Nigel Hawthorne (Arthur Winslow) is best known to filmgoers for his Academy Award-nominated performance in the title role of "The Madness of King George." His acclaimed performance in the film at the age of 65 earned Hawthorne a reputation as a "late bloomer." However, prior to that film, Hawthorne earned numerous awards, including an Olivier award for playing the same role in the British production of "The Madness of George III." Though his fame came as Hawthorne hit middle age, he has been a household name in Britain for over a decade due to his role on the BBC series "Yes, Minister," also aired in the United States, which he started working on when he was 50. Before that he had many roles in British theater. Born in England, Hawthorne grew up in South Africa, where his family moved when he was a young child. He knew he wanted to be an actor from an early age, though his father had other plans for him. He braved his father's disapproval and withdrew from the University of Capetown in order to pursue a career as an actor. Hawthorne came to film with a varied and rich career in the British theater under his belt. His theater credits include "Oh, What a Lovely War," "The Marie Lloyd Story," with Joan Littlewood, "Mrs. Wilson's Diary," and "Early Morning." He graced American audiences with his performance as C.S. Lewis in the production of "Shadowlands," for which he won a Tony Award. Though George III is his best known role, Hawthorne has also appeared in other major films, such as Richard Attenborough's "Young Winston," Clint Eastwood's "Firefox," Richard Attenborough's "Gandhi," Marco Brambilla's "Demolition Man," Richard Loncraine's "Richard III," Trevor Nunn's "Twelfth Night" and Andrew Morahan's "Murder in Mind," which he associate produced. His recent films include Steven Spielberg's "Amistad," Nicholas Hytner's "The Object of My Affection," Daisy Meyer's "Madeline," and John Huddle's "At Sachem Farm" with Minnie Driver. Hawthorne is set to appear in George Hickenlooper's "The Big Brass Ring" with William Hurt and Miranda Richardson, Christopher Miles' "The Clandestine Marriage" with Joan Collins, and he will lend his voice to Chris Buck and Kevin Lima's upcoming "Tarzan" with Minnie Driver, Harrison Ford and Glenn Close. Return to the index of The Players