A true-blood Aussie, Geoffrey Rush, perhaps best known for his unforgettable portrayal of Captain Hector Barbossa in the Pirates of the Caribbean film series, was born in 1951 in Toowoomba, Australia, and later moved with his family to Brisbane. He officially made his film debut in 1981’s Hoodwinked, but it wasn’t until his performance in 1996’s Shine as piano prodigy David Helfgott that he cemented his status as one of the greats—the role earned him an Oscar®, a Golden Globe®, a British Film Award, and an Australian Film Institute Award. Geoffrey also starred opposite Colin Firth as speech therapist Lionel Logue in the 2010 Academy Award®-winning The King’s Speech, a role that garnered him a Best Supporting Actor nomination. Disney fans may recognize Geoffrey’s voice from Disney·Pixar’s Finding Nemo: he played the ocean-wise pelican, Nigel, whose cool intellect and sizable beak protect Nemo’s father, Marlin, from a flock of insatiable seagulls. Though Captain Barbossa met his maker in 2003’s Pirates of the Caribbean: The Curse of the Black Pearl, he returned in both the second and third installments of the Pirates franchise, an ominous warning that this dead man still has some tales to tell. In Pirates of the Caribbean: On Stranger Tides, Captain Barbossa returned once more—and he’s traded in his buccaneer accoutrements for more distinguished duds. “Barbossa becomes a privateer, and he takes to it like a natural. He quite likes palace life,” Geoffrey said. “It’s kind of fun to see him running a major naval frigate, with all the trappings of being a captain. But, still, he can’t help revealing occasionally that he’s a dirty sea dog.”
