Born into an academic family - his father is a history lecturer at Winchester University College (formerly King Alfred's College) in Winchester and his mother is a comparative religions lecturer at the Open University - Colin Firth's first acting experience came in infant's school when he played Jack Frost in a Christmas pantomime. Three of his four grandparents were Methodist missionaries and he spent his early childhood in Nigeria, returning to England at age five where he entered a comprehensive school in Winchester. He spent two years at the Drama Centre in Chalk Farm where he was "discovered" while playing Hamlet during his final term. His first professional role was as Bennet in the West End production of Another Country. From this performance he was chosen to play the character of Judd in the movie of the play. He went on to play a variety of character parts in both film and television. For his portrayal of Robert Lawrence in the 1989 TV production _Tumbledown (1989) (TV)_ , he received the Royal Television Society Best Actor award and also a BAFTA nomination. He also received a BAFTA nomination for Mr. Darcy in the 1995 TV version of Pride and Prejudice.


Relationship with Meg Tilly began while filming Milos Forman's Valmont (1989). On People Magazine's "50 Most Beautiful People" list (2001). Has one child with actress Meg Tilly, William Joseph Firth (born September 20, 1990) and 2 sons with Livia Giuggioli named Luca Firth (born March 29, 2001, in Rome) and Mateo Firth (born in August 2003). Co-starred as the character "Mark Darcy" in the film adaptation of Bridget Jones's Diary (2001), while appears himself as a character in writer Helen Fielding's sequel, which was adapted to the big screen as Bridget Jones: The Edge of Reason (2004). Has played a Mr Darcy on three occasions. Once in "Pride and Prejudice" (1995), in Bridget Jones's Diary (2001) and again in Bridget Jones: The Edge of Reason (2004). According to Colin Firth, when he was first offered the role of Darcy, his brother incredulously remarked, "Darcy? But isn't he supposed to be sexy?" Attended Kings' School, Winchester Moved to Nigeria, when he was 2 weeks old, where his father had taken a teaching position..and lived there until age 4. Considers former girlfriend Meg Tilly's children Emily and David (from her first marriage to Tim Zinnemann) to be his own.