James Nesbitt's career timeline: The biggest TV shows and films he's been in

So many brilliant shows!

Author: Charlotte RoszkoPublished 25th Mar 2024

Northern Irish actor James Nesbitt OBE has enjoyed incredible success in the world of film and television. From starring in the hugely-popular series Cold Feet, to his role in The Hobbit films, the 59-year-old actor has enjoyed a stellar career so far.

In order to celebrate James' extensive career, we've taken a look at some of his biggest acting roles so far. Here's some of the many great films and TV shows you might have seen him in...

Take a look at some of James Nesbitt's biggest acting roles:

1991 – Hear My Song

Having previously starred in plays including Hamlet and As You Like It, James made his feature film debut in the 1991 comedy drama film Hear My Song, which also featured Ned Beatty, future Line of Duty co-star Adrian Dunbar and Tara Fitzgerald. In the film, James played the character of Fintan O'Donnell, who was a struggling theatre agent.

1995 – Go Now

James starred in the 1995 television film Go Now, where he played the role of Tony – who is the best friend of the lead character Nick, played by Robert Carlyle. Nick is a construction worker and football player who suffers with multiple sclerosis.


Also in 1995, James appeared in three episodes of the ITV sitcom Searching, playing the character Duncan. One series of the show aired in total, with the cast including Prunella Scales, Julia St John and Victoria Carling.


James then took on the role of Uncle Joe in the 1996 period drama Jude, which starred Christopher Eccleston and Kate Winslet. Uncle Joe is a stonemason who works with Christopher Eccleston's character of Jude Fawley, a young man who dreams of going to university.


In 1997, James appeared in the film Welcome to Sarajevo, where he played the character of Gregg, a cameraman working alongside reporter Michael Henderson (Stephen Dillane), who is covering the war in Bosnia. Woody Harrelson, Marisa Tomei and Kerry Fox also star in the film, which is based on a true story.

1996-1998 – Ballykissangel

James appeared in the BBC drama Ballykissangel, where he played the character of Leo McGarvey, starring in five episodes of the show between 1996 and 1998. Leo was the ex-boyfriend of the lead character Assumpta Fitzgerald, who was played by Dervla Kirwan.

1998 – Resurrection Man

James played the character of Ryan in the 1998 Irish horror film Resurrection Man. Ryan is a journalist, who becomes determined to find out the truth about a gangster known as 'Resurrection Man'. Stuart Townsend, John Hannah and James Ellis also star.

1997–2003 - Cold Feet

James played the character of Adam Williams in the hugely popular ITV series Cold Feet, which depicted the lives of three couples, who were friends with each other. James won a number of awards for his performance on the show, including Best TV Comedy Actor in 2000, Television and Radio Industries Club Award for Drama Performer of the Year in 2002 and the National Television Award for Most Popular Comedy Performance in 2003.


From 1998 to 2000, James appeared in the BBC One drama series Playing the Field, where he played the character of John Dolan. Created by Kay Mellor, the show depicted the lives of the players of the fictional female football team, the Castlefield Blues.

2001 – Lucky Break

James made his debut as a lead feature film actor in the 2001 crime comedy, Lucky Break. In the film, James played the role of Jimmy Hands, who robs a bank with his friend Rudy (Lennie James), with the pair later ending up in jail. Planning their escape, the pair decide to break-out during the prison's production of Nelson: The Musical.

2002 – Bloody Sunday

James starred as Ivan Cooper in the 2002 film Bloody Sunday, after being approached at the BAFTA awards by the film's director, Paul Greengrass. The film was based around the 1972 Bloody Sunday shootings in Derry. For his performance in the film, James won the Best Actor award at the British Independent Film Awards in 2002 and was also nominated for Best Actor at the 2003 British Academy Television Awards.

2003 – The Canterbury Tales

In 2003, James appeared in an episode of The Canterbury Tales, which consisted of six single episodes, each one an adaptation of Geoffery Chaucer's Canterbury Tales. James appeared in The Miller's Tale, playing Nick, who claims to be a talent scout. Dennis Waterman, Billie Piper and Kenny Doughty also starred in the episode.

2003-2007 – Murphy’s Law

James starred in the BBC drama series Murphy's Law, playing the character of Detective Sergeant Tommy Murphy, an undercover police officer. In total, five series of the show aired, finishing in October 2007. James won the award for Best Actor in a TV Drama at the Irish Film and Television Awards for Murphy's Law.

2007 – Jekyll

James appeared in the BBC One series Jekyll, which aired in 2007 and was a sequel to the Strange Case of Dr Jekyll and Mr Hyde. James played Tom Jackman, a doctor who is a modern-day descendant of Dr Jekyll, who has abandoned his wife and two children to live in a basement flat. Gina Bellman, Denis Lawson and Michelle Ryan also star.

2008 – The Passion

In 2008, James starred in The Passion, which aired on BBC One and told the story of the last week of Jesus (played by Joseph Mawle). James played the role of Pontius Pilate, with the cast also including Paloma Baeza as Mary Magdalene, David Oyelowo as Joseph of Arimathea and Penelope Wilton as Mary.


Also in 2008, James appeared in the three-part thriller Midnight Man, which was aired on ITV. In the series, James took on the role of Max Raban, who is an ex-investigative journalist who discovers and international conspiracy. The cast also included Catherine McCormack, Reese Dinsdale and Peter Capaldi. James was nominated for Best Actor at the 2008 ITV3 Crime Thriller Awards for his performance.

2009 – Five Minutes of Heaven

Released in 2009, the film Five Minutes of Heaven saw James star alongside Liam Neeson. The film reconstructs the killing of Jim Griffin by Alistair Little in 1975, featuring a fictional meting between Alistair and Jim's brother Joe 33 years later. In the film, James plays adult Joe. For his performance in the film, James was nominated for the Best Actor award at the 2010 Broadcasting Press Guild Awards.

2010 – Outcast

James starred in the 2010 supernatural horror thriller Outcast, which was directed and written by Colm McCarthy. In the film, James played Cathal, a killer who is pursuing his ex, Mary (played by Kate Dickie). Karen Gillan, James Cosmo and Ian Whyte also starred in the film.


Also in 2010, James starred in the Australian film Matching Jack, playing Irish sailor Connor. In the film, Marisa's (Jacinda Barrett) son Jack (Tom Russell) is diagnosed with Leukaemia. Jack becomes friends with Connor's son Finn (Kodi Smit-McPhee), who is in the next hospital bed.

2010 – The Deep

2010 also saw James star in the BBC drama series The Deep, which saw disaster strike the crew of a research submarine thousands of feet underwater in the Arctic Circle. In the show, James starred as engineer Clem, with Minnie Driver, Orla Brady and Sacha Dhawan also starring.


Then in 2011, James played the neurosurgeon Gabriel Monroe in the ITV medical drama series Monroe. In order to prepare for the role, James observed as surgery was performed, as well as speaking to a real-life neurosurgeon.

2012-2014 – The Hobbit

James appeared in the trilogy of The Hobbit Films, An Unexpected Journey (released in December 2012), The Desolation of Smaug (released in December 2013) and The Battle of the Five Armies (released in December 2014). In the films, James played the character of Bofur, a dwarf of the late-Third Age who was a companion to Bilbo Baggins, Thorin Oakenshield and Gandalf.

2014 – Babylon

In 2014, James starred in the Channel 4 show Babylon, playing the character of Police Commissioner Richard Miller. The show depicted the lives of characters who work for the Metropolitan Police in London, with a cast which also included Brit Marling, Daniel Kaluuya and Jill Halfpenny.

2014 – The Missing

James starred in the first series of the psychological drama The Missing, which aired on BBC One in 2014. The series was about the search for a missing boy, Oliver, in France, with James playing Tony Hughes, who was his father. James was nominated for the Leading Actor award at the 2015 British Academy Television Awards for his performance on the show.

2016 – The Secret

In 2016, James starred in the drama The Secret, which was based on the true crime book Let This Be Our Secret. James played the role of murderer Colin Howell in the series, which consisted of four episodes and went on to win the Royal Television Society award for Best Drama, Northern Ireland.

2016-2018 – Stan Lee’s Lucky Man

James starred in the superhero crime drama series Stan Lee's Lucky Man, with three series of the show airing on Sky 1 between January 2016 and September 2018. In the show, James played the role of Detective Inspector Harry Clayton, who works for the Central London Murder Squad and suffers from a gambling addiction. Harry is given a bracelet from a mysterious woman named Eve (played by Sienna Guillory), later discovering that it gives him luck.

2016-2020 – Cold Feet

Cold Feet was revived on ITV in 2016, with four more series of the show airing before it went back on hiatus in 2020. James' character Adam returned to Manchester after living in Singapore, with Ceallach Spellman playing Adam's now-teenage son, Matthew.

2021 – Line of Duty

James appeared in series six, episode five of the hugely popular show Line of Duty, which aired in 2021. James played the character DCI Marcus Thurwell, who was a retired police officer and 'H' suspect. In the episode, Marcus and his wife's bodies were found by police, after their house in Spain was raided.

2021 – Stay Close

James appeared in Stay Close, a Netflix mystery drama series that was based on the Harlan Coben novel of the same name. James played the role of police sergeant DS Michael Broome, who is haunted by a cold case from several years ago. Cush Jumbo, Richard Armitage and Sarah Parish also star.

2021-2022 – Bloodlands

James starred as DCI Tom Brannick in the BBC One crime drama series Bloodlands, with James' performance seeing him be nominated for Best Actor in a Lead Role – Drama at the 2021 Irish Film and Television Awards. Two series of the show have aired so far, with a third one having not yet been confirmed.

2022 – Suspect

In 2022, James starred in the crime drama series Suspect, which aired on Channel 4, with a second series of the show having been commissioned. James played the character of Danny Frater, a veteran detective whose estranged daughter Christina (played by Imogen King) is found dead. Sacha Dhawan, Anne-Marie Duff and Richard E. Grant also star.

2023 – The Heist Before Christmas

James starred in the 2023 Christmas film The Heist Before Christmas, where he played a robber who is dressed as Santa Claus and robs a bank during a Santa Dash. James starred alongside Timothy Spall in the film, which aired on Sky Max over the festive period.

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