Born and raised in Northern Ireland, James Nesbitt followed the advice of his school teacher and attended drama school in London. Starting his career on stage, James has appeared in numerous plays including; Paddywack, Translations, As You Like It, Philadelphia Here I Come, Can't Pay, Won't Pay and Shoot The Crow in the West End to name but a few. 

His first major TV roles included; Ballykissangel and Playing The Field but it was playing Adam in the BAFTA award winning Cold Feet that brought him to the attention of a wider audience. Based around the lives of three thirty-something couples, this critically-acclaimed drama has won James numerous prestigious awards.

Also highly acclaimed for his performances in the Hobbit trilogy of films, his range of roles is vast and varied to say the least and includes; the ITV medical drama Monroe, starring alongside Sarah Parish, the title role of Tommy Murphy in Murphy’s Law, Tony Hughes in The Missing, Colin Howell in The Secret and Harry Clayton in Stan Lee’s Lucky Man. 

Other credits include; the leading role of Ivan Cooper, in the film Bloody Sunday which won him a BAFTA nomination and award for Best Actor at the British Independent Film Awards and the Stockholm Film Festival. 

He also starred in the BBC drama re-working of Chaucer’s Canterbury Tales, playing Nick, in The Miller’s Tale, the lead in Passer By - a drama directed by David Morrisey, the lead role in the acclaimed BBC series Jekyll which earned him Golden Globe and Rose D’Or nominations for Best Actor ,BBC’s adaptation  of The Passion, playing Pontius Pilate, the mini-series The Deep and Channel 4’s Babylon to mention but a few of his achievements.

Aside from acting, James has hosted the British Independent Film Awards (BIFA) on a number of occasions. He has also hosted the Irish Film and Television Awards, the Go Awards in Belfast, the Travel Trade Gazette Awards, the T3 Awards and the Music Week Awards. He is an accomplished after dinner speaker.