He started his career in the year 1984 and went on to become a heartthrob of 90's when he played Fitzwilliam Darcy of the popular BBC series Pride and Prejudice. In the year 2010 he received the prestigious Academy Award for Best Actor for the movie King's Speech.

Yes, we are talking about the talented actor Colin Firth who is celebrating his 52nd birthday today.

Colin Firth started his acting career in the year 1983 as Guy Bennett in the award-winning London stage production of Another Country. In 1984, he made his film debut in the screen adaptation of the play, taking the role of Tommy Judd. Though he had done films earlier, it was the BBC drama Pride and Prejudice that brought him to limelight. And today it has been more than 16 years that he achieved heart-throb status as Darcy. 

He won several accolades for his 2010 film King’s Speech. At the Toronto International Film Festival (TIFF), the film was met with a standing ovation. The TIFF release of The King's Speech fell on Colin's 50th birthday and was called the "best 50th birthday gift".

Apart from being an actor Firth is also a well known writer. Firth's first published work, "The Department of Nothing", appeared in Speaking with the Angel.This collection of short stories was edited by Nick Hornby and was published to benefit the TreeHouse Trust, in aid of autistic children. His book, We Are One: A Celebration of Tribal Peoples, explores the culture of peoples around the world, portraying both its diversity and facing threats.

As an activist he is a long-standing supporter of Survival International, a non-governmental organisation that defends the rights of tribal peoples. Colin is also committed to protecting the environment; in 2009 he joined the 10:10 project to support the movement calling for people to reduce their carbon footprint.

Let us wish this talented actor a Very Happy Birthday!!!