Actor Geoffrey Rush was little known outside his native Australia when he soared to international prominence on the wings of his remarkable portrayal of eccentric pianist David Helfgott in Scott Hicks' acclaimed biopic "Shine" (1996), for which he won a slew of awards, including an Oscar for Best Actor. Arguably his country's top stage actor, he had made his mark specializing in madmen, clowns and misfit alcoholics – in his own words "marginalized eccentrics.” Though suited to play the former musical prodigy sidelined by mental illness, it was his own 1992 "down on all fours, barking mad"
