Dr Geoffrey Rush is one of Australia's best-known actors.

Born in Toowoomba in 1951, he arrived in Brisbane in 1968 and performed with the College Players, a group founded by Bryan Nason at The University of Queensland. While studying at UQ between 1969 and 1971, Dr Rush was active in the drama society.

Dr Rush graduated with a Bachelor of Arts from UQ in 1972, and to further his physical skills, he subsequently enrolled in the physically demanding Jacques Lecoq mime program in Paris.

He returned to Brisbane and the Queensland Theatre Company in 1978, where he showed the benefits of his physical training in King Lear. In 1979, he co-starred in Waiting for Godot with Mel Gibson, then a fellow struggling actor with whom he shared an apartment. 

Dr Rush's stage career has ranged from starring as the dog Snoopy in You're a Good Man Charlie Brown, to leading roles in works by Chekhov and Oscar Wilde. His film performances since 1981 are extensive, buiding an illustrious profile. They include his portrayal of David Helfgott, the classical pianist in 1997's Shine, for which he received the 1997 Golden Globe, British and American Academy awards.

For the supporting role of Philip Henslowe, the Rose Theatre owner in Shakespeare in Love, Dr Rush received his second Academy Award nomination and the 1999 British Academy Best Supporting Actor award. In 1999, he played the Marquis de Sade in Quills, for which he earned another Oscar nomination for Best Actor. His more recent film appearances include roles in the Pirates of the Carribean series, Munich and Elizabeth: The Golden Age.

Dr Rush was awarded an honorary doctorate of letters from UQ in 1997 and was 1998 UQ Alumnus of the Year.