Bob Hoskins (full name
Robert William Hoskins) (born
1942) is a British
actor who specialises in playing Cockney rough diamonds and/or gangsters but has also appeared to international audiences in films such as
Who Framed Roger Rabbit. Born in
Bury St. Edmunds,
Suffolk,
England, Hoskins had a number of occupations before going into acting, and made his stage début in
1969. He hit the big time in
1978 when he starred in
Dennis Potter's successful
BBC drama serial,
Pennies from Heaven, and his performances in British films such as
Mona Lisa (
1986) and
The Long Good Friday[?] (
1980) won him the approval of the critics. He has also directed films.