While he was once most closely associated with romantic comedy roles, Colin Firth has become one of the best and most versatile actors of his generation. Firth is a charming actor who isn’t afraid to take on humorous parts, but his strength as a dramatic performer has earned him serious accolades, including an Academy Award for Best Actor. The sincerity and vulnerability that he brings to his role prove why Firth remains a popular pick for prestigious directors.

Firth is a rare actor who can succeed regardless of the size of his role. For example, his limited parts in films like 1917 and Love Actually don't stop him from giving impressive performances that contribute to the overall narrative. Although he has appeared in his fair share of sequels, Firth's commitment to original material keeps his career so continuously exciting. These are Colin Firth's best movies, a versatile and rewarding collection that cements his reputation as a modern titan of the screen.

10 ‘Kingsman: The Secret Service’ (2015)

Directed by Matthew Vaughn

Matthew Vaughn’s adaptation of Mark Millar’s acclaimed comic book series Kingsman: The Secret Service offers a subversive and highly stylized reinvention of the spy movie genre and pays extensive tributes to the James Bond and Jason Bourne franchises. Taron Egerton gives a breakout performance as the young recruit Eggsy, while Firth challenges expectations by playing the role of a veteran spy.

The Oscar winner depicts Harry as a respectful gentleman who is more than willing to take out bad guys in an incredibly brutal fashion. Firth understands the tone of Kingsman perfectly, adding snarky humor to indicate the film isn’t at risk of taking itself too seriously. While the Kingsman franchise has lost its way in recent years, there’s still hope that the upcoming third installment in the original trilogy will give Firth enough material to conclude Harry’s story on a satisfying note.

9 ‘Shakespeare in Love’ (1998)

Directed by John Madden

While a controversial Best Picture winner, taking the top prize over Steven Spielberg’s World War II epic Saving Private Ryan, Shakespeare in Love is a witty and insightful examination of the origins of William Shakespeare’s most famous plays. Joseph Fiennes takes on the role of the Bard, with Firth as the wicked and cantankerous aristocrat Lord Wessex. His presence in the story is essential to adding tension between Shakespeare and his love interest, Viola de Lesseps (Gwyneth Paltrow).

Shakespeare in Love is further proof of Firth’s comedic abilities, as he adds humorous relief without breaking the film’s sense of realism. There’s a universality to the humor and romance of Shakespeare in Love that has made it age very well. It has references tailor-made for Shakespeare fans, but those unfamiliar with his work can still get swept away by the enchanting romantic story.

8 ‘Mamma Mia!’ (2008)

Directed by Phyllida Lloyd

Based on the acclaimed stage musical of the same name, Mamma Mia! is a delightfully melodramatic crowd-pleaser that allows its stars to showcase their musical abilities. Pierce Brosnan's singing has been decried, but Firth proves to be a fairly competent performer worthy of delivering ABBA's classic tunes. There’s a tongue-in-cheek quality to Mamma Mia! that makes it very entertaining; even the more emotional scenes between bride-to-be Sophie (Amanda Seyfried) and her mother, Donna (Meryl Streep), are tinged with comedy.

Mamma Mia! showed that Firth could make the most of a supporting role. The film is more heavily focused on the interpersonal relationships between the female protagonists; still, the banter between Firth and Stellan Skarsgård gives Mamma Mia! some of its biggest laugh-out-loud moments. Firth thankfully understood the campy tone that director Phyllida Lloyd was aiming for and surrendered to it.

7 ‘Girl With a Pearl Earring’ (2003)

Directed by Peter Webber

While best known for Scarlett Johansson's acclaimed performance, Girl With A Pearl Earring also features one of the most uncharacteristically subtle performances of Firth’s career. The film explores the intimate relationship between the acclaimed painter Johannes Vermeer (Firth) and his muse, Griet (Johansson), who serves as the inspiration for one of his most famous paintings. While Griet distracts herself with the village boy, Pieter (Cillian Murphy), Vermeer longs for her.

Girl With A Pearl Earring examines longing and repression within relationships and features excellent, quiet, and often unsettling chemistry between Firth and Johansson. Firth perfectly captures the mindset of a brilliant artist who masks his loneliness. Girl with a Pearl Earring serves as an insightful teaching tool for anyone interested in this era of art history, as director Peter Webber crafts a gorgeous recreation of the 17th-century Dutch Republic.

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6 ‘Bridget Jones's Diary' (2001)

Directed by Sharon Maguire

Firth added a worthy new entry to the romantic comedy canon with his performance in Bridget Jones's Diary. The breakout film of Renee Zellweger's career, which landed her an Academy Award nomination for Best Actress, Bridget Jones owes as much to Firth's work as Mark Darcy. In a story that navigates between superficial humor and earnest sincerity, Firth gives a performance that reflects both intentions.

By building on everything he built with the beloved BBC adaptation of Pride and Prejudice, Bridget Jones's Diary introduced Firth to a larger international audience. His previous work had largely been in British cinema, but Bridget Jones's Diary suggested that Firth wasn't opposed to more broadly appealing commercial projects. The film became the rare romantic comedy that spawned a franchise, with the sequels Bridget Jones: The Edge of Reason and Bridget Jones's Baby released in the subsequent two decades and a third underway.

5 ‘Supernova’ (2021)

Directed by Harry Macqueen

Firth shows a more complicated side of a romantic relationship in the hidden gem Supernova. The Oscar winner stars as a successful musician who discovers his long-term partner (Stanley Tucci) has dementia and will soon stop recognizing him. The couple tries to celebrate a happy reunion with their family while plagued with anxiety as they consider what the future entails.

The strong chemistry between Firth and Tucci makes Supernova even more heartbreaking; even the happy moments between the couple are undercut by the eventuality of the disease. It would have been easy for Supernova to opt for a more melodramatic depiction of death and remorse, but the sensitive depiction of compassion between men makes it one of the more underrated romantic dramas of the 2020s.

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4 ‘Tinker Tailor Soldier Spy’ (2011)

Directed by Tomas Alfredson

The work of author John le Carre has inspired many great adaptations. Tinker Tailor Soldier Spy is a fiercely intelligent spy thriller that examines the height of the Cold War between the United Kingdom and the Soviet Union. Gary Oldman’s performance as the veteran spy George Smiley earned him an Academy Award nomination for Best Actor, while Firth had a critical supporting role as Deputy Bill Haydon. Haydon must mask his past after Smiley suspects that he could be a double agent for the communists.

Firth does a great job masking Haydon’s motivations, so the film’s climactic plot twist comes as a complete shock. Tinker Tailor Soldier Spy has a stacked cast that includes Tom Hardy, Benedict Cumberbatch, John Hurt, Toby Jones, and Mark Strong, among others. However, Firth remains a complete scene-stealer, bringing a stoic quality that enhances the film's clinical tone.

3 ‘The English Patient’ (1996)

Directed by Anthony Minghella

Another Best Picture winner with an insightful look at history, The English Patient tells an epic love story set during the height of World War I. The primary focus of the story is the romance between characters played by Ralph Fiennes and Kristin Scott Thomas, with Firth in an excellent supporting role as her husband.

At nearly three hours long, the film has more than enough time to thoroughly develop each of the characters and detail their motivations. The English Patient is haunting and beautiful, combining the passion of romance with the irrevocable horrors of post-traumatic stress disorder and warfare. One of the earliest major films of Firth’s career and his introduction to the complexities of awards season, The English Patient hinted at his interest in appearing in projects that shed light on important historical events.

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2 ‘A Single Man’ (2009)

Directed by Tom Ford

A Single Man is a very different romantic drama compared to Firth’s other work. He stars as a grieving professor wrestling with the death of his lover (Matthew Goode) while facing existential questions about his future. Easily one of the most heartbreaking roles of his career, A Single Man is a very internalized drama that focuses on Firth’s subtleties as an actor. His performance earned him his first Academy Award nomination for Best Actor.

Director Tom Ford takes a distinctive approach to the material, treating the story as a “slice of life” series of moments rather than a sequential series of events. Such a bold filmmaking choice could have easily landed the film with a toxic reputation, but Firth’s performance is so compelling that it’s impossible to ignore the majesty of A Single Man.

1 ‘The King’s Speech’ (2010)

Directed by Tom Hooper

Firth won a Best Actor Oscar for The King’s Speech, in which he portrayed the late British King George VI. While there have been many films about the British Royal Family, The King’s Speech examines how George became an inspirational figure to his people during World War II, when many feared that the country would collapse. Despite having a lifelong stutter, George delivers inspirational speeches with the help of a speech therapist (Geoffrey Rush) and his wife (Helena Bonham Carter).

Firth humanizes the King by examining his vulnerabilities and shortcomings, exploring how he handles and overcomes the unimaginable expectations placed upon him by his family after his brother (Guy Pearce) abdicates the throne. Although it obviously deals with some very serious issues, The King’s Speech incorporates some moments of humor thanks to the playful interactions between Firth and Rush.

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