Background
Wilkinson was born in Wharfedale, Yorkshire, England, the son of Marjorie and Thomas Wilkinson, a farmer.
Wilkinson was born in Wharfedale, Yorkshire, England, the son of Marjorie and Thomas Wilkinson, a farmer.
Wilkinson graduated from the University of Kent, where he was a member of T24 Drama Society (then named UKCD) and attended the Royal Academy of Dramatic Artist
Wilkinson made his acting debut in 1976 and worked on several British television series, most notably the mini-series First Among Equals (1986). He first gained critical acclaim with his appearance as Mr. Pecksniff, in the British Broadcasting Corporation"s 1994 adaptation of Martin Chuzzlewit.
He made only the occasional film, including a brief appearance in 1995"s Sense and Sensibility and a villain in The Ghost and the Darkness (1996).
After becoming part of the ensemble cast of the comedy-drama The Full Monty in 1997, a role which earned him a British Academy of Film and Television Arts, he began to take film roles more frequently, including supporting roles in Oscar and Lucinda, Wilde, Shakespeare in Love, and The Patriot. He also starred with Jackie Chan in the 1998 film Rush Hour, as the evil British Ambassador/Juntao.
His portrayal of Matt Fowler, in Todd Field"s In the Bedroom, received international praise from critics. That success was followed up by Eternal Sunshine of the Spotless Mind, Normal, The Exorcism of Emily Rose, Batman Begins, and Separate Lies.
The same year, he played an uncle planning for murder in Woody Allen"s Cassandra"s Dream.
In 2008, Wilkinson portrayed American patriot Benjamin Franklin in the Home Box Office mini-series John Adams. He also received a Golden Globe Award and Screen Actors" Guild Award nomination for his role in John Adams. He also portrayed Friedrich Fromm, Commander in Chief of the German Reserve Army, alongside Tom Cruise in the 2008 World World War II thriller Valkyrie.
Wilkinson starred in the horror comedy Burke and Hare, which is directed by John Landis.
He portrayed a covert Central Intelligence Agency agent in Roman Polanski"s The Ghost Writer. Earlier that year, he appeared in The Green Hornet and Mission: Impossible – Ghost Protocol.
