James Nesbitt

Born in Northern Ireland on Jan. 15, 1965, James Nesbitt honed his skills at the Central School of Speech and Drama in London. Since then, he's earned a reputation as a serious dramatic actor with comic sensibilities, rounding out his résumé with a variety of roles on stage and screen.

American audiences may recognize Nesbitt from the import comedy Waking Ned Devine, in which he played a lovestruck pig farmer nicknamed "Pig" Finn. Other credits include the British TV series "Cold Feet," Woody Allen's Match Point and the Paul Greengrass drama Bloody Sunday, which earned the actor a British Independent Film Award.

Nesbitt also earned accolades for his portrayal of a modern-day descendent of Dr. Jekyll -- and, in turn, a contemporary version of his alter ego, Mr. Hyde -- in the BBC series "Jekyll," earning a Golden Globe nomination for his efforts.

The Hobbit: An Unexpected Journey

2012 PG-13

Beloved hobbit Bilbo Baggins is back in a visually spectacular tale inspired by The Lord of the Rings and likewise directed by Peter Jackson. Joining the effort to free the Kingdom of Erebor, Bilbo also faces a fateful encounter with Gollum.