Tobias Menzies was born in North London, England, the son of Gillian (nÃ©e Simpson), a teacher, and Peter Menzies, a BBC radio producer. He has one younger brother, Luke, who is a solicitor.
Cinnabar is a toxic mercury sulfide mineral with a chemical composition of HgS. It is the only important ore of mercury. It has a bright red color that has caused people to use it as a pigment and carve it into jewelry and ornaments for thousands of years in many parts of the world.
Because cinnabar is the only important ore of mercury, the demand for mercury has driven mining activity. Mercury has many uses, but its toxicity has reduced its use in any application where reasonable substitutes can be found.