Since his first big break in the 1991 film Hear My Song, swarthy Northern Irish actor James Nesbitt has never been far from our screens, both big and small.

Born in County Antrim, he was initially a reluctant perfomer. His parents 'dragged' him to his first audition - which led to his debut, aged 13, treading the boards as the Artful Dodger in a production of Oliver! Despite this early introduction to the limelight, he continued to pursue his first ambition to become a French teacher - which he abandoned after dropping out of the University of Ulster, and instead moved to England to attend the Central School of Speech and Drama.

After stints in various TV dramas including Ballykissangel, Jude and Playing the Field, he achieved household name status in 1998 the hit romantic comedy Cold Feet. Playing womaniser Adam, the series ran for 32 episodes, and earned James three awards for best TV comedy actor. Meanwhile, his part in the 1997 film Waking Ned introduced him to an international audience, and saw him nominated for a Screen Actors Guild Award.

The roguish charmer has since become a regular in the stable of British acting talent, appearing in a plethora of diverse roles, including Bloody Sunday, Murphy's Law, Match Point, Jekyll, and most recently as Professor Prince in Fairy Tales.

Off screen, James is a passionate Manchester United supporter, UNICEF ambassador, and father of two daughters.