Colin Firth: The Biography

by Alison Maloney

From his early life in Nigeria to dashing Mr. Darcy to a mantelpiece groaning with awards from  The King's Speech —the first biography of one of our greatest actors  From the moment Colin Firth took on the role of Mr. Darcy in the 1995 BBC adaptation of Pride and Prejudice , emerging from the lake in "that scene," he was set on a path from sex symbol to Hollywood star. This first-ever biography discusses each role in that trajectory, ranging from Hugh Grant's love rival in Bridget Jones , to an Oscar-nominated turn in A Single Man , to a portrayal of George VI in The King's Speech that has elevated him to Hollywood royalty. It also traces the inside story of his rift with Rupert Everett, his playful rivalry with Hugh Grant, his escape to Canada with Meg Tilly, the birth of their first son and his heartbreak as the relationship floundered, the passionate affair with Pride and Prejudice costar Jennifer Ehle, and his whirlwind romance with his Italian wife, Livia. Fascinating, revelatory, and suffused with Firth's own dry wit, this is a must-read book on a fascinating artist.

Genres: Biography, Nonfiction

256 pages, Hardcover

First published May 1, 2011

Reviews

[Wendy · Rating 3 out of 5]

Interesting. I found out a lot that I didn’t already know. That said, it's a bit like reading a very long magazine article, with much summarizing and quoting. I actually kind of appreciated that, in a way, though, because while I wanted to know more about Mr. Firth, I don't want or need to know every little detail about him and his personal life, so it was nice to find out just enough to satisfy my curiosity without feeling like I'd been prying where I had no business. That's a difficult balance to achieve, and I think this book mostly hits it.

I enjoyed it. Recommended.

[Barb Shannon]

I haven't finished reading this book yet but for the most part, am enjoying it. I'm a little skeptical about everything I am reading though..........because of some geography facts.........I don't know the exact location of the five acres where Meg Tilly's Canadian log cabin was.........you know the one in the cold remote BC wilderness........but I do know that it was somewhere around the city of Maple Ridge, which is less than an hour from the city of Vancouver, BC. And while five acres of treed property in this area could be rustic.......it would not be as dire as written about in the book. Maple Ridge is a city with subdivisions and malls.......yes even electricity & television sets! Colin Firth, in fact, tried to get involved with the Vancouver theater system during his time in Canada - something that would have been a bit difficult if he lived in such a remote area as indicated in the book. In addition, I would like to report that the climate is not frigid.......it is more rainy than anything - the year round weather is very similar to Seattle, Washington, USA, which is only about 2 1/2 hours due south. Last I checked, Seattle was not a frozen wasteland. Oh, and the next stop due north would most certainly NOT be the Arctic Circle......at least not for another 1200 miles. If the author can't get these straight forward facts straight, how can I be sure what I am being told about Colin Firth's life is true?

[Indah Threez Lestari · Rating 5 out of 5]

186 - 2015

Meskipun boleh dibilang sebagian besar isi buku ini berupa kompilasi kutipan dari wawancara Colin Firth dan pihak-pihak yang mengenalnya dari berbagai sumber, aku mendapatkan gambaran yang sangat jelas mengenai bagaimana karakter aslinya.

Dan karena aku malah jadi semakin jatuh cinta pada sang aktor di luar persona para karakter yang pernah diperankannya... BINTANG LIMA simply for Colin Firth.

Review agak panjang kutaruh di sini ya...
http://threezstacks.blogspot.com/2015...

[Vanessa · Rating 2 out of 5]

As a Colin Firth fan I was really looking forward to this. The book basically consist of any and every quote that Colin Firth, his wife, fellow cast , etc have ever made. If you Googled I'm sure you would have found all the info in the book. There was nothing extra or insteresting that cannot be found on the web. I have to say I was rather dissapointed.

[Bonnie · Rating 4 out of 5]

Good information about the famous actor however the writing style indicates this is extracted from numerous media interviews done in the past.

[Penny · Rating 3 out of 5]

I liked reading about his career, but like other reviews think the author relied too much on published interviews to really make it a truly compelling biography.

[Linda · Rating 3 out of 5]

Colin Firth is a splendid actor, certainly nice to look at, and it appears “a truly charming man.” So, I thought, this biography would be worth my time — however, it took months to finish it. Books like this make me question why I bother reading biographies at all (I assume it’s unauthorized). It’s just blah, with an abundance of third person reporting. It reads like a newspaper article. I suppose a biography of a person who has passed, or an autobiography, can make it for me once in a while. For now, I’ll stick to historical fiction.

However, it did check the box for one more book in my personal Reading Challenge!

[Susann · Rating 3 out of 5]

Mildly interesting. The author seems to depend upon too many quotes from Colin in interviews. Since he jokes around constantly, one doesn't get a sense of his inner self particularly. Given, he seems to be a happy man in his career and home life, so no scandal or egregious misbehavior that so many biographies rely on. The book is ok but nothing to write home about. Love his work, though!

[Kathryn Ralph · Rating 3 out of 5]

The topic was interesting for me but the writing style was irritating and well let's face it; actors are forced to do interviews and sometimes they run out of intelligent things to say and talk rubbish. I don't think they should then be quoted in books.

[margret thompson · Rating 3 out of 5]

A disappointing book

This more a list of Colin Firth movies and interviews. Very little personal information. I wonder if the biographer interviewed the star or his families and friends.

[April · Rating 3 out of 5]

Fun to learn more about one of my favorite actors

[Michelle · Rating 5 out of 5]

Interesting life well worth the read

[Kristen · Rating 5 out of 5]

Anything with Colin Firth deserves five stars :)

I am a huge fan of Colin Firth and his versatile acting ability. I’ve enjoyed him and everything I’ve seen him in.

I know this was an unauthorized biography, but I really like the format. I know other reviewers say you can just get this information online, but I did like the fact it was all compiled in one location so I could read about his different filming experiences. I like the way the author condensed information that is publicly available from quotes and interviews. I found it a very easy way to read about his acting history and learning a little bit more about some of the behind the scenes details.

It was also fun to see moments of his self deprecating humor.

[Barbara · Rating 4 out of 5]

I really enjoyed reading the book and learned a lot about an actor I really enjoy watching. I didn't mind the language, writing style. I just assumed the writer is British and that's how the writing came across. I had no idea he's done SOOO many movies! Many I've seen; some ill choose not to. He is pretty versatile and seems like a very down to earth sort of guy. I'm sure I'll refer back to the book many times. It's not a biography like John Adams or Harry Truman, but you're reading about an actor not a President.

[Erika · Rating 2 out of 5]

I bought this book mainly to get an overview of Colin's Firth life and career, which the book does provide. The author is clearly a fan of Colin Firth and paints a very positive picture of him, but as I wasn't looking for juicy gossip or negative stories, I don't find this a problem. My major gripe with the book is the language, which is quite clumsy and would have benefited from more editing. It reads more like a fan blog than a published biography.

[Jessica · Rating 2 out of 5]

As much as I adore him as an actor and a person, this book was lacking in anything new. Especially concerning was, her stating he and Meg lived in the wilderness close to the Arctic Circle. If they were 3 hours out of Vancouver, they were in the wilderness, but not close to the Arctic Circle. Wondering how she did her research. I couldn't finish it, I had other more interesting books to read.

[Shona Thomson · Rating 4 out of 5]

He seems like a nice bloke, from this book.

[Rebecca Mckenzie · Rating 4 out of 5]

I enjoyed reading this as I have a love for Colin Firth. However, the book was poorly written and wrought with typos. Colin would have been better off writing his own!

[Debra Marshall · Rating 5 out of 5]

Really interesting and a good read to boot

[Tracey · Rating 5 out of 5]

Ooh birthday present today - can't wait to read it!
I've really enjoyed reading this book. It has given a great insight into his acting life.

[Val Robson · Rating 1 out of 5]

Skimmed as was just a series of third party quotes

[David Highton · Rating 2 out of 5]

Fairly standard lightweight film star biography

[Roxanne · Rating 4 out of 5]

I really have enjoyed seeing Colin Firth. My favorite role he played was the harried dad on Nanny McPhee.

[Raine · Rating 3 out of 5]

Interesting man. I'm not abigbiograhy fan but enjoyed this.