James Broadbent[1] was born on 24 May 1949 in Holton cum Beckering,[2] in Lincolnshire, the second son of Doreen "Dee" Findlay, a sculptor, and Roy Laverick Broadbent, an artist, sculptor, interior designer and furniture maker.[3] Broadbent's parents were both amateur actors who co-founded the Holton Players acting troupe at Holton.[4] The two have been described by the BBC as conscientious objectors who "worked the land" rather than participate in World War II.[3] In Wickenby, a former Methodist Chapel was purchased in 1970 by Holton Players, who converted it into a 100-seat theatre, named Broadbent Theatre in memory of Roy Broadbent, who designed the conversion.
Broadbent's early stagework included a number of productions for The National Theatre of Brent as the downtrodden assistant Wallace to Patrick Barlow's self-important actor-manager character Desmond Olivier Dingle. Broadbent and Barlow played many male and female character roles in comically less-than-epic tellings of historical and religious stories, such as The Complete Guide to Sex, The Greatest Story Ever Told, Revolution!!, and All The World's A Globe. These were hits at the Edinburgh Fringe, in London, and on tour. In 1978, he notably appeared as two alien guards Vroomfondel and Shooty in the Primary Phase of the groundbreaking radio series The Hitchhikers Guide to the Galaxy.[8] Forty years later, he took the role of Marvin in the Hexagonal Phase radio series.[9] Towards the end of the decade, Broadbent began appearing in small roles on television and films, including a Fielder in The Shout and Mackanees in the Play for Today episode Long Distance Information. He also appeared in an edition of Not the Nine O'Clock News, playing a Union Negotiator.
The Broadbent Theatre, Wickenby, Lincolnshire, named after Roy Broadbent, father of Jim. Photographed 2006
Broadbent also appeared in 1983, 1985 and 1991 as DCI Roy Slater, an associate character in the enormously popular sitcom Only Fools and Horses. The character appeared in three episodes over an eight-year period. He had originally been offered the lead role of Del Boy in the series, but he turned it down due to other commitments. He also made occasional guest appearances in other comedy shows including Happy Families and Victoria Wood As Seen on TV. In 1983, he portrayed Don Speekingleesh in "The Queen of Spain's Beard" in the first series of The Black Adder. He later played Prince Albert in Blackadder's Christmas Carol, first broadcast in 1988. One of his final roles that decade, was as the disgruntled Northern playwright Alan Hammond in the final episode of the playlet series Victoria Wood.
Broadbent's television work during the Nineties included Jim Morley in Gone to the Dogs and Monty in the follow-up series Gone to Seed. Further comic roles included Murder Most Horrid as Selwyn Proops, The Comic Strip Presents as George and most notably the lead role of branch manager Peter Duffley in the sitcom The Peter Principle which ran for two series, broadcast between 1995 - 2000. He also appeared as Charlie Bennett in an episode of Inspector Morse. In 1999, he made a notable appearance as the eleventh incarnation of the Doctor in the Doctor Who spoof Doctor Who: Curse of the Fatal of Death which was written by future writer and showrunner Steven Moffat.
Broadbent played the lead role of the TV film Wide-Eyed and Legless.[11] Based on a true story, the drama tells of Deric Longden's wife, Diana and her fight against a mysterious wasting illness which turned out to be myalgic encephalomyelitis. It began as a type of flu but it grew progressively worse. She was subject to blackouts and became so debilitated that she could barely get out of her wheelchair. It led to years of pain and paralysis that ended in her death. Broadbent portrayed the title role in the Channel 4 drama Longford in October 2006, earning a BAFTA TV Award, a Golden Globe and a 2007 Emmy nomination for his performance as Frank Pakenham (1905–2001), Earl of Longford, which was centred on Longford's ultimately unsuccessful campaign for the parole of Myra Hindley from her life imprisonment for the Moors Murders. Broadbent appeared as Inspector Frank Butterman in Hot Fuzz in 2007. He was also a regular in Stephen Fry's radio comedy show Saturday Night Fry, which aired on BBC Radio 4 in 1988. In 2008, he starred as pro-Newtonian physicist Sir Oliver Lodge in the fact-based single drama Einstein and Eddington for the BBC.
In 2010, Broadbent reunited with director Mike Leigh, in Another Year with Ruth Sheen and Lesley Manville. The film premiered at the 2010 Cannes Film Festival in competition for the Palme d'Or. According to review aggregation website, Rotten Tomatoes, 93% of critics have given the film a positive review, with the critical consensus reading, "Characterized by strong performances and the director's trademark feel for the nuances of everyday life, Another Year marks another solid entry in Mike Leigh's career of kitchen-sink English drama."[citation needed]
Broadbent has been married to painter and former theatre designer Anastasia Lewis[20] since 1987. He has no children, but Lewis has two sons from a previous relationship. Broadbent primarily lives in the Lincolnshire Wolds.[21] He also owns a property in London.[22] He is an atheist.[23]
Broadbent was offered an OBE in 2002, but he declined it, stating that there were more deserving recipients than actors and that the British Empire was not something he wanted to "celebrate".[24][25] Broadbent was made an Honorary Associate of London Film School.
Bibliography
In 2018, Broadbent's first graphic novel Dull Margaret was published by Fantagraphics Books.[26]
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