Bob Hoskins

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14 Feb 2024

Bob Hoskins

Robert William Hoskins was an English actor and film director known for his intense and sensitive portrayals of "tough guy" characters. He began his career on stage before achieving his screen breakthrough with his role as Arthur Parker in the 1978 BBC Television serial "Pennies from Heaven." Following this, he garnered acclaim for his lead roles in films such as "The Long Good Friday" (1980), "Mona Lisa" (1986), "Who Framed Roger Rabbit" (1988), and "Mermaids" (1990).

Throughout his career, Hoskins also had supporting roles in various notable films, including "Pink Floyd The Wall" (1982), "The Honorary Consul" (1983), "The Cotton Club" (1984), "Brazil" (1985), "Hook" (1991), "Nixon" (1995), "Enemy at the Gates" (2001), "Maid in Manhattan" (2002), "Mrs Henderson Presents" (2005), "A Christmas Carol" (2009), "Made in Dagenham" (2010), and "Snow White and the Huntsman" (2012). Additionally, he portrayed Mario in the 1993 film "Super Mario Bros." and voiced Boris Goosinov in the animated film "Balto" (1995). Hoskins also directed two feature films: "The Raggedy Rawney" (1988) and "Rainbow" (1996).

Hoskins received numerous awards throughout his career, including the Best Actor Award at the Cannes Film Festival, the BAFTA Award for Best Actor in a Leading Role, and the Golden Globe Award for Best Actor – Motion Picture Drama for his role in "Mona Lisa." He also won a Canadian Genie Award for Best Actor in a Leading Role for "Felicia's Journey" and an International Emmy Award for Best Actor for his appearance on the BBC One drama "The Street" in 2009.
In 2012, Hoskins retired from acting due to Parkinson's disease, with which he had been diagnosed the previous year. He passed away on April 29, 2014.

Robert William Hoskins was born in Bury St Edmunds on October 26, 1942, to Elsie (née Hopkins), who worked as a cook and nursery school teacher, and Robert Hoskins, who was a bookkeeper and lorry driver. Hoskins had a diverse heritage, with one of his grandmothers being Romani. His family relocated to the Finsbury Park area of London when he was just two weeks old.
Hoskins attended Stroud Green Secondary School, where he faced challenges due to his dyslexia and was unfairly labeled as "stupid." Despite this, he persevered and left school at the age of 15 with only one O-Level qualification. He took on a variety of jobs, including working as a porter, lorry driver, plumber, and window cleaner. Although he started an accountancy course, he did not complete it.
During his early adulthood, Hoskins embarked on adventurous journeys, spending six months on a kibbutz in Israel and later two years tending to the camels of a Bedouin tribe in Syria. These experiences provided him with a rich tapestry of life experiences that would later inform his acting career.

Hoskins's career in acting commenced in 1968 at the Victoria Theatre in Stoke-on-Trent, where he debuted in a rendition of Romeo and Juliet, portraying a servant named Peter. A year later, while idling in the bar at Unity Theatre, London, Hoskins unexpectedly found himself auditioning for a play, prompted by the sudden handover of a script with the words, "You're next." His impromptu audition proved successful, leading to his becoming the understudy of his friend, the actor Roger Frost. Frost regarded Hoskins as "a natural," recalling his effortless brilliance on stage.

In the latter part of 1969, he joined Bolton's Octagon Theatre outreach troupe, which eventually evolved into the Ken Campbell Roadshow.
Hoskins's tenure in London's theater scene featured notable performances, including a robust portrayal of Alfred Doolittle in Bernard Shaw's Pygmalion alongside Diana Rigg in the West End production at the Albery Theatre in 1974. Additionally, he starred as Rocky the bartender in the Royal Shakespeare Company's rendition of Eugene O'Neill's The Iceman Cometh at the Aldwych Theatre in 1976, sharing the stage with Patrick Stewart. Furthermore, he headlined alongside Helen Mirren in The Duchess of Malfi at the Royal Exchange Theatre, Manchester, and later at the London Roundhouse in 1981.

His breakthrough on television arrived with his role in On the Move (1975–1976), an educational drama series directed by Barbara Derkow, where he portrayed Alf Hunt, a removal man grappling with literacy issues. His television prominence soared further with his portrayal of Arthur Parker, an adulterous sheet music salesman, in Dennis Potter's Pennies from Heaven (1978). He notably played Iago opposite Anthony Hopkins in Jonathan Miller's BBC Television Shakespeare production of Othello (1981). Hoskins also lent his voice to commercials, including an advert for Weetabix in 1983, and appeared in promotional campaigns for British Gas and British Telecom during the late 1980s and early 1990s. His television repertoire expanded to include roles in Flickers, David Copperfield (1999), and The Wind in the Willows (2006).

In film, Hoskins gained critical acclaim with his roles in British productions like The Long Good Friday (1980) and Mona Lisa (1986), the latter earning him numerous accolades, including a Cannes Award, a Golden Globe, BAFTA Awards, and an Academy Award nomination. His cinematic ventures also encompassed roles such as Spoor in Terry Gilliam's Brazil (1985), Smee in Hook (1991), and Uncle Bart in Unleashed (2005). He directed and starred in two films, The Raggedy Rawney (1988) and Rainbow (1996), and produced Mrs Henderson Presents, garnering a Golden Globe nomination for Best Supporting Actor.

A pinnacle moment in his illustrious career arrived when he brought the private investigator Edward "Eddie" Valiant to life in the live-action/animated family hit, Who Framed Roger Rabbit (1988). Interestingly, Hoskins wasn't the initial choice for the role – it was considered for actors like Harrison Ford, Bill Murray, and Eddie Murphy. Nevertheless, film critics, including Gene Siskel and Roger Ebert, unanimously praised Hoskins's portrayal, deeming him the perfect fit. His portrayal demanded mime training to seamlessly interact with animated characters, an experience that lingered in hallucinations for months post-filming. The performance earned him a Golden Globe nomination and a British Evening Standard Award.

Hoskins's versatility extended to American characters, with his portrayal of the Los Angeles investigator Valiant being just one example. His ability to adopt an American accent was lauded by many, surpassing even native American actors according to Trey Barrineau of USA Today. Notable American roles included gangster Owney Madden in The Cotton Club (1984), Gus Klein in Shattered (1991), J. Edgar Hoover in Nixon (1995), and Eddie Mannix in Hollywoodland (2006). He nearly replaced Robert De Niro as Al Capone in The Untouchables (1987), a gesture acknowledged by De Palma with a £20,000 cheque and a "Thank You" note, prompting a humorous inquiry from Hoskins.

Reflecting on his career in a 1988 interview, Hoskins humorously remarked on his propensity for playing underworld characters, attributing it to his distinctive appearance. However, he expressed regret over his involvement in Super Mario Bros. (1993), labeling it as the "worst thing I ever did." He endured injuries on set, coped with boredom by indulging in alcohol with co-star John Leguizamo, and only discovered the film's video game origins after production.
In later years, Hoskins made appearances in Jamie T's music video for "Sheila" (2007) and returned to television for Jimmy McGovern's drama serial The Street (2009), earning an Emmy for Best Actor at the 2010 International Emmys. Despite his enduring talent, Hoskins announced his retirement from acting on 8 August 2012, following a diagnosis of Parkinson's disease in 2011.