[[quoteright:300:https://static.tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pub/images/geoffrey-rush_3661.jpg]]

->''"I was never a leading man. I've always been in the outer concentric circles in the company, being a character actor, which is a good place to be. It gives you that diversity."''

Geoffrey Roy Rush, [[UsefulNotes/KnightFever AC]] (born 6 July 1951 in Toowoomba, Australia) is a popular Academy Award-winning Australian actor and [[LargeHam finely seasoned ham]].

Starting out on the stage in his native land, he made the move to Hollywood productions in the mid-1990s, making his reputation with his performance as troubled pianist David Helfgott in ''{{Film/Shine}}'', which won him the Oscar for Best Actor. A slew of roles in popular films followed, including ''Film/{{Elizabeth}}'' and its sequel (alongside fellow mid-1990s breakthrough Australian Creator/CateBlanchett), ''Film/ShakespeareInLove'', ''Film/{{Quills}}'', the ''Franchise/PiratesOfTheCaribbean'' films and ''Film/TheKingsSpeech''.

Also following were two additional Academy Award nominations, an Emmy, and a Tony, making him a rare winner of the Triple Crown of Acting. In 2012, he won the Australian of the Year award for his innumerable contributions to culture and the arts. [[MediaNotes/TheEGOTs Still not as good as a Grammy]], though YMMV on that.

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!! Notable films and roles:

* David Helfgott in ''{{Film/Shine}}'' (1996)
* InspectorJavert in ''[[Film/LesMiserables1998 Les Miserables]]'' (1998)
* Sir Francis Walsingham in ''Film/{{Elizabeth}}'' (1998)
** Reprised the role in ''Film/ElizabethTheGoldenAge'' (2007)
* Philip Henslowe in ''Film/ShakespeareInLove'' (1998)
* Casanova Frankenstein in ''Film/MysteryMen'' (1999)
* Stephen Price in ''Film/{{House on Haunted Hill|1999}}'' (1999)
* The Marquis de Sade in ''Film/{{Quills}}'' (2000)
* Harry Pendel in ''Film/TheTailorOfPanama'' (2001)
* John Knox in ''Film/{{Lantana}}'' (2001)
* Leon Trotsky in ''Film/{{Frida}}'' (2002)
* Nigel in ''WesternAnimation/FindingNemo'' (2003)
* Narrator, ''WesternAnimation/HarvieKrumpet'' (2003)
* Captain Barbossa in ''Franchise/PiratesOfTheCaribbean''
** ''Film/PiratesOfTheCaribbeanTheCurseOfTheBlackPearl'' (2003)
** ''VideoGame/KingdomHeartsII'' (only in the Australian Dub)
** ''Film/PiratesOfTheCaribbeanDeadMansChest'' (2006)
** ''Film/PiratesOfTheCaribbeanAtWorldsEnd'' (2007)
** ''Film/PiratesOfTheCaribbeanOnStrangerTides'' (2011)
** ''Film/PiratesOfTheCaribbeanDeadMenTellNoTales'' (2017)
* Donovan Donaly in ''Film/IntolerableCruelty'' (2003)
* Francis Hare in ''[[Film/NedKelly2003 Ned Kelly]]'' (2003)
* Creator/PeterSellers in ''Film/TheLifeAndDeathOfPeterSellers'' (2004)
* Ephraim in ''Film/{{Munich}}'' (2005)
* Casper in ''Film/{{Candy|2006}}'' (2006)
* Lionel Logue in ''Film/TheKingsSpeech'' (2010)
* Ron in ''Film/TheWarriorsWay'' (2010)
* The voice of Tomar Re in ''Film/GreenLantern2011'' (2011)
* Hans Hubermann in ''Film/TheBookThief'' (2013)
* Virgil Oldman in ''Film/TheBestOffer'' (2013)
* The narrator of ''WesternAnimation/{{Minions}}'' (2016)
* Ra in ''Film/GodsOfEgypt'' (2016)
* UsefulNotes/AlbertEinstein in ''Series/{{Genius}}'' (2017)

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!! Tropes associated with Geoffrey Rush:

* ClassicallyTrainedExtra: He's one of the most well-respected actors around and can convincingly mix playing murderous pirates and tortured Musical geniuses.
* EvilSoundsDeep: When he's playing Barbossa, his voice seems to get even raspier.
* FakeBrit: Much like fellow Aussie Creator/CateBlanchett, so many of his famous roles are British that quite a few people doubtless think he is one.
* LargeHam: Constantly gets roles which allow him to have fun (including [[EvilIsHammy villains]] such as [[Film/MysteryMen Casanova Frankenstein]] and [[Franchise/PiratesOfTheCaribbean Barbossa]], where it's proven Mr. Rush is the only man hammy enough to go [[HamToHamCombat head to head]] with Creator/JohnnyDepp). Also amusingly played with in ''The King's Speech'' where he's mostly quite subdued, but the character is a terrible ham in-universe and sounds distinctly like Barbossa while playing with his kids.
* MaleFrontalNudity: In ''Quills''.
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