Tom Wilkinson biography

Synopsis

Born in England in 1948, actor Tom Wilkinson was a restless youth until a headmistress introduced him to theater. In the 1980s, Wilkinson joined the Royal Shakespeare Company. His stage work impressed, but he quickly switched to film. His debut film was 1987's First Among Equals. He is perhaps best known for his Oscar-nominated roles in the films In the Bedroom, opposite Sissy Spacek, and Michael Clayton (2007), opposite George Clooney.

Early Life

Born Thomas Geoffrey Wilkinson on February 5, 1948, in Leeds, West Yorkshire, England, Tom Wilkinson was raised in Canada, Cornwell and Yorkshire. Wilkinson was a restless, lost youth until a concerned headmistress introduced him to the theater. He studied at Kent University before enrolling at London's Royal Academy of Dramatic Art. Wilkinson began performing soon after graduation at the Nottingham Playhouse, then joined the Royal Shakespeare Company in the early 1980s.

Commercial Success

Though he garnered good reviews on stage, Wilkinson soon switched to film, debuting in 1987's First Among Equals. His breakthrough role came in Ang Lee's lush 1995 period drama Sense and Sensibility followed by a hilarious turn in 1997's The Full Monty, which earned the actor a BAFTA award as well as an international audience. Other notable films include Shakespeare in Loveand The Patriot.

After staying under the Hollywood radar for much of his career, Wilkinson was showered with critical and popular acclaim for his performance in 2001's In the Bedroom. His turn as a doctor coping with an unraveling marriage after the murder of his son earned him his first Academy Award nomination.