Claim: A British actor was in Girl with a Pearl Earring.

Colin Andrew Firth , -LRB- born 10 September 1960 -RRB- is an English actor . His films have grossed more than $ 3 billion from 42 releases worldwide . Firth has received an Academy Award , a Golden Globe Award , two BAFTA Awards , and three Screen Actors Guild Awards , as well as the Volpi Cup . Firth 's most notable and acclaimed role to date has been his 2010 portrayal of King George VI in The King 's Speech , a performance that earned him an Oscar and multiple worldwide best actor awards .   Identified in the late 1980s with the `` Brit Pack '' of rising , young British actors , it was not until Firth 's portrayal of Mr. Darcy in the 1995 television adaptation of Jane Austen 's Pride and Prejudice that he received more widespread attention . This led to roles in films such as The English Patient , Bridget Jones 's Diary -LRB- for which Firth was nominated for a BAFTA -RRB- , Shakespeare in Love , and Love Actually . In 2009 , Firth received widespread critical acclaim for his leading role in A Single Man , for which Firth gained his first Academy Award nomination , and won a BAFTA Award . Firth starred in the action spy movie Kingsman : The Secret Service in 2014 , which was a commercial success and received generally positive reviews .   In 2011 , Firth received a star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame , and was also selected as one of the Time 100 . He was awarded an honorary degree from the University of Winchester in 2007 , and was made a Freeman of the City of London in 2012 . He has campaigned for the rights of indigenous tribal peoples , and is a member of Survival International . Firth has also campaigned on issues of asylum seekers , refugees ' rights , and the environment . He commissioned and is credited as a co-author on a scientific paper on a study into the differences in brain structure between people of differing political orientations .