Bloke at the back
We wouldn’t get cold feet over this Northern Irish hunk! Now he’s back to brighten Monday nights
James Nesbitt
Northern Irish actor James Nesbitt is without doubt one of the most versatile actors of his generation. The 52-year-old moves effortlessly between roles from the charming Adam in Cold Feet to the devastated dad in The Missing. Now he’s back in the new series of Cold Feet on ITV. Last year the actor divorced his wife of 23 years, Sonia Forbes-adam, with whom he has two teenage daughters Peggy, 19, and Mary, 14. He splits his time between London and Northern Ireland.
When I was at drama school, my mates looked out for me when they were working and I was impoverished. I think they’re really proud of me and we’ve got to have some fun perks from my job! But most of the time they think it’s absurd. They don’t think it’s a real job at all.
I’ve been lucky in that Cold Feet is such an ensemble piece. In the old days when we used to do Cold Feet, the train to Manchester would take four hours. Now it’s so quick I can get down to London a lot. It’s very important to spend as much time with my daughters. And I film Lucky Man in London, so I feel blessed. The work is full-on, but it’s something I always wanted to do.
When I’m on set I get a nice trailer which is great because it becomes your home for six months. Being an actor is like jumping off a cliff every time you take on a new role. But the more successful you get, you jump off a cliff and land in a Mercedes, which takes you to the hotel.
It’s hugely important for me to get back home to Northern Ireland. My three best mates are there. My dad and two of my sisters are there. I have a company there who do all the facilities for Game Of Thrones. And also it’s where I’m from. Being Northern Irish is everything to me!