Robert William Hoskins (26 October 1942 – 29 April 2014) was an English actor and film director.[1] Known for his intense but sensitive portrayals of "tough guy" characters,[2][3] he began his career on stage before making his screen breakthrough playing Arthur Parker on the 1978 BBC Television serial Pennies from Heaven. He subsequently played acclaimed lead roles in the films The Long Good Friday (1980), Mona Lisa (1986), Who Framed Roger Rabbit (1988), and Mermaids (1990).
Hoskins had supporting roles in Pink Floyd – The Wall (1982), The Honorary Consul (1983), The Cotton Club (1984), Brazil (1985), Hook (1991), Nixon (1995), Enemy at the Gates (2001), Maid in Manhattan (2002), Mrs Henderson Presents (2005), A Christmas Carol (2009), Made in Dagenham (2010), and Snow White and the Huntsman (2012). He portrayed Mario in the 1993 film Super Mario Bros., based on the video game of the same name, and voiced Boris Goosinov in the animated film Balto (1995). Hoskins also directed two feature films: The Raggedy Rawney (1988) and Rainbow (1996).
He received the Best Actor Award at the Cannes Film Festival, the BAFTA Award for Best Actor in a Leading Role and the Golden Globe Award for Best Actor – Motion Picture Drama for his role in Mona Lisa. Hoskins won a Canadian Genie Award for Best Actor in a Leading Role for Felicia's Journey. In 2009, he won an International Emmy Award for Best Actor for his appearance on the BBC One drama The Street. Hoskins retired from acting in 2012 owing to Parkinson's disease after being diagnosed the previous year. He died in April 2014 from pneumonia.
Early life[]
Robert William Hoskins was born in Bury St Edmunds on 26 October 1942, the son of Elsie (née Hopkins), a cook and nursery school teacher, and Robert Hoskins, a bookkeeper and lorry driver.[4] One of his grandmothers was Romani.Template:Sfn From two weeks old, he was brought up in the Finsbury Park area of London.[5] He attended Stroud Green Secondary School, where he was written off as "stupid" on account of his dyslexia.[6] He left school at 15 with a single O-Level and worked as a porter, lorry driver, plumber, and window cleaner. He started but did not complete a three-year accountancy course.[7][8] He spent six months on a kibbutz in Israel and two years tending to the camels of a Bedouin tribe in Syria.[8]
Filmography[]
Film[]
| Year | Title | Role | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1996 | The Secret Agent | Verloc | |
| 2006 | Garfield: A Tail of Two Kitties | Winston | Voice |
Television[]
References[]
- ↑ Anderson, John (30 April 2014). "Bob Hoskins, Actor Who Combined Charm and Menace, Dies at 71".
- ↑ Gilbey, Ryan (30 April 2014). "Bob Hoskins obituary".
- ↑ Anderson, John (30 April 2014). "Bob Hoskins, Actor Who Combined Charm and Menace, Dies at 71".
- ↑ "Bob Hoskins Obituary" (30 April 2014).- Hattenstone, Simon (2 August 2007). "The Method? Living it out? Cobblers!".
- ↑ Confirmed on Desert Island Discs in November 1988
- ↑ "Bob Hoskins - obituary" (30 April 2014).
- ↑ Farndale, Nigel (27 November 2009). "Bob Hoskins interview: 'My own mum wouldn't call me pretty'".
- ↑ 8.0 8.1 "Bob Hoskins: 10 things you didn't know", The Daily Telegraph (29 April 2015).
Bibliography[]
- Moline, Karen (1988). Bob Hoskins: An Unlikely Hero. Sidgwick & Jackson, page 213. ISBN 978-0283995088.
External links[]
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