Shakespeare in Love

Joseph Fiennes (Actor) .. Will Shakespeare

Born: May 27, 1970 in Salisbury, Wiltshire

Best Known For: Playing the Bard in Shakespeare in Love.

Early-life: Born Joseph Alberic Twisleton-Wykeham-Fiennes in Salisbury, Wiltshire, on May 27, 1970, but was brought up in West Cork, Ireland. He is the son of novelist Jennifer Lash and photographer Mark Fiennes. The youngest of six siblings, he is the brother of fellow actor Ralph, film-makers Sophie and Martha, composer Magnus and his conservationist twin Jacob. After leaving art school, he worked with the Young Vic Youth Theatre before going on to train at the Guildhall School of Music and Drama.

Career: He made his first professional stage appearance in the West End in The Woman in Black and went on to join the Royal Shakespeare Company for two seasons, taking roles in Son of Man, Les Enfants du Paradis, Troilus and Cressida, and the award-winning The Herbal Bed. Joseph's screen debut was in The Vacillations of Poppy Carew, and he attained international acclaim after appearing in Elizabeth and playing the part of William Shakespeare in 1998's Oscar-winning romantic comedy Shakespeare in Love. After returning to the stage, he also appeared in several high-profile movies including Enemy at the Gates and The Merchant of Venice, as well as US series Flash Forward, Camelot and American Horror Story.

Quote: "I withdrew after Shakespeare in Love and went back to the theatre, to what I know. I'm an actor, and whatever speaks to me I will do."

Trivia: In 2014, he was one of a number of celebrities to design a card for the charity Thomas Coram Foundation for Children. They were auctioned off.

Gwyneth Paltrow (Actor) .. Viola De Lesseps

Born: September 28, 1972 in Los Angeles

Best Known For: Shakespeare in Love

Early-life: Born Gwyneth Kate Paltrow on September 28, 1972, in Los Angeles. Her father was producer and director Bruce Paltrow and her mother is actress Blythe Danner. She has a younger brother, Jake. After attending school in New York and spending time in Spain during her teens, she moved to California to study art history at university, but dropped out after a year. Paltrow then decided to concentrate on acting, something she had been encouraged to do from her early years by her parents.

Career: After appearing in several plays, she made her movie debut in 1991's Shout. She was standing in a cinema queue when family friend Steven Spielberg asked whether she fancied playing Wendy in Hook. Further roles followed, but she didn't become a star until 1995's Seven. Since then, Paltrow has appeared in Emma, A Perfect Murder, Sliding Doors, Shakespeare in Love (for which she won an Oscar), The Talented Mr Ripley, The Royal Tenenbaums, and Sylvia. She has also starred in the West End play Proof, as well as the film version. More recent projects include Love and Other Disasters and the Iron Man movies.

Quote: "I sort of look at some peers of mine and I think, 'No, you've got it all wrong!' I just want to tell them all to have babies and be happy and not get sucked into that Hollywood thing."

Trivia: Away from acting, Paltrow has written two cookbooks.

Judi Dench (Actor) .. Queen Elizabeth

Born: December 09, 1934 in York

Best Known For: Her Bond film appearances.

Early-life: Judith Olivia Dench was born on December 9, 1934, in York, the daughter of a doctor and his Irish wife. She attended Mount School, a Quaker institution, alongside author AS Byatt. She made her stage debut there - as a snail. Originally intending to be an artist, the experience changed her mind. She was also inspired by backstage visits to York Theatre Royal, where her father was the company's GP. She followed older brother Jeffrey to the Central School Of Speech And Drama.

Career: Dench made her professional debut with the Old Vic Company before joining the Royal Shakespeare Company in 1961, and has frequently worked on stage ever since. She became a household name in the 1980s thanks to sitcom A Fine Romance, for which she won a Bafta. She's also won the award for Four in the Morning, Talking to a Stranger, Iris, The Last of the Blonde Bombshells, Shakespeare In Love (for which she picked up an Oscar too), A Handful of Dust, Mrs Brown and A Room With a View. Other notable productions include Chocolat, Notes on a Scandal, J Edgar, The Best Exotic Marigold Hotel and its sequel, and several Bond movies, including Skyfall, in which she bowed out as M.

Quote: "I just feel incredibly lucky to be employed. That's why I sometimes feel desperate, in case I'm not going to be cast again."

Trivia: She became a Dame of the British Empire in 1988.

Ben Affleck (Actor) .. Ned Alleyn

Born: August 15, 1972 in Berkeley, California

Best Known For: His friendship with Matt Damon.

Early-life: Born Benjamin Geza Affleck-Boldt on August 15, 1972, in Berkeley, California, but was raised in Cambridge, Massachusetts. His mother was a teacher, while his father had a number of jobs, including social worker, mechanic and janitor. Ben's younger brother, Casey, is also an actor, and they've worked together several times. Ben met Matt Damon at the age of eight; they attended the same school and lived near each other. On graduating from high school, Ben attended Occidental College in LA and the University of Vermont.

Career: Affleck's acting career began as a child, with appearances in various TV productions. He first worked with Matt on School Ties in 1992. A year later he directed his project - a short film - and began a long association with indie film-maker Kevin Smith by appearing in Mallrats; he's since appeared in most of Smith's movies, in roles both large and small. But it was co-writing and starring alongside Matt in Good Will Hunting that made him famous - the duo also won an Oscar for Best Original Screenplay. Films since include Shakespeare in Love, Pearl Harbor, Daredevil, State of Play and the Oscar-winning Argo, which he also directed.

Quote: "I'm always described as 'cocksure' or 'with a swagger', and that bears no resemblance to who I feel like inside. I feel plagued by insecurity."

Trivia: In 2013, it was announced that Affleck would play Batman in the Man of Steel sequel.

Geoffrey Rush (Actor) .. Philip Henslowe

Born: July 06, 1951 in Toowoomba, Queensland

Best Known For: The Pirates of the Caribbean movies.

Early-life: Geoffrey Roy Rush was born in Toowoomba, Queensland, on July 6, 1951, to Merle and Roy. His mother was of German descent and his father had English, Irish and Scottish ancestry. His parents divorced when he was five and he went to live with his mother and her parents in Brisbane. While at the University of Queensland studying for an arts degree, he was talent-spotted by Queensland Theatre Company (QTC) in Brisbane. He made his stage debut with the QTC in 1971 at the age of 20. In 1975, he went to Paris for two years to study mime, movement and theatre at the L'Ecole Internationale de Theatre Jacques Lecoq before returning to QTC.

Career: Rush's film debut was a bit part in 1981's Hoodwink and he didn't have a major role on the big screen until he played Sir Andrew Aguecheek in Twelfth Night six years later. He had a small role as a dentist in a 1993 episode of Lovejoy, but his big break came in 1996 with Shine, for which he won an Academy Award. He has received further nominations for Shakespeare in Love (1998), Quills (2000) and The King's Speech (2010). His other film credits include Elizabeth (1998), The Life and Death of Peter Sellers (2004), Munich (2004) and the Pirates of the Caribbean movies. Throughout his film career, Rush has continued to work on the stage.

Quote: "I guess I've been fortunate in having an ongoing film career while being based in Melbourne. I'm happy to commute."

Trivia: In 2009, he won a Tony Award for his performance on Broadway in the play Exit the King. He shared a flat for four months in 1979 with Mel Gibson while they were appearing in the same production of Waiting for Godot.

Martin Clunes (Actor) .. Richard Burbage

Born: November 28, 1961 in London

Best Known For: A string of TV hits, including Men Behaving Badly and Doc Martin.

Early-life: Born Alexander Martin Clunes on November 28, 1961, in Wimbledon, south London, into a theatrical family. His father was the acclaimed classical actor Alec Clunes, who died of lung cancer in 1970. His mother used to work as Orson Welles's secretary, and his cousin was Sherlock Holmes star Jeremy Brett. Clunes left school at 16 with one O-level and wanted to be a carpenter before enrolling at the Arts Educational Drama College in London. He started out in theatre and won acclaim for directing The Loneliness of the Long Distance Runner.

Career: Clunes made his TV debut in a 1983 Doctor Who adventure, followed by a regular role in sitcom No Place Like Home. In 1990 he appeared alongside Sean Connery in The Russia House and two years later in the much-maligned comedy Carry On Columbus. He turned to directing again with comedy film Staggered, in which he also starred. Men Behaving Badly made him a household name - but not until original co-star Harry Enfield was replaced by Neil Morrissey and the series moved from ITV to the BBC. He has chalked up a major success for ITV as über-grumpy GP Doc Martin. Clunes has also presented several documentaries, and appeared in such series as William and Mary, A is for Acid, The Town and Reggie Perrin.

Quote: "I get contemptuous of my own acting and wish I had fewer chins."

Trivia: He won a British Comedy Award and BAFTA award for his performance on Men Behaving Badly.

Rupert Everett (Actor) .. Christopher Marlowe

Born: May 29, 1959 in Burnham Deepdale, Norfolk

Best Known For: Being Madonna's pal.

Early-life: Born Rupert James Hector Everett on May 29, 1959, in Burnham Deepdale, Norfolk. He has an older brother called Simon. Rupert grew up in privileged circumstances - his father was a Major in the British Army - but was a rebel. At seven, he began attending Ampleforth College in Yorkshire, where he learned to play the piano. He was expelled from the Central School of Speech and Drama in London for insubordination, but landed himself regular work at Glasgow's Citizens Theatre, performing in such productions as Don Juan and Heartbreak House.

Career: Everett made his TV debut in The Manhood of Edward Robinson; his first film role came a year later in A Shocking Accident. Following the success of Another Country (both on stage and on film) and Dance with a Stranger in the 1980s, Everett took the potentially risky decision to openly declare his homosexuality. He enjoyed a successful stint as a model and published two novels before playing Julia Roberts' gay confidant in 1997's My Best Friend's Wedding, which helped revitalise his career. Since then he's appeared in such movies as Shakespeare in Love, An Ideal Husband, Stardust, St Trinians and Wild Target.

Quote: "I'm a sex machine to both genders. It's all very exhausting. I need a lot of sleep."

Trivia: He also provided the voice of Prince Charming in the Shrek movies, presented documentaries on such subjects as Lord Byron and Sir Richard Burton and appeared in a West End production of Pygmalion.

Tom Wilkinson (Actor) .. Hugh Fennyman

Born: December 12, 1948 in Leeds

Best Known For: A number of scene-stealing roles.

Early-life: Thomas Geoffrey Wilkinson was born on December 12, 1948, in Leeds, West Yorkshire, but moved to Canada with his family when he was just four years old. They returned several years later, and Tom eventually studied at, and graduated from, the University of Kent, before attending Rada.

Career: Wilkinson made his TV debut in the mid-1970s, and went on to appear in programmes including First Among Equals and A Pocket Full of Rye. However, it was his role as Mr Pecksniff in the BBC's 1994 adaptation of Martin Chuzzlewit that really put the actor on the map. Three years later Tom won a Bafta for Best Actor in a Supporting Role in The Full Monty, and the 1990s also saw him appear in such notable films as Shakespeare in Love, In the Name of the Father and Wilde. More recently, he played the gangster Carmine Falcone in Batman Begins, gained great critical acclaim for In the Bedroom, starred alongside George Clooney in Michael Clayton and played German army officer Friedrich Fromm in Valkyrie. He won a Golden Globe for his portrayal of Benjamin Franklin in the miniseries John Adams. His recent work on the big screen includes roles in The Ghost, Burke and Hare, The Green Hornet and The Conspirator.

Quote: "All good actors are easy to work with. It's the ones that aren't very good who tend to be very difficult."

Trivia: He was awarded an OBE in 2005.

Steven O'Donnell (Actor) .. Lambert

Imelda Staunton (Actor) .. Nurse

Born: January 09, 1956 in London

Best Known For: Vera Drake

Early-life: Imelda Mary Philomena Bernadette Staunton was born in January 9, 1956, in London. She's the only child of Irish immigrants who worked as a labourer and a hairdresser. Her mother was a keen amateur musician, and her skills rubbed off on her daughter. She began acting at school, where she was spotted by an elocution teacher, who took her under her wing. Staunton went on to study at Rada.

Career: After graduating, she spent the next six years working in repertory companies across the UK, proving her versatility in a wide variety of parts. Her big break came when she gained a place with the National Theatre company in 1982. Staunton quickly landed increasingly larger roles and won numerous awards in the process. Her TV debut was in 1986's The Singing Detective, while her first film, Comrades, was made a year later. Since then, she's appeared in such acclaimed projects as Much Ado About Nothing, Sense and Sensibility, and Shakespeare in Love. She was Oscar-nominated for Vera Drake, and also appeared in period drama Fingersmith and the movie Nanny McPhee, before earning millions of new fans in the guise of Dolores Umbridge as part of the Harry Potter franchise.

Quote: "I am a character actress. Well, let's say, I am a leading character actress who does interesting, odd parts."

Trivia: Married actor Jim Carter in 1985. They have a daughter, Bessie, who was born in 1993.

Simon Callow (Actor) .. Tilney

Born: June 15, 1949 in London

Best Known For: Four Weddings and a Funeral.

Early-life: Simon Phillip Hugh Callow was born on June 15, 1949, in London. His parents separated when he was two years old and he was raised by his mother and grandmother. He spent time at the London Oratory Grammar School, and also had a stint on the African continent, between the ages of nine and 12. His mother, who had once enjoyed an affluent lifestyle, attempted to cover up the family's poor economic status by making sure her son's diction was perfect.

Career: Following spells at Belfast's Queen's University and London's Drama Centre, Callow worked in the Old Vic's box office after being recommended for the post by Laurence Olivier. Acclaimed stage roles followed, as did several small parts in such TV shows as The Sweeney and Carry On Laughing! He had the lead in 1984 sitcom Chance in a Million, and made his film debut the same year in Amadeus. Since then he's continued to appear regularly on stage and TV. His most notable movies include A Room with a View, Postcards from the Edge, Shakespeare in Love, Four Weddings and a Funeral, and The Phantom of the Opera. He was also a judge on the show Popstar to Operastar in 2011.

Quote: "People expect me to be constantly merry, and I'm not. Sometimes I'm quite melancholy. I have an in-built sense of regret about things."

Trivia: He has written biographies of Oscar Wilde, Charles Laughton and Orson Welles.

Antony Sher (Actor) .. Dr Moth

Born: June 14, 1949 in Cape Town, South Africa

Best Known For: His award-winning stage work.

Early-life: Born in Cape Town in 1949. He has said he felt like an outsider growing up in South Africa, due to his sexuality. At school, he showed a talent for art, but gravitated towards drama after discovering that acting helped him to overcome his shyness. After completing his compulsory national service, Antony moved to London in 1968 to study acting but was rejected by the Central School of Speech and Drama and Rada, where he was advised to try a different career. However, this only made him more determined to succeed.

Career: Antony got his break at the Everyman Theatre in Liverpool in the early 1970s, where his contemporaries included Julie Walters and Jonathan Pryce, and landed the role of Ringo Starr in Willy Russell's John, Paul, George, Ringo and Bert. TV fame came in 1981 when he played the lead in the series The History Man, and he has gone to appear in the likes of The Jury, God on Trial, and The Shadow Line as well as movies such as The Wind in the Willows and Three and Out. However, his best-known work has been on the stage, and he won the prestigious Olivier Award for Richard III in 1985 and then again for Stanley in 1997. He was knighted in 2001, and in recent years has also returned to his first love, painting.

Quote: "I have a Woody Allen Jewish attitude to life: that it's all going to be disastrous. That it hasn't all been that way is simply down to some random quirk of fate."

Trivia: Sher is the author of several books.

Patrick Barlow (Actor) .. Will Kempe

Colin Firth (Actor) .. Lord Wessex

Born: September 10, 1960 in Grayshott, Hampshire

Best Known For: Being Mr Darcy in the 1995 BBC adaptation of Pride and Prejudice

Early-life: Colin Andrew Firth was born on September 10, 1960 in Hampshire. His parents, Shirley and David, were both lecturers. He has a sister, Kate, and younger brother Jonathan, who both followed him into the acting profession. He spent some of his childhood in America and Nigeria, where his father taught, before the family moved back to the UK. He studied acting in London. One of his early successes was in the 1983 stage adaptation of Another Country, and he subsequently made his big-screen debut in the film version a year later.

Career: Firth worked steadily throughout the 1980s in notable projects such as Falklands drama Tumbledown, A Month in the Country (opposite Kenneth Branagh) and the period offering Valmont. But it was the 1995 costume drama Pride and Prejudice that made him a superstar. Since then, he's notched up roles in several successful films, including The English Patient, Fever Pitch, Shakespeare in Love, The Importance of Being Earnest, Girl with a Pearl Earring, Love Actually, both Bridget Jones movies, both St Trinian's films, The Accidental Husband, Mamma Mia! and A Single Man. It was 2010 movie The King's Speech that really consolidated his reputation. It garnered a number of glittering awards and Firth's Bafta Award for Best Actor in a Leading Role was consolidated by an Academy Award for Best Actor. Films since include Tinker, Tailor, Soldier, Spy and Magic in the Moonlight.

Quote: "I like playing strange characters. Some people might say it has something to do with a hidden part of myself, but I think it's a lot simpler than that: normal people are just not very interesting."

Trivia: Firth pulled out of providing the voice of Paddington in the big-screen version of Michael Bond's books. He was replaced by Ben Whishaw.

Jim Carter (Actor) .. Ralph Bashford

Born: August 19, 1948 in Harrogate

Best Known For: Being a popular character actor.

Early-life: Jim was born in Harrogate on August 19, 1948. At the University of Sussex, he studied law and was a member of their drama society. He dropped out of university after two years to join a fringe theatre group, the Brighton Combination.

Career: In 1977, Carter joined the National Theatre Company and a year later became a member of the Young Vic Company. In the same year, he went to America to learn juggling, unicycling and tightrope walking. Over the years, Carter has starred in a number of National Theatre productions, including The Mayor of Zalamea, Guys and Dolls and The President of an Empty Room. One of the busiest character actors around, his TV credits are numerous and include A Monocled Mutineer, The Singing Detective, A Very British Coup, Lipstick on Your Collar, Minder, Cracker, Midsomer Murders and Cranford. Equally prolific on the big screen, he has starred in A Private Function (1984), Brassed Off (1996), Shakespeare in Love (1998), 102 Dalmations (2000), Ella Enchanted (2004), The Golden Compass (2007) and My Week with Marilyn (2011). In 2010, he began playing butler Mr Carson in the hugely popular Downton Abbey, a role that has brought him international recognition.

Quote: "I've been recognised a lot more since playing Carson, although in England people are naturally quite diffident about leaping up to you. In America it's a different story."

Trivia: Carter has been chairman of Hampstead Cricket Club since 2010.

Mark Williams (Actor) .. Wabash

Born: August 22, 1959 in Bromsgrove, Worcestershire

Best Known For: The Fast Show

Early-life: Born in Bromsgrove on August 22, 1959. As a teen he hoped for a career in academia, then read English at Brasenose College, Oxford University where he discovered a love of both acting and writing. He spent three years touring with The Mikron Theatre Company before proving himself a fine comic actor with early roles in Red Dwarf and Alexei Sayle's Stuff.

Career: Other early TV appearances came in Tumbledown, KYTV, Bottom and The Smell of Reeves and Mortimer. Williams became a famous face thanks to his appearances in The Fast Show, where he played a number of memorable characters. The Canterbury Tales, Gormenghast and Shackleton followed, but it was his role as Arthur Weasley in the Harry Potter franchise that made him recognisable worldwide. He has also appeared in successful films like Stardust and Shakespeare in Love and presented several documentary programmes, such as Mark Williams' Big Bangs.

Quote: "I'll get me coat."

Trivia: Away from showbusiness, he is an avid follower of both Aston Villa and Brighton & Hove Albion football clubs.

Simon Day (Actor) .. First boatman

Lucy Speed (Actor) .. Prostitute

Born: August 31, 1976 in Croydon

Best Known For: Playing Natalie in EastEnders.

Early-life: Lucy Speed was born in Croydon in 1976. She has an older brother, Dan. As a child, she loved ballet and when a teacher recognised her potential, Lucy's parents acquired an agent. She attended a theatre group school alongside future co-star Nigel Harman, and enjoyed two terms at the Italia Conti Academy. During the next few years, Lucy appeared in an array of commercials, TV series and theatre roles.

Career: Lucy landed her big break aged 17 with the role of Natalie Price in EastEnders. She remained with the soap for just over a year, before making appearances in the films England, My England, Keep the Aspidistra Flying and Shakespeare in Love. She continued to work on TV too, appearing in Dangerfield, Holby City, Love Soup and the US series Unsolved Mysteries. In 1999, Lucy rejoined the cast of EastEnders to reprise her role as Natalie, eventually bowing out in 2004. In 2007, she joined the cast of The Bill.

Quote: "I've been acting for 25 years, so you just take the jobs as they come along. It just so happens that you're once in EastEnders."

Trivia: Away from acting, Lucy loves horse riding, skiing and continues to dance.

John Madden (Director)

11:30 pm - 01:25 am, Monday, December 29 on BBC Four HD (106)

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