James Wilby

James Wilby intrigues me first for his unlikely birthplace, Yangon, an English actor whose roots reach into Southeast Asia. There is a whole family history hinted at there. A Durham University graduate, he delivered his defining work in Maurice (1987), a performance subtle enough to win the Volpi Cup at Venice. I have a soft spot for British actors who win through interior nuance rather than flash, and Wilby embodies that restraint. Moving easily between stage, film, and television, he is the kind of dependable, finely trained presence the industry quietly relies on. To me he is an understated but genuine asset of British acting.

Name (English)

James Wilby

Name (Japanese)

ジェームズ・ウィルビー

Reading

じぇーむず・うぃるびー

Born

February 20, 1958 (age 68)

Zodiac / Chinese zodiac

Pisces / Dog

Origin

Yangon, Myanmar

Occupation

actor / stage actor / film actor / television actor

University

Durham University

• Wikipedia (English)https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/James%20Wilby
• Wikipedia (Japanese)https://ja.wikipedia.org/wiki/%E3%82%B8%E3%82%A7%E3%83%BC%E3%83%A0%E3%82%BA%E3%83%BB%E3%82%A6%E3%82%A3%E3%83%AB%E3%83%93%E3%83%BC
• Wikidatahttps://www.wikidata.org/wiki/Q652715

Tags

• actor
• stage actor
• film actor

Last updated

2026-06-21

Facts are limited to publicly available information up to 2024; non-public or unconfirmed items are omitted. English text is machine-assisted (facts translated by Sonnet, "My Take" written by Opus 4.8). The Japanese page is the source of record.