Dropped out of school at 16 and spent some time working at his father's welding business
Attended art school for two years before deciding he wanted to be an actor
Joined the prestigious Royal Shakespeare Company in 1986, playing the title role in the company's production of Romeo and Juliet
Rose to fame in England portraying Lt
Richard Sharpe in a series of made-for-TV historical dramas
Breakthrough Hollywood role was terrorist Sean Miller in 1992's Patriot Games
International profile was raised by Peter Jackson's fantasy epic The Lord of the Rings: The Fellowship of the Ring (2001), in which he played the treacherous Boromir
Awards
2018BAFTA Television Awards-Best Actor:winner
2011Screen Actors Guild Awards-Outstanding Performance by an Ensemble in a Drama Series:nominated