Trivia

In his earlier years before acting, he wound up looking after camels in Syria and later packing fruit on a kibbutz in Israel, among many other odd jobs.

Dropping out of school at age 15, he worked odd jobs, including a fire eater in a circus.

Claimed to never have taken an acting lesson in his life and believes in the talent to be "all natural".

(August 8, 2012) Announced his retirement from acting after the diagnosis of Parkinson's disease in Autumn 2011.

Did not start acting until he was 26 years old.

His acting career began in 1969 at the Unity Theatre. One evening, he was waiting in the Unity Theatre bar for his friend, the actor Roger Frost, to finish an audition. Whilst drinking at the bar, he was given a script and told "You're next.".

He was friends with actor/gangster John Bindon and gave a character reference at his Old Bailey murder trial. Bindon was acquitted.

Described himself as "Five-foot-six and cubic". He once described his face as looking like squashed cabbage.

His grandmother was a Romani (Gypsy). His film, The Raggedy Rawney (1988), was based on stories his grandmother used to tell him.

He played the role of Smee, Captain Hook's right hand man, in both Hook (1991) and Neverland (2011).

He was Brian De Palma's second choice for the role of Al Capone in The Untouchables (1987) if Robert De Niro was not available. Hoskins was reportedly given a six-figure paycheck by De Palma for "being a great standby".

Has portrayed four World War II leaders in films: Nikita Khrushchev (Enemy at the Gates (2001)), Winston Churchill (Then There Were Giants (1994)), Benito Mussolini (Mussolini and I (1985)) and Lavrenti Beria (The Inner Circle (1991)).

Father of Rosa Hoskins (born 1983) and Jack Hoskins (born 1986) with Linda Banwell.

Worked as a porter, lorry driver and window cleaner before he discovered acting.

Was the only child of a bookkeeper and nursery school teacher.

His remains are buried in London's Highgate West Cemetery.

Adopted an American accent for the role of Eddie Valiant in Who Framed Roger Rabbit (1988).

The first record he bought was "Your Eyes Are the Eyes of a Woman in Love" by Frankie Laine. He was a huge fan of jazz music and his favorite albums include "Kind of Blue" by Miles Davis and "Lambert, Hendricks, & Ross!".

Was the original choice to play Buster Edwards in Buster (1988), but the filmmakers decided the role of a cockney villain was too close to roles he had played before in The Long Good Friday (1980) and Mona Lisa (1986), so singer Phil Collins was cast instead.

Replaced Danny DeVito as Mario Mario in Super Mario Bros. (1993).

Attended and graduated from the Central School of Speech and Drama in London, England.

He turned down the role of Harry Lyme in Home Alone (1990).

He was awarded the 1982 Critics' Circle Theatre Awards (Drama Theatre Award) for Best Actor of 1981 for his performance in "Guys and Dolls" and "True West".

Spent several seasons with the Royal National Theatre and the Old Vic Theatre in London, where his credits included everything from a range of Shakespeare to Chechov to Shaw.

He has appeared in one film that has been selected for the National Film Registry by the Library of Congress as being "culturally, historically or aesthetically" significant: Who Framed Roger Rabbit (1988).

Ranked #97 in Empire (UK) magazine's "The Top 100 Movie Stars of All Time" list. (October 1997)

Father of Alex Hoskins (born 1968) and Sarah Hoskins (born 1972) with Jane Livesey.

Attempted a three-year accounting course, but dropped out.

All the lines of the character Wermit in the film In Search of La Che (2011) are all quotes of Bob Hoskins.

His father was a communist and brought up Hoskins to be an atheist.

He was considered for the role of Doctor Octopus in Spider-Man 2 (2004) that went to Alfred Molina.

Was considered for the role of Senator Ralph Owen Brewster in The Aviator (2004), before Alan Alda was cast.

He was considered for the role of The Penguin in Batman Returns (1992) that went to Danny DeVito.

In 1983, Hoskins' voice was used in an advert for Weetabix and during the late 1980s and early 1990s, he appeared in advertising for the recently privatized companies of British Gas and British Telecom (now BT Group).

In 1967, aged 25, Hoskins spent a short period of time volunteering in kibbutz Zikim in Israel, and also herded camels in Syria.

He was offered the role of Jack Ruby in Ruby (1992), but he was busy working on Hook (1991) and had to turn it down. It would have been his third collaboration with John MacKenzie after The Long Good Friday (1980) and The Honorary Consul (1983).

He was considered for the role of Horace Slughorn in Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince (2009) that went to Jim Broadbent.

He was considered for the role of Salvatore Maroni in The Dark Knight (2008) that went to Eric Roberts.

He turned down the role of Ralph in Romancing the Stone (1984) that went to Danny DeVito.

According to Barry Letts in Beginning the End: Making 'the Time Warrior' (2007), Hoskins was his first choice for the role of Irongron in The Time Warrior: Part One (1973). Hoskins was not available to take the part but recommended David Daker, who was cast instead.

His favourite book was "Mr Norris Changes Trains", by Christopher Isherwood.

Appears in the music video of Jamie T's song "Sheila".

He was considered for the role of Dr. Weeks in American Friends (1991) that went to Alun Armstrong.

He was the first choice for Pop Larkin in The Darling Buds of May (1991). It was eventually decided that his fame as a film actor would cause problems and David Jason got the part.

He was considered for the role of Leo Lemke in The Butcher's Wife (1991) that went to George Dzundza.

His obituary in The Guardian newspaper was written by Helen Mirren who had co-starred with him in The Long Good Friday (1980) and Last Orders (2001).

He was considered for the role of Lt. Senna in Homicide (1991) that went to Vincent Guastaferro.

He was named as Best Actor for Mona Lisa at the Cannes Film Festival in 1986.

1986 he was signed to play Al Capone in The Untouchables then director Brian de Palma decided to sign Robert de Niro instead causing Paramount to pay Bob £130,000 for doing nothing.

Born on exactly the same date as Chelcie Ross.