 Still associated with his award-winning role of the horse-obsessed adolescent in Equus (stage 1973, film, d. Sidney Lumet, 1977), fair, slight Firth has given intelligent performances in a range of films without reaching star status. Born in Bradford on 27 October 1953, he was on stage from childhood and in films from 1972's Brother Sun, Sister Moon (UK/Italy, d. Franco Zeffirelli) and Diamonds on Wheels (Disney children's thriller), he had juvenile leads in Aces High (UK/France, d. Jack Gold, 1976), Joseph Andrews (d. Tony Richardson, 1977, in the title role but upstaged by Ann-Margret's bosom), Tess (UK/France, d. Roman Polanski, 1979, as Angel Clare), the allegorical The Aerodrome (d. Giles Foster, 1983, TV, some cinemas), and the charming fable of love's tenacity, A Letter to Brezhnev (d. Chris Bernard, 1985). Latterly, he has moved into character roles, memorable as Dr Craig in Shadowlands (UK/US, d. Richard Attenborough, 1993) and as the harassed stage manager in An Awfully Big Adventure (d. Mike Newell, 1995), since when he has worked in TV and the US (e.g., Amistad, d. Steven Spielberg, 1997). Brian McFarlane, Encyclopedia of British Film
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