Biography of Paul Bettany
Paul Bettany is a popular British actor who has often been working in Hollywood lately.
His filmography includes many wonderful roles. Therefore, among the many films with the participation of this impressive Englishman, everyone will certainly be able to choose for themselves the one that will suit their liking. Paul Bettany is an actor who excels in a variety of roles equally well. He can appear before the audience in the form of a loving tennis player or a crazy religious fanatic, a brave fighter against evil spirits or a dreamy writer who has not written a single book in his life.
Paul Bettany is an actor who masterfully changes characters. But what kind of person is hidden behind these many masks? Today we will try to trace the actor’s life path.
On the set of "Dogville"
The difficulty of working with a brilliant Scandinavian director in Hollywood is legendary. Nevertheless, Paul Bettany, whose filmography has not yet included such unusual films, boldly went to shoot Dogville. Lars von Trier put all the actors in the same hotel, where he overheard their conversations every now and then, and one day he knocked on Paul's room drunk and naked. The work process was also not easy - the director allowed himself to shout at the actors. He constantly pulled some pranks and tested everyone's strength every minute.
But the actors pulled it off, and the world saw a bizarre art-house film, a role in which many consider one of the best in Paul Bettany’s career. The film itself is considered a must-see. In addition to the fact that on the set Bettany was able to finally become convinced of his acting talent, participation in the film helped him understand his relationship with Jennifer.
At that time, he was dating another girl, and Connelly was only a friend to him, but frequent conversations on the phone and her sincere support made him realize that this was a true feeling.
Childhood and youth of Paul Bettany
Paul Bettany was born into a creative family, and therefore his life path, it seems, was practically predetermined at an early age. His father worked as an actor at the prestigious Royal Shakespeare Theatre. In parallel with this, he also successfully performed as a dancer and teacher of theater arts. The actor’s mother, the popular pop singer Anne Kettle, was also closely connected with art. It is quite noteworthy that the parents of the future British actor were far from the first representatives of creative professions in their family.
Actor Paul Bettany was born into a creative family
Paul Bettany's grandmother, Olga Gwynne, was a real star of London theaters at the beginning of the century. However, one should not think that the early years in the actor’s life were completely cloudless. When Paul was still a teenager, his younger brother Matthew fell from the roof of a gazebo and died. After this incident, the life of their family very soon went wrong. The parents could no longer see each other and very soon divorced. Without choosing either side, Paul Bettany left home and began renting an apartment with two lesbian girls. In order to earn some money, he played the guitar in the streets and squares of London. However, depression still did not let him go, and at some point the actor simply lost his desire for life.
Works of recent years
In 2011, a new addition occurred to the close-knit family of Connelly and Bettany: a daughter, Agnes, was born. Paul had long dreamed of having many children, so the third child became a real happiness for him. But nothing prevents the young father from actively acting in films. Together with his wife, who is no less in demand in cinema, Paul often appears on screen.
So, in 2012 the world saw the film “The Avengers”, and in the same year the film “Blood” was released. 2013 delighted fans with Iron Man 3, and more recently the film Supremacy was released. A film called “The Missing Rooms” is planned to be released in the coming months. Currently, the actor is busy filming Maccabray and Iron Man 4, both of which are planned for 2020. In addition, work is underway on the film “Destroyer”, the release date of which is currently unknown. In it, Paul Bettany will play one of the main roles. There is no doubt that the acting career of the wonderful Briton will not end there.
Acting career of Paul Bettany, filmography
Trying to fill the void in his soul, Paul Bettany decided to become an actor.
At the age of nineteen, he applied to the London Drama Center and, having successfully passed the entrance exams, began to study with the best teachers in Britain. Legion (interview with Paul Bettany, with translation) His talent was noted, and very soon Paul Bettany appeared before the audience in several theatrical productions. He first played in the West End, and then got a job at the Shakespeare Theater, where his father had once appeared on stage many years ago. In 1996, the actor made his film debut, but the small role of the Prince of Orange in the film “Sharpe’s Waterloo” did not bring him either fame or big money. After that there were the films “Bent” and “After the Rain,” in which Paul Bettany also appeared only briefly.
The truly “big” role for Paul Bettany was the role of a young gangster in the film “Gangster No. 1.” This acting work made him famous, and also brought him the title of “Best Newcomer of the Year” according to the British Film Association.
Soon they learned about the actor overseas. A breakthrough for Paul Bettany was the role of the narrator Geoffrey Chaucer in the historical film A Knight's Tale.
Stills from the movie Legion with Paul Bettany
Immediately after this, the British actor received an offer to star in Ron Howard's film A Beautiful Mind. The Oscar-winning film finally established Paul Bettany as a rising Hollywood star. American and European directors began to offer him new roles more often, and very soon the Englishman appeared in several other interesting films. The films “Day of Reckoning”, “Master of the Seas: At the End of the Earth”, “Wall of Fire”, “Inkheart” became real movie hits. In 2004, Paul Bettany first received the lead role in the film. Thus, the romantic comedy “Wimbledon” marked a new stage in the career of the British actor.
Subsequently, Paul Bettany repeatedly played leading roles in various films. Each of his roles was remarkable and interesting in its own way. Thus, the eminent Briton appeared in the role of Charles Darwin (the film "Origin"), the Archangel Michael ("Legion"), the heavily armed "shepherd" in the film of the same name, as well as Lord Melbourne ("The Young Victoria").
The range of Paul Bettany's roles has been repeatedly noted by film fans and professional film critics. For his work in the field of cinematography, the actor has been repeatedly nominated for various prestigious international awards.
Paul Bettany So, in 2005, the British Empire Awards named Paul Bettany Best British Actor. In 2004, his work on the film “Master of the Seas: At the End of the Earth” was noted by the London Society of Film Critics, the Association of Television Film Critics, as well as by the audience of the MTV Movie Awards. The total number of awards for the actor has exceeded two dozen. However, the actor himself is most proud of the awards he did not receive. Thus, his track record includes nominations for the Screen Actors Guild Award, BAFTA and Oscar.
Invitation from overseas
Films with Paul Bettany attracted the attention of American directors. The first Hollywood image was the narrator of Geoffrey Chaucer - a film called “A Knight’s Tale” was released in 2001. Immediately after participating in this film, Paul Bettany received an offer to play in the film “A Beautiful Mind”. The film turned out to be an Oscar-winner, and not only that – it was on the set of this film that Paul Bettany and Jennifer Connelly met.
Despite the fact that they did not have a single scene in common in the movies, in life they became close friends.
During this period, the British actor enjoyed a successful career in Hollywood. One after another, such films as “My Heart”, “Day of Reckoning”, “Master of the Seas” were released. Soon, Paul Bettany, whose filmography has noticeably increased after moving to America, will become a real star, starring in the film “Wimbledon.” But before her there will also be filming with Lars von Trier. They became a real test for Paul.
Personal life of Paul Bettany
The actor’s personal life is also very interesting and noteworthy. So, after the film “A Knight’s Tale,” reports began to appear in the press about the actor’s affair with his co-star Laura Fraser. Their romance lasted just under a year. According to some reports, the reason for the separation was another film and another filming partner.
Paul Bettany with his wife Jennifer Connelly
On the set of A Beautiful Mind, the impressive Briton met his future wife, actress Jennifer Connelly. Having tested their relationship over time, the celebrities decided to get married. The closed ceremony took place in one of the cathedrals in Scotland.
On August 5, 2003, Paul and Jennifer became parents. The first-born was named Stellan in honor of the famous film actor Stellan Skarsgard, whom Paul Bettany considers his best friend. In 2011, Jennifer Connelly announced that she was pregnant again. At the moment, the married couple already boasts three children - two sons and one daughter.
New roles
A busy personal life did not stop the talented actor from appearing on screen again and again. He played many worthy roles. Separately, it’s worth mentioning where Paul played Darwin, and his beloved Jennifer got the role of the scientist’s wife. The film was released in 2009. His work in the films “Legion”, “Shepherd” and “Young Victoria” is also worthy of attention.
Many fans are surprised by how much Paul Bettany transforms into his characters. The set photos and film stills seem to depict different people.
The frenzied monk from The Da Vinci Code bears no resemblance to Lord Melbourne from The Young Victoria. And this is not surprising - in an interview, the actor admitted that scenes of self-torture brought him, if not physical, but moral pain. He has not attended church since the death of his brother Matthew, although he was raised by a Catholic mother. All the roles of religious people are especially difficult for him. It is for such amazing dedication in each film that thousands of fans around the world fell in love with Paul.
Future
Finally, after a long period of stagnation, Bettany again began to appear in quality films. His work in Margin Call (2011) was a standout among the standouts, and despite all the shortcomings of Transcendence, he is probably the only actor to truly bring a character to life whose story brings the film to a close. But the biggest news is that his role in the Marvel universe will be much larger - he plays The Vision in the film Avengers: Age of Ultron coming out next year. In the comics, Vision is an android yearning to be humanized. Its cinematic equivalent could be some humanoid form of Jarvis created by Tony Stark. Whatever his role in The Avengers is, it's guaranteed to make a huge amount of money and help Bettany get back into shape for future projects. The question remains, however, whether he'll find a leading role worth his talent or a supporting role that's more than just scene breaker. Bettany is definitely one of the most talented actors in Hollywood today, but the industry just can't seem to find the right fit for him.
