BBC Graham Norton Show: Harry Potter star Jim Broadbent’s beautiful 35 year marriage to watching mum ‘slip away’ and first role in Only Fools and Horses
From Only Fools and Horses to Harry Potter, his talent knows no bounds
A British film and television icon like no other, Jim Broadbent has been gracing our screens since the 1980s. In a successful showbiz career which has spanned across five decades, the 72-year-old has racked up hundreds of acting credits to his name.
His career shows no signs of stopping, though, as he recently starred alongside another household name, Helen Mirren, in comedy crime drama The Duke which premiered earlier this week. Tonight (February 11), they will both appear on The Graham Norton Show on BBC One to chat about their careers alongside popstar Adele and other famous faces – but what about the actor’s life away from the camera?
Going all the way back to the 1980s, he first shot to fame after playing ‘loner’ Roy Slater in the hit BBC sitcom Only Fools and Horses. Although his character only appeared in three episodes, his character’s past was well documented after it was revealed he was always jealous of Derek ‘Del Boy’ Trotter and his gang at school.
From there, his career only went from strength to strength. From Only Fools and Horses to Harry Potter, his versatility as an actor has been well documented. He portrayed the iconic potions master Professor Horace Slughorn in Harry Potter and the Half Blood Prince, and played a huge role in J.K. Rowling’s eight-part film franchise.
Away from the screen, he has led a relatively normal life – but it has not been without heartbreak. He lost his mum Doreen to Alzheimer’s in 1995, and he has candidly opened up about his struggles during that time in various interviews.
Speaking to the Radio Times back in 2011 about his mother’s experience with the condition, the star said: “It happened overnight, like a slip, and she could no longer make connections in the normal way. The most distressing thing is that the person dies, in effect, before they have physically gone. So you are suffering from a sort of bereavement while their life is still going on.”
The Academy award-winner has been married to painter and former theatre designer Anastasia Lewis for 35 years. The pair wed in 1987. Broadbent has no children, but Lewis has two sons from a previous relationship. His main home is in the Lincolnshire Wolds, but he also had a residence in London.
The Radio Times description of tonight’s episode of The Graham Norton Show reads: “The host is joined by global singing superstar Adele, who discusses her life, career and recent difficulties staging a show in Las Vegas. Oscar-winners Helen Mirren and Jim Broadbent chat about starring together in the comedy crime drama The Duke.
“Golda Rosheuvel, who plays Queen Charlotte in hit Netflix romp Bridgerton, also guests. Plus, singer-songwriter George Ezra performs his new single Anyone for You.”
