Top 10 Interesting Facts about Geoffrey Rush   

Geoffrey Rush. Photo By Eva Rinaldi – Wikimedia

Top 10 Interesting Facts About Geoffrey Rush   

Geoffrey Roy Rush is an Australian actor. He won the Triple Crown in Acting which is an Academy Award for the film, a Primetime Emmy Award for television, and a Tony Award for theatre. 

He has achieved so much in his acting career. Recently, he received the Award for Outstanding Artistic Contribution to World Cinema at the Karlovy Vary International Film Festival. 

Here are the top 10 interesting facts about Geoffrey Rush. 

1. He Grew Up in Brisbane 

Rush was born on 6th July 1951 at Toowoomba in Queensland, Australia. His father, Roy Baden Rush was of English, Irish, and Scottish ancestry, while his mother, Merle, was of German descent. He has one sibling, an older sister. 

His parents divorced when he was five. After the split up, his mother went with him back to her parent’s house in suburban Brisbane, Queensland and that is where he grew up. 

2. His Debut on Stage Was in a Play 

Geoffrey Rush. Photo By Eva Rinaldi – Wikimedia Commons

Before he began his acting career, Rush attended Everton Park State High School. He then proceeded to the University of Queensland and graduated with a bachelor’s degree in Arts.  

While at university, he was talent-spotted by Queensland Theatre Company (QTC) in Brisbane. His early interest in the theatre led to his 1971 stage debut at age 20 in “Wrong Side of the Moon” with the Queensland Theatre Company.   

That was just the beginning because he went on to appear in 17 productions. He has gone on record as having stated that he prefers to act on stage more than on film. 

In 1975, Rush went to Paris for two years and studied mime, movement, and theatre at L’École Internationale de Théâtre Jacques Lecoq, before returning to resume his stage career with QTC. 

3. Mel Gibson Was His Roomie for Some Months   

In 1979, Geoffrey Rush was roommates with fellow Australian actor Mel Gibson. The two shared an apartment for four months while they co-starred in the stage production of Waiting for Godot at the Jane Street Theatre in Sydney, Australia.  

The young Rush who was still in college, played Vladimir in the play while Mel Gibson was Estragon. Rush made an inauspicious debut in films with the feature Hoodwink (1981), having little more than a bit part, and didn’t carry off his first major role until playing Sir Andrew Aguecheek in a movie production of Twelfth Night (1986).  

Yet, he remained a durable presence on stage with acclaimed productions in “The Diary of a Madman” in 1989 and “The Government Inspector” in 1991. 

4. He Marriage has Lasted Over 30 Years  

Geoffrey Rush with his wife Jane Menelaus. Photo by the office of the Governor-General – Wikimedia Commons

Since 1988, Rush has been married to actress Jane Menelaus, with whom he has a daughter and a son. Rush lives in Melbourne, and spent several years in Castlemaine, Victoria.   

Jane Menelaus has worked with both the South Australian and Melbourne Theatre Companies. Her stage work has included an appearance in the Shakespeare play, The Winter’s Tale with the State Theatre Company of South Australia in 1987 at The Playhouse in Adelaide, South Australia.

Another Shakespeare play was Troilus and Cressida, at the Old Museum Building in 1989.  Geoffrey Rush was a fellow cast member in these two productions.  Working together has never been an issue for this couple.

Even as she did other plays, Jane Menelaus appeared in an ongoing production of ‘The Importance of Being Earnest’ as Gwendolen Fairfax, with Geoffrey Rush as John Worthing. The play’s popularity is shown by the fact that the production lasted over a period from 1988 to 1992, and was televised by  ABC. 

5. He Suffered a Nervous Breakdown at Some Point 

In 1992 Geoffrey Rush suffered a nervous breakdown due to overwork. He was also depressed over his lack of career advancement after missing out on the acting roles that he wanted.

He didn’t return to the stage for a few years following the temporary nervous breakdown. After resting for a time, he eventually returned to the acting scene. 

6. Rush is a Good Actor and He Has Won Multiple Awards 

This actor has received various honors over his career. In 1994, he bagged the Sidney Myer Performing Arts Awards. Again in 1996, he won the Best Actor Oscar for portraying the real-life character David Helfgott in the film “Shine”. 

He was named 2012 Australian of the Year, while the previous year he had been honored with Santa Barbara International Film Festival’s Montecito Award. 

In 2022, he received the Award for Outstanding Artistic Contribution to World Cinema at the Karlovy Vary International Film Festival. These are just a few of the multiple awards he has achieved. 

He was the foundation president of the Australian Academy of Cinema and Television Arts. 

7. He Won a Defamation Case Over Misreporting of Misconduct Allegation  

Geoffrey Rush. Photo By Maximilian Bühn – Wikimedia

Rush filed a defamation lawsuit against the Australian tabloid The Daily Telegraph over an article alleging Rush acted inappropriately toward an actress.  

The actor stated that as a result of the allegations, he had been suffering from anxiety, insomnia, and loss of appetite, and felt that “his worth to the theatre and film industry was now irreparably damaged”. 

He won a $2.9 million payout from The Daily Telegraph and its publisher Nationwide News in November 2019. The ruling was upheld on appeal in July 2020. 

8. He was Alumnus of the Year 

Rush was named Alumnus of the Year by the University of Queensland, Australia in 1998. He was awarded an Honorary Doctorate of Letters by the University that same year. 

Rush was awarded the Australian of the Year Award in 2012 by Australian PM Julia Gillard. 

9. His Favorite Film is City Lights  

City Lights, the 1931 film, is the actor’s favorite movie and loves showing it to people who have never seen the film before.

He enjoys the film so much that he often throws parties at his home where he screens the movie for people who haven’t seen it. 

Other favorites include Zelig (1983), War and Peace (1965), Persona (1966), and I Remember (1973). 

10. Rush Plays the Piano 

Geoffrey Rush. Photo By Eva Rinaldi – Wikimedia

Rush is an accomplished pianist. In the 1996 film “Shine”, he needed no hand to stand in during filming. The actor played almost all of the pieces in the movie himself.  

‘Shine’ is a 1996 Australian biographical psychological drama film based on the life of David Helfgott, a pianist who suffered a mental breakdown and spent years in institutions.