Black Pearl; Chauvel Award, Brisbane International Film Festival, 2004; British Independent Film Award nomination, best actor, 2004, Golden Satellite Award nomination, best actor in a miniseries or motion picture made for television, 2005, Screen Actors Guild Award, outstanding performance by a male actor in a television movie or miniseries, 2005, Golden Globe Award, best performance by an actor in a mini-series or a motion picture made for television, 2005, Emmy Award nomination, outstanding lead actor in a miniseries or a movie, 2005, all for The Life and Death of Peter Sellers; honorary doctorate of letters, University of Queensland.

CREDITS

Stage Appearances:

Marshall the Raen, Wrong Side of the Moon, Queensland Theatre Company, Brisbane, Australia, 1971.

Brazencourt, Lock Up Your Daughters, Queensland Theatre Company, 1972.

Hinchcliffe, Assault with a Deadly Weapon, Queensland Theatre Company, 1972.

Fabian, Twelfth Night, Queensland Theatre Company, 1972.

Kelso Truscott, Ruling Class, Queensland Theatre Company, 1972.

Snoopy, You're a Good Man, Charlie Brown, Queensland Theatre Company, 1972.

Simple Simon, Puss in Boots, Queensland Theatre Company, 1972.

Joxer, Juno and the Paycock, Queensland Theatre Company, 1973.

Beast, Expresso Bongo, Queensland Theatre Company, 1973.

Rees, the chaplain, National Health, Queensland Theatre Company, 1973.

Thomas Diaforus, The Imaginary Invalid, Queensland Theatre Company, 1973.

Detective Inspector Appleton, Suddenly at Home, Queensland Theatre Company, 1973.

Abanzer, Aladdin, Queensland Theatre Company, 1973.

Buttons, Hamlet on Ice, Gallery Theatre, 1973.

Gilmer, Godspell, Queensland Theatre Company, 1974.

Sir Lucius O'Trigger, The Rivals, Queensland Theatre Company, 1974.

Philip, The Philanthropist, Queensland Theatre Company, 1974.

Roland Maule, Present Laughter, Queensland Theatre Company, 1974.

Chorus principal, Jack and the Beanstalk, Eden Court Theatre, Inverness, Scotland, 1977.

The Fool, King Lear, Queensland Theatre Company, 1978.

Monsieur Henri, Point of Departure, Queensland Theatre Company, 1978.

Roy the Wonderboy, Clowneroonies, Queensland Theatre Company, 1978.

Dave, On Our Selection, Jane Street Theatre, New York City, 1979.

Vladimir, Waiting for Godot, Jane Street Theatre, 1979.

Teeth and Smiles, Nimrod Theatre, Sydney, Australia, 1980.

Revenger's Tragedy, State Theatre Company of South Australia, Adelaide, Australia, 1981.

No End of Blame, State Theatre Company of South Australia, 1981.

You Can't Take It with You, Sydney Theatre Company, 1981.

Oberon/Theseus, A Midsummer Night's Dream, State Theatre Company of South Australia, 1982, then 1983.

Soldiers, Mother Courage, State Theatre Company of South Australia, 1982.

Toozenbach, Silver Lining, State Theatre Company of South Australia, 1982.

Field Marshall Dorfling, The Prince of Homburg, State Theatre Company of South Australia, 1982.

Royal Show, State Theatre Company of South Australia, 1982.

The Moon, Blood Wedding, State Theatre Company of South Australia, 1983.

Dr. Eberhard, Netherwood, State Theatre Company of South Australia, 1983, then Festival of Sydney, 1984.

Figaro, The Marriage of Figaro, State Theatre Company of South Australia, 1983.

Victor, Pal Joey, State Theatre Company of South Australia, 1983.

Allen Fitzgerald, The Blind Giant Is Dancing, State Theatre Company of South Australia, 1983.

David, Sunrise, State Theatre Company of South Australia, 1983.

Sir Andrew Aguecheek, Twelfth Night, State Theatre Company of South Australia and Festival of Sydney, 1984.

David, Benefactors, State Theatre Company of South Australia, 1986.

Adelaide, 1986.

Mouldy 2, On Parliament Hill, Belvoir Street Theatre, Surry Hills, Australia, 1987.

Archbishop Wilfred Biggs, Shepherd on the Rocks, State Theatre Company of South Australia, 1987.

Autolycus, The Winter's Tale, State Theatre Company of South Australia, 1987.

Tristram, Tristram Shandy—Gent, Melbourne Theatre Company, Melbourne, Australia, 1988.

The Fool, King Lear, State Theatre Company of South Australia, 1988.

Baptiste, Les Enfants du Paradis, Belvoir Street Theatre, 1988.

Jack Worthing, The Importance of Being Earnest, Melbourne Theatre Company, Victorian Tour, 1988, later Melbourne Theatre Company National Tour, 1990–91, then Melbourne Theatre Company, 1992.

Thersites/Paris, Troilus & Cressida, The Grin & Tonic Theatre Troupe, 1989.

Poprishin, The Diary of a Madman, Company B Limited, Belvoir Street Theatre, 1989, then Melbourne Theatre Company, 1990, then Russian tour and Belvoir Street Theatre, 1992.

Marat, Marat/Sade, State Theatre Company of South Australia, 1990.

Antipholus of Ephesus, The Comedy of Errors, State Theatre Company of South Australia, 1990.

Ivan Aleksandrovich Khilestakov, The Government Inspector, Sydney Theatre Company, Sydney, Australia, 1991.

Astrov, Uncle Vanya, Sydney Theatre Company, 1992.

Cocledemoy, The Dutch Courtesan, Melbourne Theatre Company, 1993.

John, Oleanna, Sydney Theatre Company, New Stages, 1993.

Horatio, Hamlet, Belvoir Street Theatre, 1994–95.

Figaro, The Marriage of Figaro, Optus Playhouse, Brisbane, Queensland, Australia, 1998.

Small Poppies, Sydney, Australia, 2000.

Stage Director:

Clowneroonies, Queensland Theatre Company, Brisbane, Australia, then Nimrod Theatre Company, Sydney, 1978–80.

Carols-by-Lazerlight, Belvoir State Theatre, Surry Hills, Australia, 1984–86.

Unreal, State Theatre Company of South Australia, Magpie Theatre, Adelaide, Australia, 1984–86.

Definitely Not the Last, State Theatre Company of South Australia, Magpie Theatre, 1984–86.

Teen-Ages, State Theatre Company of South Australia, Magpie Theatre, 1984–86.

Animal Acts, State Theatre Company of South Australia, Magpie Theatre, 1984–86.

The Small Poppies, Adelaide Festival, Adelaide, Australia, 1986.

The 1985 Scandals, Belvoir Street Theatre, 1986.

Pearls Before Swine, Belvoir Street Theatre, 1986.

Pell Mell, Belvoir Street Theatre, 1986, then Melbourne Comedy Festival, 1987, later Adelaide Festival, 1988.

The Merry Wives of Windsor, Royal Old Theatre Company, 1987.

The Popular Mechanicals, Belvoir Street Theatre, 1987, then Melbourne Theatre Company and State Theatre Company of South Australia, 1988.

Les Enfants du Paradis, Theatre at Victorian College of the Arts, 1989.

The Wolf's Banquet, Belvoir Street Theatre, 1989.

The Popular Mechanicals and The Popular Mechanicals 2, Belvoir Street Theatre, 1992.

Aristophane's Frogs, Belvoir Street Theatre, 1992.

Also directed The Merry Wives of Windsor, Queensland Theatre Company.

Film Appearances:

Detective I, Hoodwink, CB Films, 1981.

Floor manager, Starstruck, Palm Beach Pictures/Australian Film Commission, 1982.

Sir Andrew Aguecheek, Twelfth Night, 1985.

Allen Newman, Five Easy Pizzas, 1994.

Dave Rudd, Dad and Dave—On Our Selection (also known as On Our Selection), Roadshow Entertainment, 1994.

Don, Small Room Confessions, 1994.

David Helfgott as an adult, Shine, Buena Vista, 1996.

Wal, Call Me Sal, Australian Film Commission, 1996.

Zachary Welch, Children of the Revolution, Miramax, 1996.

Narrator, Oscar and Lucinda, Twentieth Century-Fox, 1997.

Godfrey Usher, A Little Bit of Soul, Columbia/TriStar, 1998.

Inspector Javert, Les Miserables, Columbia, 1998.

Philip Henslowe, Shakespeare in Love, Miramax, 1998.

Sir Francis Walsingham, Elizabeth (also known as Elizabeth: The Virgin Queen), Twentieth Century-Fox, 1998.

Himself, The Making of "Elizabeth" (documentary short), PolyGram Filmed Entertainment, 1998.

Cassanova Frankenstein, Mystery Men, Universal, 1999.

Steven B. Price, House on Haunted Hill, Warner Bros., 1999.

Harold "Harry" Pendel, The Tailor of Panama, Sony Pictures Entertainment, 2000.

Marquis de Sade, Quills (also known as Quills—Macht der besessenheit), Fox Searchlight Pictures, 2000.

Voice of Bunyip Bluegum, The Magic Pudding (animated), 2000.

Himself, Spotlight on Location: Mystery Men, Universal Studios Home Video, 2000.

Himself, The Perfect Fit (also known as A Conversation with Pierce Brosnan and Geoffrey Rush; documentary short), 2001.

John Knox, Lantana, Lions Gate Films, 2001.

Leon Trotsky, Frida, Miramax, 2002.

Harry Plummer, The Banger Sisters, Twentieth Century-Fox, 2002.

Harold Fingleton, Swimming Upstream, Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer, 2003.

Francis Hare, Ned Kelly (also known as Ned Kelly: Public Enemy No. 1), Focus Features, 2003.

Voice of Nigel, Finding Nemo (animated), Buena Vista, 2003.

Barbossa, Pirates of the Caribbean: The Curse of the Black Pearl, Buena Vista, 2003.

Donovan Donaly, Intolerable Cruelty, Universal, 2003.

Narrator, Harvie Krumpet, Monster Distributors, 2003.

Himself, An Epic at Sea: The Making of "Pirates of the Caribbean: The Curse of the Black Pearl" (documentary short), Buena Vista Home Entertainment, 2003.

Himself, A Look Inside "Intolerable Cruelty" (documentary short), Universal Studios Home Video, 2004.

Casper, Candy, 2005.

Munich, Universal, 2005.

Television Appearances; Series:

Consumer Capers, 1979–81.

Menotti, Australian Broadcasting Corp., 1980–81.

Bill Wyatt, Mercury, Australian Broadcasting Corporation, 1996.

Television Appearances; Miniseries:

Soldier administrator David Collins, Frontier: Stories from Australia's Forgotten War (also known as Frontier), Australian Broadcasting Corporation, 1997, then PBS, 1999.

Television Appearances; Movies:

Peter Sellers, The Life and Death of Peter Sellers, HBO, 2004.

Television Appearances; Specials:

The Burning Piano (documentary), Australian Broadcasting Corporation, 1992.

Inside the Academy Awards, TNT, 1997.

Television Appearances; Awards Presentations:

The 69th Annual Academy Awards, ABC, 1997.

Presenter, The 55th Golden Globe Awards, 1998.

Screen Actors Guild 4th Annual Awards, 1998.

Presenter, The 70th Annual Academy Awards, ABC, 1998.

The 71st Annual Academy Awards, ABC, 1999.

Presenter, The 14th Independent Spirit Awards, 1999.

The Orange British Academy Film Awards, 2001.

The 7th Annual Screen Actors Guild Awards, TNT, 2001.

(Uncredited) Himself, The 2001 IFP/West Independent Spirit Awards, IFC, 2001.

The 73rd Annual Academy Awards, ABC, 2001.

Presenter, The Critics' Choice Awards, E! Entertainment Television, 2001.

Presenter, The 2003 Australian Film Institute Awards, Australian Broadcasting Corp., 2003.

The 62nd Annual Golden Globe Awards, NBC, 2005.

The 11th Annual Screen Actors Guild Awards, TNT, 2005.

Television Appearances; Episodic:

Harry Chisholm, "Bonus Mileage," Twisted Tales, Nine Network, 1996.

Himself, "The Code," Frontline, 1997.

Himself, The Panel, Ten Network, 2001, 2004.

Himself, Tinseltown TV, International Channel, 2003.

Himself, Enough Rope with Andrew Denton, Australian Broadcasting Corp., 2004.

Himself, Film '72, BBC, 2004.

Himself, Breakfast, BBC, 2004.

Himself, Friday Night with Jonathan Ross, BBC, 2004.

Himself, Richard & Judy, Channel 4, 2004.

Geoff, "Sitting on a Pile," Kath & Kim, Australian Broadcasting Corp., 2004.

Himself, Live with Regis and Kelly, syndicated, 2004.

Himself, The Tony Danza Show, syndicated, 2004.

WRITINGS

Stage Plays:

(Translator) The Government Inspector, Sydney Theatre Company, 1991.

(Adapter, with John Clarke) Aristophane's Frogs, Belvoir Street Theatre, 1992.

Screenplays:

(With George Whaley) Clowning Around, Barron Films, 1992.

OTHER SOURCES

Books:

Newsmakers, Issue 1, Gale Group, 2002.

Periodicals:

Entertainment Weekly, November 29, 1996, p. 60; January 17, 1997, p. 12; March 1, 1999, p. 67; February 23, 2001, p. 33.

Knight-Ridder/Tribune News Service, December 21, 1998, p. K7821.

People Weekly, March 10, 1997, pp. 65-66.

USA Today, December 20, 1996.

Vanity Fair, December, 1996, p. 236.