Biography
Douglas Booth is a British actor, known to film fans for the biographical film Worrying About Boy, the tragedy Romeo and Juliet, and the drama series Great Expectations.
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Douglas Booth in 2020
His good looks, talent and charm allowed him to win an army of millions of fans. TV viewers are interested in Douglas for his unique combination of purely British style and non-trivial practicality. The actor himself said in an interview that he wants to work a lot and in all kinds of genres.
“Usually I read a script and suddenly realize that this is the character I would like to play now. I like to set new goals for myself, I like to challenge myself. I get bored very easily, so I like to overcome challenges.”
Childhood and youth
Booth was born in London on the coastal area of Greenwich, which locals call “the sea gate of Britain.” Vivien de Cala, Douglas's mother, who is of Dutch descent, is a visual artist. Simon Booth, the film star's father, is a financial consultant to shipping companies and banks. Douglas has an older sister, Abigail, who followed in her mother's footsteps: she graduated from Chelsea School of Fine Arts and became an artist.
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Douglas Booth and his mother
Douglas spent the first 10 years in London, and then moved to Sevenoaks, located in Kent, where he learned to play the trumpet. But due to dyslexia, which he suffered from birth, the boy had to change schools.
His disease did not have the most complex form: Booth read and wrote, but not at the speed required by the teachers. Later, the guy went to the diocesan Church of England school in Royal Tunbridge Wells and Lingfield Notre Dame school in Surrey.
As a child, Douglas preferred creativity - he played the trumpet and performed in school plays. After, at the age of 12, the boy played the main character in Aeschylus’s play “Agamemnon,” he realized that he liked to be the center of attention. Then Booth decided to become an actor.
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Douglas Booth as a child with his father
From the age of 13, Booth began studying acting at the National Youth Theater, then at the Guildhall School of Music and Theater. At 15, the young man became a client of the literary and theatrical agency Curtis Brown, thanks to whom he later received his first role. Thus began the creative biography of the British artist.
Douglas Booth and his personal life. News from Douglas Booth
If a film with a romantic plot has fans, then in the vast majority of cases they yearn for the love story of their favorite characters to be magically transferred from the screens to real life. The actors of the series “Great Expectations” Douglas Booth and Vanessa Kirby were no exception – fortunately for thousands of fans, the romance of their characters found its place on this side of the screen.
Douglas Booth and Vanessa Kirby
According to the plot of the series, the characters of Douglas and Vanessa are the main characters in a reverent love story, as bewitching as Charles Dickens could have imagined in his time.
In real life, the stars of the well-known series are involved in an equally intricate web of relationships - apparently, this attraction, which grew between their characters from episode to episode, helped not only attract more than six million viewers to the screens, but also create a new couple.
Off the screen, Vanessa and her charming co-star with full lips and a disarming gaze flirt using modern technology - via Twitter. What can this fact mean for us? And the fact that communication on a social network makes their frisky and playful dialogues accessible to the whole world.
Romance reports have been circulating since September last year, when handsome 19-year-old Burberry model Douglas Booth finished filming scenes with 24-year-old Vanessa.
Indeed, it was Douglas, an active Twitter user, who insisted that his partner join the social network, writing:
"fan not found my Great Expectations co-star... Well, we'll be reading her tweets soon."
Internet flirting continued for quite a long time. But don’t think that everything is so simple - the actors’ communication also took place outside the social network.
Douglas began accompanying Vanessa to various events after filming of the series ended.
They looked very natural next to each other during the Mulberry show as part of London Fashion Week, and the next day the young people posed together at the Burberry show.
An eyewitness reported:
“We saw him kissing and caressing a blonde, who turned out to be Vanessa. They touched each other constantly, especially during breaks.”
Unfortunately, official representatives of the actors refused to comment on the personal lives of celebrities. Moreover, at one time the actors decided to radically protect the public from themselves and did not allow them to know about their personal lives.
Avid Twitter fan Douglas Booth even deleted his Twitter account! Well, it’s not for nothing that celebrities who have experience of romantic relationships with fellow celebrities strongly recommend not allowing the masses into the Holy of Holies - the stronger the relationship, the less the whole world knows about their details. Perhaps there is common sense in this approach - the details of the relationship between Douglas and Vanessa remain a mystery, but, fortunately for everyone, there is no news about their separation or quarrels either, which means we can only be happy for our idols.
Douglas Booth and Miley Cyrus
Movies
17-year-old Douglas Booth made his film debut in the television adventure film “From Time to Time,” based on the novel by children’s writer Lucy Boston. The film told the story of a little traveler who, from the crucible of World War II, finds himself in the 19th century and reveals family secrets.
Douglas Booth as Boy George (still from the film "Worrying about Boy")
The next project, called “Worrying about Boy,” was also a television project. In this biographical drama, Booth portrayed the famous pop singer Boy George. The actor showed the musician's creative path from an unknown showman, dressing in women's clothing to perform in third-rate cabarets, to a first-rate star of the English music scene.
The role, as Booth later admitted, turned out to be the most difficult task he had ever faced. After all, literally every step of George is documented, almost everything is known about him, and not a drop of lies could be allowed.
Douglas Booth (still from the series "Great Expectations")
Real success and popularity came to Douglas after he appeared in the dramatic television series Great Expectations, based on the cult novel by Charles Dickens. Booth portrays on the screen a simple village boy, Pip, a blacksmith's apprentice, who is mysteriously blessed with fortune and great opportunities. The first episode of the film was watched by 7 million viewers. Such popularity allowed the British to reach a new level.
The next time the actor made people talk about himself was in 2013, when he starred in another film adaptation of a classic work - Shakespeare's Romeo and Juliet, where Romeo Montague plays. The role of his young lover went to the young American actress Hailee Steinfeld. Compared to a traditional play, Booth's role is expanded to include lines from some characters excluded from the plot.
Hailee Steinfeld and Douglas Booth (still from the film "Romeo and Juliet")
Before filming began, Douglas kept in mind the image created by Leonardo DiCaprio, which at one time caused a lot of noise. Booth admires his older colleague:
“If I could die being half the actor he is, I would die a happy person. He is the one who has endured various trials. When he was young, he came across as a heartthrob, everyone talked about his looks, but he knew he didn't want it for himself - he was in it for the job. He has achieved the perfect balance of creative achievement and personal success."
In 2014, Darren Aronofsky's colorful fantasy Noah was released, based on the biblical story of the Flood and the righteous Noah, who, with the blessing of God, builds an ark to save his family and a couple of animals of each species. In this film, Douglas Booth played Shem, one of Noah's sons. Russell Crowe, Jennifer Connelly, Emma Watson, Logan Lerman participated in the filming. The film at the Russian box office set a box office record - it collected more than 600 million rubles in the first weekend.
Douglas Booth (still from the film “Summer. Odnoklassniki. Love”)
The filming of the comedy “Summer.Odnoklassniki.Love” (LOL) was, according to Douglas, “cool”: the film crew visited Paris, Chicago and Detroit. The young actors - Booth, Ashley Greene, Miley Cyrus, Jean-Luc Bilodeau - were constantly having fun, enjoying communication with each other, so that the atmosphere was not much like work.
Booth also became one of the spoiled bohemians, having played in the thriller “The Rebel Club,” which tells the story of the golden youth of Britain. First-year Oxford students live, or rather, waste a life full of passions and vices. The film's cast includes Douglas' colleagues Sam Claflin and Max Irons. Robert Pattinson also auditioned, but was left out of work. Upon completion of filming, the actor said that he now knows how not to behave at parties.
Emma Greenwell and Douglas Booth (still from the film "Pride and Prejudice and Zombies")
The parody film “Pride and Prejudice and Zombies,” presented in 2020, is a combination of the ideas of Jane Austen’s imperishable novel and a fantastic apocalypse. Booth played a representative of a small male population, most of whom are fighting zombies. The ensemble cast included members of Downton Abbey, Maleficent and The Hunger Games. The role of the martial arts master was written for Natalie Portman, but in the end the actress remained the film's producer.
In the science-fiction action film Jupiter Ascending, Douglas appeared as the heir to an alien dynasty that owns the Earth. And Jupiter is not the name of a cosmic body, but the name of a girl whose existence confused the plans of the owners. The main roles in the film were given to Channing Tatum, Mila Kunis and Eddie Redmayne.
Douglas Booth (still from the series “And Then There Were None”)
The series “And Then There Were None” is an adaptation of Agatha Christie’s novel “Ten Little Indians.” The screen time during which the actor appears in front of the viewer is small: Booth’s character, a driver punished for the death of children under the wheels of his car, is poisoned in the 1st episode. The dispenser of justice was Charles Dance, who plays Tywin Lannister in Game of Thrones.
The full-length film “Love, Vincent” is entirely painted with oil paints on canvas. The project was funded by the Polish Film Institute, and the retraining of 115 professional painters from 19 countries to become animators was partially carried out through the Kickstarter crowdfunding platform.
Drawn by Douglas Booth (still from the film "Love, Vincent")
They created more than 65 thousand frames in the style of the Dutch post-impressionist Vincent van Gogh. Douglas has the main role of the son of a postman, whom his father instructs to deliver a letter to the artist's brother. During the trip, the young man tries to understand what brought Vincent to his tragic death.
In the detective thriller “Golem,” Booth played the famous comedian of Victorian England, Dan Leno, who had dreamed of serious dramatic roles all his life, and was also a suspect in serious crimes. The main characters include his troupe member Lizzie, played by Olivia Cooke, and the mysterious killer whose nickname becomes the title of the film.
Olivia Cooke and Douglas Booth (still from the film "Golem")
The handsome, tall (185 cm tall) actor fit perfectly into the role of George Byron's friend, publicist and poet Percy Bysshe Shelley in the drama Beauty for the Beast. For the sake of this man, the heroine Elle Fanning, in love, ran away from home. The star of “The Fatal Temptation” in this project played the writer Mary Shelley, the author of one of the first literary works in the horror genre. She was prompted to write “Frankenstein, or the Modern Prometheus” by the influence of her husband’s philosophical views.
Popularity
Despite the fact that the role in the film about the pop singer was favored by critics, it was not the big breakthrough in the career of Douglas Booth. All of Britain and television viewers from many other countries started talking about this talented actor after the television series “Great Expectations” was released. In this film, Douglas got the main role.
The colorful and beautiful picture about the village boy Pip, who is in love with Estella, won many hearts. While filming this film, Douglas not only gained invaluable experience, but also found true friends with whom he continued to communicate even after filming was completed.
The next film that made many girls decorate their rooms with posters of Douglas was the youth tragicomedy “Summer. Classmates. Love". In this film, the Englishman played with Miley Cyrus, the notorious singer and actress. Performed by handsome high school student Douglas Booth. His filmography was replenished with another leading role. His colleague, Miley, played Lola. She dreams of going to Paris with her friends and having a lot of fun. But only Lola’s mother is against it, because the girl did poorly in her exams and got into a lot of problems at school. Friends will have to come to the rescue.
Some time later, Douglas got the main role in the film Romeo and Juliet. This film secured the British actor the title of one of the most popular and beloved actors among young people.
Personal life
British tabloids, introducing readers to the personal life of Douglas Booth, have repeatedly written that he is not married, but has been dating the same girl for several years, whose name is not disclosed to the public.
Douglas Booth and Miley Cyrus (still from the film “Summer. Odnoklassniki. Love”)
In 2010, information appeared that the actor was having an affair with American singer Miley Cyrus. Douglas himself said that his partner in the film LOL is so famous that she will be married to everyone with whom she appears in the frame. In 2020, the press reported that British actress Bel Powley became his girlfriend. Celebrities have appeared in public together more than once.
The celebrity had to temporarily delete his Twitter page after subscribers read his correspondence with Vanessa Kirby and concluded that he was in another relationship. Douglas and the girl are good friends, and nothing more. The alliance with Holliday Granger, with whom Booth was often photographed, was also not confirmed.
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Douglas Booth and Bel Powley
The actor is traditional, but is a supporter of gender equality and supports the feminist movement HeForShe. Booth is a vegetarian, does not smoke and has never used even soft drugs, citing the fact that he does not want to harm his own body, which is his “working tool.” He donates funds to the UN Refugee Agency and believes that he has an obligation to use his popularity for the common good:
“I am no more responsible for what is happening around me than anyone else. If I can open a few people's eyes by showing a little compassion, then that's good, I guess."
Publications with political overtones sometimes appear on the movie star’s Instagram.
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Douglas Booth
In 2020, the glossy Gentleman magazine named the young man one of 50 British men who dress with exquisite taste. The Burberry brand chose Douglas, Rosie Huntington-Whiteley and Emma Watson as its ambassadors when they were just children. The number of broken women's hearts certainly increased when 20-year-old Booth showed off his bare torso on the cover of the Clash edition.
The actor lives in Bermonds, a south London area, where he rents an apartment with his sister Abigail.
Biography of Douglas Booth
A true Londoner
The son of a logistician and an artist, Douglas Booth was born in the British capital on July 9, 1992. He loves London and calls it a fairy tale city. After all, every nook and cranny here hides its own history. The house of Douglas's parents is located not far from Tower Bridge, the Thames rushes along slowly - it's beautiful! But for work, actor Douglas Booth has to live in America for a long time, because he often films there. The “concrete jungle” of New York is not to the liking of a Londoner, but what can one do – such a profession!
Started out playing on stage
Douglas is well aware of how good he is. The mixture of blood (father - English, mother - Spanish-Dutch) gave an excellent result. His attractive appearance allowed the boy to go on the amateur stage from an early age, and later Booth began playing in the National Youth Theater.
For the sake of his career, he had to give up his favorite hobby - rugby. This is a dangerous sport, and the artist’s face and body are his main instrument, which must not be damaged. Douglas did not like studying very much - dyslexia got in the way, which turned out to be not so easy to overcome. But participation in performances and success with the public proved that Douglas Booth’s biography should be connected with acting.
Underground singer and Dickens hero
Having starred in two minor projects (though with good partners, including Maggie Smith and Timothy Spall), Douglas received the title role in the BBC television project Worrying About Boy. At that time the young man was not yet 18 years old. The bright makeup and unusual outfits of the biopic character (Boy George was distinguished by his extraordinary manners and style from his youth) suited the plump-lipped Booth very well. His performance was praised by critics, and homosexuals accepted the actor as one of their own.
Another success of actor Douglas Booth was the film adaptation of Dickens's Great Expectations. In the mini-series he played the main character, Pip. Now I had to try on outfits from the Victorian era, and they also turned out to suit the guy! The girls sighed for the young actor, they couldn’t be taken away from the TV screen, and the next adaptation of the classic received very high ratings.
A failed comedy and an immortal classic
Also in 2011, a remake of the French film “LOL” (“Summer. Odnoklassniki. Love”) was released on the big screen, in which Douglas Booth and Miley Cyrus played the central roles. The film failed miserably at the box office, and critics in their reviews criticized the screenwriter and director (and at the same time the actors) for what the world was worth. Neither the experienced Demi Moore nor Ashley Greene, famous for her role as the elegant vampire Alice, saved the film.
Soon, in the film biography of Douglas Booth, a role appeared that many young artists dream of - he played Romeo in the new film adaptation of the play of the Great Bard. Although the film turned out to be very beautiful (location shooting took place in picturesque parts of Italy), and Douglas Booth and Hailee Steinfeld tried very hard, the film was moderately popular. Alas, Zeffirelli’s earlier film, the 45th anniversary of which was celebrated with a modern adaptation, remains the best film adaptation of the tragedy.
Douglas admits that he kept remembering how Leonardo DiCaprio portrayed this hero, but he managed to create the image of his Romeo - a young man who lost his head in love. And the suits created even greater inconvenience - they were quite tight, they were constantly torn... in the most “strategic” places. Douglas recalls with a laugh how he cajoled the costumers with candy as they endlessly sewed up the hero’s tight pants.
One of the artist’s latest works is his role in the science-fiction film “Jupiter Ascending.” The Wachowski film was received very coolly, but this is not the fault of the performers, the directors were just too clever.
Douglas Booth now
Early fame did not prevent Douglas from further work. The actor continues to successfully participate in the filming of feature films, surprising with his transformations on the screen. In 2020, Booth appeared as the guitarist and songwriter of the cult metal band Mötley Crüe in the film “The Dirt.”
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Douglas Booth in 2020
The young man repeatedly expressed dissatisfaction with the fact that he was primarily paid attention to because of his appearance, and stated that “the more brutal and dirty he looks, the happier he is.” Douglas probably enjoyed the new project, since the musicians were famous for their bright makeup in the style of horror movie heroes, shaggy hairstyles and extravagant costumes.
It is unknown whether the drama “Gore,” directed by Michael Hoffman, whom viewers know from the film “The Best of Me” with Michelle Monaghan and James Marsden, will be added to the actor’s filmography. The new biopic, in which Booth has a minor character, is dedicated to the outstanding American writer and playwright Eugene Gore Vidal.
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Douglas Booth in 2020
This role was assigned to Kevin Spacey, but then the House of Cards star found himself in the midst of a sex scandal: actor Anthony Rapp accused a senior colleague of harassment. Spacey later came out, admitting that he “decided to live as a homosexual,” but this only added fuel to the fire. Online cinema Netflix has stopped working on the film.
Image in culture
In 2005, Booth became the prototype for the main character in the film Baron of Arms (USA). He was played by Nicolas Cage. According to Dmitry Khalezov, this film has nothing to do with Bout’s activities and is an integral part of his discrediting by the US intelligence services.
He was the prototype for the coordinator and sponsor of the escape of Russian pilots from captivity by Taliban militants in the film “Kandahar”.
He became the prototype for the arms dealer and supplier Andrei Shut in Andrei Tsaplienko’s novel “Equator.”
In 2010, the French writer Gerard de Villiers wrote the novel “The Bangkok Trap”, in which Viktor Bout served as the prototype for the main character.
Poems about Bute were published by Yunna Moritz in 2010.
