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James Nesbitt

James Nesbitt

Actor · Born January 15, 1965 (61) · Ballymena, County Antrim, Northern Ireland

Golden Globe nominee · BAFTA Award nominee · Screen Actors Guild Award nominee

James Nesbitt (born 15 January 1965) is a Northern Irish actor. Born in Ballymena, County Antrim, Northern Ireland, Nesbitt grew up in the nearby village of Broughshane, before moving to Coleraine, County Londonderry. He wanted to become a teacher, like his father, so began a degree in French at the University of Ulster. He dropped out after a year when he decided to become an actor, and transferred to the Central School of Speech and Drama in London. After graduating in 1987, he spent seven years performing in plays that varied from the musical Up on the Roof (1987, 1989) to the political drama Paddywack (1994). He made his feature film debut playing talent agent Fintan O'Donnell in Hear My Song (1991). Nesbitt got his breakthrough television role playing Adam Williams in the romantic comedy-drama Cold Feet (1998–2003), which won him a British Comedy Award, a Television and Radio Industries Club Award, and a National Television Award. His first significant film role came when he appeared as pig farmer "Pig" Finn in Waking Ned (1998). With the rest of the starring cast, Nesbitt was nominated for a Screen Actors Guild Award. In Lucky Break (2001), he made his debut as a film lead playing prisoner Jimmy Hands. The next year, he played Ivan Cooper in the television film Bloody Sunday, about the 1972 shootings in Derry. A departure from his previous "cheeky chappie" roles, the film was a turning point in his career. He won a British Independent Film Award and was nominated for the British Academy Television Award for Best Actor. Nesbitt has also starred in Murphy's Law (2001–2007) as undercover detective Tommy Murphy—a role that was created for him by writer Colin Bateman. The role twice gained Nesbitt Best Actor nominations at the Irish Film & Television Awards (IFTA). In 2007, he starred in the dual role of Tom Jackman and Mr Hyde in Steven Moffat's Jekyll, which earned him a Golden Globe Award nomination in 2008. Nesbitt has since appeared in several more dramatic roles; he starred alongside Liam Neeson in Five Minutes of Heaven (2009), and was one of three lead actors in the television miniseries Occupation (2009) and The Deep (2010). He also starred in the movies Outcast (2010) and Emilio Estevez's The Way (2011), and has been cast in Peter Jackson's The Hobbit (2012/13). Nesbitt is married to former actress Sonia Forbes-Adam, with whom he has two daughters. He is a patron of numerous charities and in 2010 accepted the ceremonial position of Chancellor of the University of Ulster.

Read more

Biography from TMDB.

Born
January 15, 1965 (61)
From
Ballymena, County Antrim, Northern Ireland
Works as
Actor
Titles
32 on MovieCove · 79 credits in all
Links
IMDb (opens in a new tab)TMDB (opens in a new tab)Wikidata (opens in a new tab)

Known for

TMDB popularity, last 156 days to Oct 27

What are James Nesbitt's films like?

Across their 26 MovieCove titles with a thematic analysis, their films lean Bonds and Self.

Genres

Comedy7 titlesTypical Midcredits score: 72nd percentile
: browse their Comedy movies
Drama7 titlesTypical Midcredits score: 76th percentile, at or above their average across these genres
: browse their Drama movies

Their MovieCove films by primary genre. The badge is the typical Midcredits score of the genre's films, the median percentile; an up arrow marks a genre at or above their average across these genres.

Themes

share of theme weight
Bonds
37%
Self
19%
Survival
17%
Morality
14%
Power
7%
Society
3%
Ideas
3%
Family bonds11 titles, browse their movies with this themeGrief7 titles, browse their movies with this themeRomantic love4 titles, browse their movies with this themeRedemption4 titles, browse their movies with this themeAmbition3 titles, browse their movies with this themeFriendship3 titles, browse their movies with this themeComing of age3 titles, browse their movies with this themeLoyalty2 titles, browse their movies with this theme

What they feel like to watch

their average across 17 films
ToneFeelDemandtheir average · filled zone: the category
Serious: How heavy the subject matter and outlook get. Browse their serious movies.
Tone · Weight
lightdark

A split, not a type: Light 8 · Serious 1 · Dark 8

Grounded: How far its world departs from everyday reality. Browse their grounded movies.
Tone · Style
naturalisticheightened

Grounded 11 · Stylized 5 · Heightened 1

Charged: How hard the emotional peaks hit while you watch. Browse their charged movies.
Feel · Intensity
gentleintense

A split, not a type: Gentle 5 · Charged 4 · Intense 8

Shifting: How much it swings between very different feelings. Browse their shifting movies.
Feel · Swings
steadyswings

Steady 5 · Shifting 10 · Whiplash 2

Some laughs: How much of the runtime is played for laughs. Browse their some laughs movies.
Feel · Humor
noneconstant

A split, not a type: Straight-faced 9 · Some laughs 6 · Funny 2

Even-paced: How fast it moves from scene to scene. Browse their even-paced movies.
Demand · Pace
slowrelentless

A split, not a type: Slow burn 9 · Even-paced 6 · Relentless 2

Engaged: How much focus it asks of you — look away and lose the thread? Browse their engaged movies.
Demand · Attention
casualfull focus

Casual 6 · Engaged 9 · Full focus 2

Affecting: How much it costs you emotionally; whether you need recovery time. Browse their affecting movies.
Demand · Emotional cost
easyheavy

A split, not a type: Easy watch 4 · Affecting 5 · Heavy 8

Resolved: How much is left for you to interpret. Browse their resolved movies.
Demand · Resolution
resolvedambiguous

Resolved 14 · Open-ended 2 · Ambiguous 1

Roles they play

18 analyzed roles

Usually the Hero: 9 of 18 analyzed roles.

Hero
9 of 18
Ally
5 of 18
Shadow
2 of 18
Threshold guardian
1 of 18
Mentor
1 of 18
Show the 18 roles

Moods and endings

endings are an aggregate; no title is named

Dominant moods · mentions across their titles

Tense
16
Melancholic
13
Dread
9
Contemplative
7
Warm
6
Other
22

How their films linger

Hopeful9 titles, browse their movies with this aftertasteThought-provoking8 titles, browse their movies with this aftertasteHaunting7 titles, browse their movies with this aftertasteBittersweet9 titles, browse their movies with this aftertasteUnsettling6 titles, browse their movies with this aftertasteFeel-good5 titles, browse their movies with this aftertaste

How their films end · 7 with a twist

  • Happy3
  • Bittersweet14
  • Tragic4
  • Ambiguous5

AI-generated from each title's plot synopsis and cast list, with extra plot summaries, reviews and Parents Guide notes for titles the model may not know, and the model's own knowledge of the ones it recognizes. Only analyzed titles count, so this covers part of the filmography; the feel axes count films only for now.

Where can I watch James Nesbitt's films?

As of October 24, 2026, 26 of their 32 MovieCove titles stream on a subscription or free service, most on Tubi (7).

Also on these channels

Subscription and free streaming for James Nesbitt's titles on MovieCove; rent and buy are not counted. Titles are listed by Midcredits score, highest first, at most 12 per service; a dashed chip is a producer credit or a minor one, such as a thanks. A service opens the browse page, which counts movies only, so its number can differ.

Filmography

79 credits, 32 with a MovieCove page; 22 appearances as themselves are hidden until asked for.

  • Run Away(2026)

    Show 8 episodes · as Simon Greene

    Midcredits score: 37th percentile of all shows

  • Missing You(2025)

    Show 3 episodes · as Dominic Calligan

    Midcredits score: 10th percentile of all shows

  • The Heist Before Christmas (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(2023)

    as Bank Robber

  • Suspect(2022)

    Show 8 episodes · as Danny Frater

    Midcredits score: 7th percentile of all shows

  • Stay Close(2021)

    Show 8 episodes · as DS Michael Broome

    Midcredits score: 47th percentile of all shows

  • Bloodlands(2021)

    Show 10 episodes · as DCI Tom Brannick

    Midcredits score: 36th percentile of all shows

  • James Nesbitt: Disasters That Changed Britain (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(2018)

    Show 6 episodes · Actor

  • Stan Lee's Lucky Man: The Bracelet Chronicles (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(2017)

    Show 1 episode · as Harry Clayton

  • The Secret (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(2016)

    Show 4 episodes · as Colin Howell

  • Lucky Man(2016)

    Show 28 episodes · as Harry Clayton

    Midcredits score: 55th percentile of all shows

  • The Hobbit: The Battle of the Five Armies(2014)

    as Bofur

    Midcredits score: 87th percentile of all films

  • Babylon(2014)

    Show 5 episodes · as Commissioner Richard Miller

    Midcredits score: 51st percentile of all shows

  • The Missing(2014)

    Show 8 episodes · as Tony Hughes

    Midcredits score: 91st percentile of all shows

  • Gold(2014)

    as Frank McGunn

    Midcredits score: 59th percentile of all films

  • The Hobbit: The Desolation of Smaug(2013)

    as Bofur

    Midcredits score: 95th percentile of all films

  • The Hobbit: An Unexpected Journey(2012)

    as Bofur

    Midcredits score: 95th percentile of all films

  • Here Comes the Summer: The Undertones Story (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(2012)

    as Narrator

  • Monroe(2011)

    Show 12 episodes · as Gabriel Monroe

    Midcredits score: 76th percentile of all shows

  • Coriolanus(2011)

    as Tribune Sicinius

    Midcredits score: 54th percentile of all films

  • Outcast(2010)

    as Cathal

    Midcredits score: 24th percentile of all films

  • The Way(2010)

    as Jack

    Midcredits score: 89th percentile of all films

  • Alex Higgins: The People's Champion (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(2010)

    as Narrator

  • Matching Jack (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(2010)

    as Connor

  • The Deep (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(2010)

    Show 5 episodes · as Clem Donnelly

  • Occupation (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(2009)

    Show 3 episodes · as Mike Swift

  • Occupation (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(2009)

    as Mike Swift

  • Cherrybomb(2009)

    as Crilly

    Midcredits score: 36th percentile of all films

  • Five Minutes of Heaven(2009)

    as Joe Griffin

    Midcredits score: 64th percentile of all films

  • Blessed (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(2008)

    as Peter

  • Midnight Man (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(2008)

    Show 3 episodes · as Max Raban

  • The Passion (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(2008)

    Show 6 episodes · as Pilate

  • Fairy Tales (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(2008)

    Show 1 episode · as Hans M. Prince

  • Jekyll (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(2007)

    Show 6 episodes · as Dr. Tom Jackman

  • Soccer Aid (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(2006)

    Show 1 episode · Actor

  • OFI Sunday (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(2005)

    Show 1 episode · Actor

  • Match Point(2005)

    as Detective Banner

    Midcredits score: 93rd percentile of all films

  • Millions(2004)

    as Ronnie

    Midcredits score: 72nd percentile of all films

  • Big Dippers (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(2005)

    as Ray

  • James Nesbitt Presents Eat My Goal (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(2004)

    as Presenter

  • Quite Ugly One Morning (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(2004)

    as Jack Parlabane

  • Passer By (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(2004)

    Show 2 episodes · as Joe Keyes

  • Wall of Silence (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(2004)

    as Stuart Robe

  • Canterbury Tales (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(2003)

    Show 1 episode · as Nick Zakian

  • The Terry and Gaby Show (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(2003)

    Show 1 episode · Actor

  • Tractor Tom (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(2002)

    Show 52 episodes · as Matt (voice)

  • Bloody Sunday(2002)

    as Ivan Cooper

    Midcredits score: 96th percentile of all films

  • Women Talking Dirty(1999)

    as Stanley

    Midcredits score: 48th percentile of all films

  • Murphy's Law(2003)

    Show 23 episodes · as DS Tommy Murphy

    Midcredits score: 78th percentile of all shows

  • Lucky Break(2001)

    as James 'Jimmy' Hands

    Midcredits score: 47th percentile of all films

  • Wild About Harry (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(2000)

    as Walter Adair

  • The Most Fertile Man in Ireland (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(2000)

    as 'Mad Dog' Billy Wilson

  • The Adventures of Young Indiana Jones: Trenches of Hell (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1999)

    as Yuri

  • Waking Ned Devine(1998)

    as Pig Finn

    Midcredits score: 91st percentile of all films

  • Cold Feet(1997)

    Show 61 episodes · as Adam Williams

    Midcredits score: 93rd percentile of all shows

  • Playing the Field (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1998)

    Show 32 episodes · Actor

  • Resurrection Man (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1998)

    as Ryan

  • The James Gang (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1997)

    as Graham Armstrong

  • This Is the Sea(1997)

    as Constable Hubert Porter

    Midcredits score: 46th percentile of all films

  • Welcome to Sarajevo(1997)

    as Gregg

    Midcredits score: 74th percentile of all films

  • Ballykissangel(1996)

    Show 11 episodes · as Leo McGarvey

    Midcredits score: 73rd percentile of all shows

  • TFI Friday (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1996)

    Show 2 episodes · Actor

  • Jude(1996)

    as Uncle Joe

    Midcredits score: 76th percentile of all films

  • Go Now(1995)

    as Tony

    Midcredits score: 78th percentile of all films

  • Common As Muck (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1994)

    Show 1 episode · Actor

  • Love Lies Bleeding (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1993)

    as Niall

  • Between the Lines (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1992)

    Show 1 episode · Actor

  • The Young Indiana Jones Chronicles (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1992)

    Show 1 episode · as Yuri

  • Hear My Song(1991)

    as Fintan O'Donnell

    Midcredits score: 78th percentile of all films

  • Soldier Soldier (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1991)

    Show 1 episode · as Corporal Bryan Casey

  • Virtuoso (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1989)

    as Young Man

  • The End of the World Man (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1986)

    as Policeman

  • ScreenPlay (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1986)

    Show 1 episode · as Niall

  • Lovejoy (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1986)

    Show 1 episode · as Jerry Boyle

  • Screen Two (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1985)

    Show 1 episode · as Young man

  • The Cry (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1984)

    as B Special (uncredited)

  • The Hollywood Greats (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1977)

    Show 1 episode · Actor

  • Hercule (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)

    Show 6 episodes · Actor

  • Ireland's Rugby Number 10 (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)

    as Narrator

  • So You're Going to Die (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)

    as Liam Gallagher

Career shape

Star power in the 99th percentile of 239,109 people with a billed film role, over a full career of 79 titles, 76 of them dated from 1977 to 2026; peak year 2010.

Biggest box office

The Hobbit: An Unexpected Journey (2012)

$1B worldwide

Highest rated

Bloody Sunday (2002)

Midcredits 96th

Most popular right now

The Hobbit: An Unexpected Journey (2012)

Film career

MilestoneBreakoutNomination
19772026

Peak 2010 · at the high point of their film career. Top draw in 12 MovieCove titles. Film roles by billing, audience size and rating; 25+ votes. A show carries a single first-air date, so shows are not on the curve.

  • 1991Screen debut· Hear My Song
  • 1998Screen Actors Guild Award nomination· Waking Ned
  • 2001First top-billed film· Lucky Break
  • 2002Breakout· Bloody Sunday
  • 2002Career best· Bloody Sunday
  • 2014BAFTA Award nomination· The Missing
Show 1 more milestone

By role

only this rolewith another role
Acting79 of 79: 79 only acting, 0 with another role · typical Midcredits score73rd

By decade

1970s1 · acting1980s6 · acting1990s18 · acting2000s27 · acting2010s18 · acting2020s6 · acting

Billing

usually 5th · top billed in 21% of 19 roles
910611

Counts from TMDB across their full career, self appearances out; a title counts in every role they held on it. The ring is the typical Midcredits score (the median percentile) of the role's titles that are on MovieCove, shown from 5 scored. Billing is TMDB cast order for roles with 25+ votes, billed in the top 30; the columns are the share of top-billed roles in each era, 5-year spans from the year on the label, merged until each holds at least 5 roles.

Awards

4 major nominations and no wins, 1999–2015.

  1. 2015
    • BAFTA Award, nominated · Best Leading Actor
  2. 2008
    • Golden Globe, nominated · Best Performance by an Actor in a Miniseries or a Motion Picture Made for Television
  3. 2003
    • BAFTA Award, nominated · Best Actor
  4. 1999
    • Screen Actors Guild Award, nominated · Outstanding Performance by a Cast

Major bodies only: the Oscars, Primetime Emmys, Golden Globes, BAFTAs and Screen Actors Guild Awards are named; Cannes, Venice, the Berlinale, Sundance, the directors', writers' and producers' guilds, the Grammys, Critics Choice and the Independent Spirit Awards count as other major bodies. Festival and regional prizes are not counted. Source: IMDb.

How do James Nesbitt's films land?

Their typical MovieCove film has a Midcredits score in the 75th percentile, the median of all 20; across their 17 films with reception data, the typical film sits in the 69th percentile for acclaim.

Acclaim · how much people like their films

69thpercentile
Typical film, the median of 17

Approval · how many liked their films

75thpercentile
Typical film, the median of 17

Reach · how many have seen their films

85thpercentile
Typical film, the median of 17

Midcredits score across 32 titles, by percentile

  • 75th and up14
  • 50th to 74th8
  • 25th to 49th7
  • Below 25th3

Shape of the crowd

11 of their 32 titles are Crowd Pleasers.

  • Universally Loved9
  • Crowd Pleaser11
  • Broadly Agreed5
  • Mixed7

Most divisive · actor

Women Talking Dirty (1999)

61st percentile spread · 21% rated it 4 or lower

Most loved · actor

Bloody Sunday (2002)

Midcredits 96th · 85% liked

Reviewers score the acting 79/100 in their films, across 17 reviewed titles; fans 84, detractors 48. The element that speaks to their work as an actor.

Percentiles are each film's standing among all films on MovieCove; the typical film is the median, so one outlier cannot drag it. Percentiles and reviewer scores count the films IMDb credits them on, for now; the Midcredits score bands, the shape of the crowd and the two cards count their MovieCove titles, shows included (a show ranked among shows), appearances as themselves left out. A descriptor is the shape of a title's IMDb rating distribution against the catalog; "most divisive" needs a spread wider than half of all titles, and a card names only a principal credit: a craft role, and on a show a crew role or a run of episodes, never a courtesy credit or a one-off guest spot.

Is James Nesbitt's work okay for kids?

Across up to 14 MovieCove titles with content scores, violence & gore and frightening / intense run heavier than most films.

Their medianMedian of all filmsMiddle 80% of their titles
Violence & Gore9 titles14–85 · median 72 · intenseheavier than most filmsMedian of all films: 44
Sex & Nudity14 titles9–51 · median 39 · moderatenear the median of all filmsMedian of all films: 32
Profanity8 titles10–60 · median 34 · mildnear the median of all filmsMedian of all films: 36
Alcohol & Drugs10 titles26–57 · median 40 · moderatenear the median of all filmsMedian of all films: 33
Frightening / Intense9 titles28–72 · median 60 · intenseheavier than most filmsMedian of all films: 39

Severity 0–100 from the Content Guide. Categories with under 10 votes on a title are not counted. The band's colour is the severity of their median, named beside it.

Who does James Nesbitt work with?

People who share at least 2 of James Nesbitt's MovieCove titles, grouped by what they did on them; Michael Winterbottom shares the most, 3.

Directors

Writers

Actors

Composers and editors

Producers