National Galleries of Scotland

Born in Glasgow, Capaldi studied at Glasgow School of Art before, at the age of twenty-three, landing a role in the 1983 film, `Local Hero?. Sailing on its success Capaldi featured in several films and TV shows. In 1995 he won the best Live Action Short Film Oscar for `Franz Kafka?s It?s a Wonderful Life?, which he wrote and directed. In 2010 he won a BAFTA for his intense performance as the government spin-doctor, Malcolm Tucker, in the BBC comedy series `The Thick of It?. Taken in 1999, this photograph shows the actor as a contemplative figure, looking out of the composition as though distracted by something beyond the frame.