Famous British Actors
Part 1
Anthony Hopkins (1937-)
• Years active: 1960s to now
• a Welsh actor
• played in the National Theatre under the
direction (под руководством) of Laurence
Olivier
• has moved from the Shakespearean stage to
serious cinematic drama and Hollywood
blockbusters
• best known for his role of a serial killer in the
movie The Silence of the Lambs (Молчание
ягнят), won the Oscar for Best Actor and got a
B.A.F.T.A. for this role
• was awarded with the Commander of the
Order of the British Empire (кавалер ордена
Британской империи) in 1987
• Key films: The Silence of the Lambs, Legends of
the Fall (Легенды осени), The Elephant Man
(Человек-слон), Chaplin
Sir Ian McKellan (1939-)
• Years active: 1960s to now
• a breathtaking (потрясающий)
Shakespearean actor
• best known for the role of
wizard Gandalf in the movies
Lord of the Rings (Властелин
колец)
• was knighted for services to
performing arts in 1991
• Key films: The Lord of the Rings,
Hobbit, X-Men, Doctor Who
Patrick Stewart (1940-)
• Years active: 1960s to now
• devoted much time to stage and
delivered strong performances
in Anthony and Cleopatra and A
Christmas Carol
• best known for his work in television
series, Star Trek, and four films
associated with it
• another project that brought him fame
was the X-Men film series
• was knighted in 2010
• Key films: X-Men, Dune, Star Trek
(Звездный путь)
Rowan Atkinson (1955-)
• Years active: 1960s-now
• a British comedian and actor
• known for his character of Mr.
Bean
• has a master’s degree
(магистерская степень) in
Electrical Engineering
• Key films: Mr. Bean, Love
Actually (Реальная любовь), Rat
Race (Крысиные бега), Johnny
English (Агент Джонни
Инглиш)
Emma Thompson( 1959-)
• Years active: 1970s to now
• her parents were both actors
• studied English Literature at Cambridge
University
• starting out as a Cambridge comic
• starred in over 40 films and 20
television series
• has won two Oscars, three BAFTAs, and
one Emmy
• Key films: Love Actually (Реальная
любовь), Sense and Sensibility (Разум и
чувства), Nanny McPhee (Моя
ужасная няня)
Colin Firth (1960-)
• Years active: 1970s to now
• won the Oscar for Best Actor for the role
of the British King George VI in The King’s
Speech in 2011
• is one of 14 actors to win the Academy
Award, BAFTA Award, Critics' Choice
Award, Golden Globe Award and SAG
Award for the same performance
• he also writes stories
• Key films: Bridget Jones’s Diary (Дневник
Бриджет Джонс), A Single Man
(одинокий мужчина), The King’s Speech
(Король говорит), Sense and sensibility,
Love Actually, Kingsman
Sean Bean (1959-)
• Years active: 1980s to now
• an English actor known for his Yorkshire
accent (акцент)
• worked for his father's welding (сварка)
firm before he decided to become an
actor
• described as surprisingly shy and a man
of few words
• often portrays villainous (злодейский)
character
• Key films: The Lord of the Rings,
Caravaggio, Troy, Black Beauty
Tilda Swinton( 1960-)
• Years active: 1980s to now
• got a degree (ученая степень) in English
Literature
• sense of experimentation can be felt in every
film she makes
• open to experimental projects with new and
untried directors and mediums
• does not always play women; she has played
Mozart on stage, an Elizabethan nobleman
in Orlando (1992) and an angel, Gabriel,
in Constantine(2005)
• Key films: Orlando, The Chronicles of Narnia:
The Lion, the Witch and the Wardrobe (Хроники
Нарнии) , I Am Love (Я- любовь), The Curious
Case of Benjamin Button (Необыкновенная
история Бенджамина Баттона), Constantine
Hugh Grant (1960-)
• Years active: 1980s to now
• studied at Oxford and got a degree
in English Literature
• also known for his charity
(благотворительность) work
• a patron of Pancreatic Cancer
Action (движение против рака
поджелудочной железы)
• Key films: Four Weddings and a
Funeral (Четыре свадьбы и одни
похороны), Notting Hill, Cloud
Atlas (Облачный атлас), The
Gentlemen, Love Actually, Sense
and sensibility, Paddington 2,
Bridget Jones’s Diary
Jude Law (1972-)
• Years active: 1980s to now
• began acting at the age of 6
• one of the most respected and
talented artists of his generation
• often plays a representative
(представитель) of the ideal
man
• Key films: Sherlock Holmes, The
Talented Mr Ripley
(Талантливый мистер Рипли),
Alfie, Cold Mountain, The Young
Pope (Молодой папа), Gattaca
Ewan McGregor (1971-)
• Years active: 1980s- now
• a Scottish actor
• portrays Obi-Wan Kenobi in the first three
Star Wars episodes
• tried himself as a director (режиссер)
• won an Golden Globe for his work in the
TV Series Fargo in 2018
• went on a motorcycle trip around the
world along with his friend and fellow
actor Charley Boorman (2004)
• became a goodwill ambassador (посол
доброй воли) for UNICEF (United
Nations International Children’s
Emergency Fund) in 2004
• Key films: Star Wars (Звездные войны),
Big Fish (Большая рыба), Moulin Rouge,
Christopher Robin
Christian Bale (1974-)
• Years active: 1980s-now
• was born in Wales
• started acting at the age of 13
• his family lived in different countries
throughout his childhood, including England,
Portugal, and the United States
• the main role in Christopher Nolan’s Dark
Knight (Темный рыцарь) trilogy has made him
a huge international star
• chameleon-like changes of appearance for
different roles
• Key films: Empire of the Sun (Империя солнца),
American Psycho (Амнриканский психопат),
Batman Begins (Бэтмен: Начало) , The
Prestige, The Dark Knight, Ford versus Ferrari,
Equilibrium, The Fighter (Боец)

Famous British actors. Part 1

  • 1.
  • 2.
    Anthony Hopkins (1937-) •Years active: 1960s to now • a Welsh actor • played in the National Theatre under the direction (под руководством) of Laurence Olivier • has moved from the Shakespearean stage to serious cinematic drama and Hollywood blockbusters • best known for his role of a serial killer in the movie The Silence of the Lambs (Молчание ягнят), won the Oscar for Best Actor and got a B.A.F.T.A. for this role • was awarded with the Commander of the Order of the British Empire (кавалер ордена Британской империи) in 1987 • Key films: The Silence of the Lambs, Legends of the Fall (Легенды осени), The Elephant Man (Человек-слон), Chaplin
  • 3.
    Sir Ian McKellan(1939-) • Years active: 1960s to now • a breathtaking (потрясающий) Shakespearean actor • best known for the role of wizard Gandalf in the movies Lord of the Rings (Властелин колец) • was knighted for services to performing arts in 1991 • Key films: The Lord of the Rings, Hobbit, X-Men, Doctor Who
  • 4.
    Patrick Stewart (1940-) •Years active: 1960s to now • devoted much time to stage and delivered strong performances in Anthony and Cleopatra and A Christmas Carol • best known for his work in television series, Star Trek, and four films associated with it • another project that brought him fame was the X-Men film series • was knighted in 2010 • Key films: X-Men, Dune, Star Trek (Звездный путь)
  • 5.
    Rowan Atkinson (1955-) •Years active: 1960s-now • a British comedian and actor • known for his character of Mr. Bean • has a master’s degree (магистерская степень) in Electrical Engineering • Key films: Mr. Bean, Love Actually (Реальная любовь), Rat Race (Крысиные бега), Johnny English (Агент Джонни Инглиш)
  • 6.
    Emma Thompson( 1959-) •Years active: 1970s to now • her parents were both actors • studied English Literature at Cambridge University • starting out as a Cambridge comic • starred in over 40 films and 20 television series • has won two Oscars, three BAFTAs, and one Emmy • Key films: Love Actually (Реальная любовь), Sense and Sensibility (Разум и чувства), Nanny McPhee (Моя ужасная няня)
  • 7.
    Colin Firth (1960-) •Years active: 1970s to now • won the Oscar for Best Actor for the role of the British King George VI in The King’s Speech in 2011 • is one of 14 actors to win the Academy Award, BAFTA Award, Critics' Choice Award, Golden Globe Award and SAG Award for the same performance • he also writes stories • Key films: Bridget Jones’s Diary (Дневник Бриджет Джонс), A Single Man (одинокий мужчина), The King’s Speech (Король говорит), Sense and sensibility, Love Actually, Kingsman
  • 8.
    Sean Bean (1959-) •Years active: 1980s to now • an English actor known for his Yorkshire accent (акцент) • worked for his father's welding (сварка) firm before he decided to become an actor • described as surprisingly shy and a man of few words • often portrays villainous (злодейский) character • Key films: The Lord of the Rings, Caravaggio, Troy, Black Beauty
  • 9.
    Tilda Swinton( 1960-) •Years active: 1980s to now • got a degree (ученая степень) in English Literature • sense of experimentation can be felt in every film she makes • open to experimental projects with new and untried directors and mediums • does not always play women; she has played Mozart on stage, an Elizabethan nobleman in Orlando (1992) and an angel, Gabriel, in Constantine(2005) • Key films: Orlando, The Chronicles of Narnia: The Lion, the Witch and the Wardrobe (Хроники Нарнии) , I Am Love (Я- любовь), The Curious Case of Benjamin Button (Необыкновенная история Бенджамина Баттона), Constantine
  • 10.
    Hugh Grant (1960-) •Years active: 1980s to now • studied at Oxford and got a degree in English Literature • also known for his charity (благотворительность) work • a patron of Pancreatic Cancer Action (движение против рака поджелудочной железы) • Key films: Four Weddings and a Funeral (Четыре свадьбы и одни похороны), Notting Hill, Cloud Atlas (Облачный атлас), The Gentlemen, Love Actually, Sense and sensibility, Paddington 2, Bridget Jones’s Diary
  • 11.
    Jude Law (1972-) •Years active: 1980s to now • began acting at the age of 6 • one of the most respected and talented artists of his generation • often plays a representative (представитель) of the ideal man • Key films: Sherlock Holmes, The Talented Mr Ripley (Талантливый мистер Рипли), Alfie, Cold Mountain, The Young Pope (Молодой папа), Gattaca
  • 12.
    Ewan McGregor (1971-) •Years active: 1980s- now • a Scottish actor • portrays Obi-Wan Kenobi in the first three Star Wars episodes • tried himself as a director (режиссер) • won an Golden Globe for his work in the TV Series Fargo in 2018 • went on a motorcycle trip around the world along with his friend and fellow actor Charley Boorman (2004) • became a goodwill ambassador (посол доброй воли) for UNICEF (United Nations International Children’s Emergency Fund) in 2004 • Key films: Star Wars (Звездные войны), Big Fish (Большая рыба), Moulin Rouge, Christopher Robin
  • 13.
    Christian Bale (1974-) •Years active: 1980s-now • was born in Wales • started acting at the age of 13 • his family lived in different countries throughout his childhood, including England, Portugal, and the United States • the main role in Christopher Nolan’s Dark Knight (Темный рыцарь) trilogy has made him a huge international star • chameleon-like changes of appearance for different roles • Key films: Empire of the Sun (Империя солнца), American Psycho (Амнриканский психопат), Batman Begins (Бэтмен: Начало) , The Prestige, The Dark Knight, Ford versus Ferrari, Equilibrium, The Fighter (Боец)