Colin Firth

Product Description

From the moment he emerged from the lake, dripping & indignant, Colin Firth has held the heart of a nation. The iconic scene, in 1995, set him on a path from sex symbol to national treasure, with roles as Hugh Grant's love rival in Bridget Jones's Diary, the grieving son in When Did You Last See Your Father? & an Oscar-nominated turn as a gay university professor in A Single Man. Then came The King's Speech. His portrayal of stuttering monarch George VI finally laid to rest the ghost of Mr Darcy &, with a string of awards cluttering his mantelpiece, the Best Actor Oscar was the jewel in Colin's crown, elevating him from British star to Hollywood royalty. However, this most English of gentlemen had a nomadic childhood, spending much of his formative years in Nigeria & the United States. The transient lifestyle, & brief spells in state schools in Britain, left him desperate to fit in with his peers & it was this that sowed the seed of his acting ability. But while success came relatively easy, Colin was a reluctant star, running away on the verge of a Hollywood breakthrough to spend his 'wilderness years' in a log cabin in Canada. Success, romance & heartbreak followed as his career in the UK took off. In the first ever biography of one of our finest actors, film journalist & author Alison Maloney reveals the private person behind the public persona. From the truth behind Firth's twenty-year feud with Rupert Everett, to his rivalry with Bridget Jones co-star Hugh Grant & how he struggled to shake the mantle of the ultimate romantic hero, this fascinating biography, suffused with Firth's self-deprecating wit, delves into the real man behind the quintessentially English facade.