Rush, Geoffrey (1951- )

Australian actor. For many years one of Australia's leading stage performers, Rush was launched to international celebrity following his performance as a psychologically disturbed virtuoso pianist in Shine (1996). Rush's performance earned him a Golden Globe and an Academy Award, and was followed by equally accomplished character performances in Shakespeare in Love (1998) and Elizabeth (1998).

Skilled in classical and contemporary theatre, Rush made his stage debut in the early 1970s. He has featured in numerous Shakespearean productions, as well as such stage classics as The Importance of Being Earnest, Uncle Vanya, Waiting for Godot, Blood Wedding, and Oleanna.

His other films include Les Misérables (1998), Quills (2000), The Tailor of Panama (2001), The Banger Sisters (2002), Intolerable Cruelty (2003), and Pirates of the Caribbean: The Curse of the Black Pearl (2003).