Geoffrey Rush

Geoffrey Rush, born in Toowoomba, Queensland in ’51, grew up bouncing between Brisbane and the stage after his parents split. His roots are a real mix—German from his mom, English, Irish, and Scottish from his dad. He kicked off his acting gig early, landing his first role at 20 with the Queensland Theatre Company. And, weirdly enough, he scored a major local hit playing Snoopy in “You’re a Good Man, Charlie Brown.” He tried France for a hot minute, but Australia kept calling him back. Through the ‘80s, Rush was basically glued to the stage, jumping from “Twelfth Night” to “King Lear” and everything in between, making a name for himself as one of those actors who could do just about anything. His early film career? Honestly, kind of a blip—blink and you’d miss him in “Hoodwink” (1981). Things finally picked up with “Shine” in 1996, where he played the wild, broken genius David Helfgott and just cleaned up at every award show. Suddenly, Hollywood knew his name. After that, Rush was all over the place: Elizabethan schemers, Trotsky, a pirate villain, you name it. He snagged more Oscar nods for “Quills” and “Shakespeare in Love,” and showed off his comic chops in “Mystery Men” and “Pirates of the Caribbean.” He didn’t ditch the stage either, popping up on Broadway and back home, all while balancing family life with fellow actor Jane Menelaus and their kids. The guy’s versatility is just nuts—seriously, is there a role he can’t crush?