James Nesbitt is a well-known British actor and television presenter, best known for his roles as Adam Williams in the TV series “Cold Feet” and Tom Jackman/Mr. Hyde in the TV mini-series “Jekyll.” He has two daughters, Peggy (the older one) and Mary. Peggy has followed in her father’s footsteps into show business, appearing in all three films in “The Hobbit” saga as Sigrid, the daughter of dwarfs Ingrid and Bard.
Wikipedia: Peggy Nesbitt
Peggy Nesbitt (pinterest)Sonia Forbes-Adam, Nesbitt’s ex-wife, gave birth to Peggy Nesbitt on September 4, 1997, in the United Kingdom.
Mary, her younger sister, was born in 2001. After being married in 1994, her parents separated in 2013 and divorced three years later. She has not disclosed which school she attended, however, she has acknowledged her dissatisfaction with having to quit standard schooling when she relocated to New Zealand to film “The Hobbits.”
Peggy’s career began in 2008 when she played Rachel in the drama film “Blessed,” which starred her father James, Natascha McElhone, and Gary Lewis. She waited until 2012, while still in school, for her next engagement, when the first episode of “The Hobbits” franchise, “The Hobbit: An Unexpected Journey,” was filmed (2012).
The following year, she starred in “The Hobbit: The Desolation of Smaug,” and in 2014, she appeared in the third and final installment, “The Hobbit: The Battle of the Five Armies.” She hasn’t been involved in any new projects since then, and although being active on social media, she hasn’t divulged what she has been up to recently, other than having fun with her sister and friends.
She is single, according to sources, and there is no information on her previous or current relationships.
James Nesbitt, Peggy Nesbitt’s father
William James Nesbitt was born on January 15, 1965, in Ballymena, County Antrim, Northern Ireland, United Kingdom, to James ‘Jim’ Nesbitt, the headmaster of the primary school he attended, and May Nesbitt, a civil servant. His three sisters, Margaret, Kathryn, and Andrea, are all teachers. He is the youngest of four children and the only son. Growing up, he spent a lot of time alone, playing with a ball, dreaming of being a professional soccer player for Manchester United or a teacher, like his father.
His mother acquired a position with the Housing Executive, thus the family relocated to Coleraine, County Londonderry. He attended Coleraine Academical Institution (CAI) before traveling to London, England, to study acting at the Central School of Speech and Drama (CSSD). He graduated from the university four years later.
Career
James had his acting debut at the age of 13 when his parents decided to take him to Riverside Theater for an audition for its Christmas performance of “Oliver!” He was cast as the Artful Dodger after singing “Bohemian Rhapsody” at the audition.
For the next three years, he worked at Riverside Theatre, where he earned his Equity card when he played Jiminy Cricket in “Pinocchio”; he was fortunate to get the role because the original choice fractured his ankle just two days before the performance. In 1983, he played Brad Majors in the play “The Rocky Horror Show,” then Jesus in “Godspell,” both in 1983, then Keith in the play “Up on the Roof” in 1987. He gradually transitioned to on-screen roles, but remained committed to the theater, working on plays such as “Hamlet,” “After Sun,” and “The Laws of War.”
On-Screen Achievement
James made his cinematic debut in 1991 as Fintan O’Donnell in the comedy-drama film “Hear My Song,” alongside Ned Beatty, Adrian Dunbar, and Brian Flanagan. Four years later, he was cast as Tony in the romantic drama film “Go Now,” alongside Robert Carlyle and Juliet Aubrey. The next year, he played Uncle Joe in the romantic drama film “Jude,” starring alongside Christopher Eccleston and Kate Winslet.
In 1997, he landed one of his most successful parts, as Adam Williams in the TV series “Cold Feet,” and went on to feature in 60 episodes of the award-winning series. Meanwhile, in 1998, he played Pig Finn in the comedy picture “Waking Ned Devine,” his first significant triumph on film.
He went on to play Ivan Cooper in the historical war-drama film “Bloody Sunday” (2002), depicting the Irish civil rights protest march and the massacre of Irishmen by British troops. In 2007, he was cast as Dr. Tom Jackman, also renowned for his alter identities Mr. Hyde and Dr. Jekyll, in the TV mini-series “Jekyll.” His fame skyrocketed. Two years later, he co-starred with Liam Neeson in the thriller-drama film “Five Minutes of Heaven,” and in 2010, he co-starred with Martin Sheen and Emilio Estevez in the comedy-drama film “The Way,” before playing Bofur in the “The Hobbit” saga from 2012 to 2014.
Recent Initiatives
In recent years, James has focused on television roles; in 2016, he played Colin Howell in the TV mini-series “The Secret,” then from 2016 to 2018, he played Harry Clayton in the TV series “Lucky Man,” and most recently, he played Tom Brannick in the TV mini-series “Bloodlands” (2020).
TV personality
He has been hired as a host of several TV shows due to his distinct accent and voice; in 2008, he hosted the documentary show “Drama Trails” for ten episodes, then hosted the “National Movie Awards” (2010) and “Northern Ireland’s Greatest Haunts,” and most recently, he was the narrator of “British Airways 24/7: Access All Areas” (2019).
Personal Life
Peggy Nesbitt (pinterest)James and Peggy’s mother first met in 1989 and began dating soon after. However, they split up in 1991 after the premiere of the film “Hear My Song,” but began dating again in 1994 and married the same year. James announced their split in 2013, and they divorced in 2016. Since then, he hasn’t had any public affairs.
He is committed to various organizations, including Wave, which assists persons affected by the Troubles, Northern Ireland’s ethnic-nationalistic conflict. He also serves as the UNICEF UK ambassador, among other things.
He was made Officer of the Order of the British Empire (OBE) in the 2016 New Year Honours List for his contributions to drama and the community in Northern Ireland.