Birthday: 24 May 1949, Lincoln, Lincolnshire, England, UK
Birth Name: James Broadbent
Height: 188 cm
One of England's most versatile character actors, Jim Broadbent was born on May 24, 1949, in Lincolnshire, the youngest son of furniture maker Roy Laverick Broadbent and sculptress Doreen "Dee" (Findlay) Broadbent. Jim attended a Quaker boarding school in Reading before successfully applying for a place at an art school. His heart wa...
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[on declining an OBE in 2002] I didn't think I deserved it, really. And also my father died when I w...Show more »
[on declining an OBE in 2002] I didn't think I deserved it, really. And also my father died when I was 22 and he was quite an anarchic spirit, and he would have been proud of me to have turned it down. You know how it is, the usual line: 'Oh, I accepted it for my parents.' Whereas I turned it down for my parents. Show less «
I always think you should be totally frivolous as much as you can, and then take the work seriously ...Show more »
I always think you should be totally frivolous as much as you can, and then take the work seriously when it has to be taken seriously. As long as you can keep that balance going, it's good fun. If it's only frivolous it's not fun - it would drive me potty. On Iris, I'd never worked with Judi Dench before, but it was wonderful to realize that we worked in exactly the same way. Foolish for most of the time, then focusing on the work, clicking into it very quickly and naturally. There were a lot of laughs. Otherwise it could have been torture. Two months of being grueled. Show less «
I love French films, and European films. They're not any bigger, but there's just a sort of definiti...Show more »
I love French films, and European films. They're not any bigger, but there's just a sort of definition, and a confidence, and strength to them. I'd always, given the option, go and see a French drama. Obviously, we probably get the better ones. But they're just sophisticated on many levels, and grown up, and quite profound - and we don't make films like that. Show less «