Paul Bettany Biography

Paul Bettany was born May 27, 1971, in Harlesden, London, England. His parents were Thane Bettany and Anne Kettle. His mother was a school secretary, but Bettany's acting bug came most obviously from the paternal side of the family. His father was both a drama teacher and actor.From a relatively small family, Bettany had an older sister named Sarah who currently lives in England with her daughter. Bettany also had a younger brother named Matthew. However, he died tragically at the age of eight after a freak fall. The death sent shockwaves of grief through the family.Soon after the accident, Bettany left home for London. He rented a small apartment and played his guitar on the street for money. A few years later, he took a job in an elderly care home.But by the age of nineteen, Bettany had it firmly in his mind to become an actor, and he pursued this dream relentlessly. Studying at the London Drama Centre and with the Royal Shakespeare Company, Bettany appeared in a multitude of stage productions.His debut finally came with a small role in the film Bent. Notable costars included Clive Owen, Ian McKellen, Jude Law, and Mick Jagger. He continued working and gaining success, but trouble was on the horizon.He became addicted to cocaine a problem that reached its breaking point in 2000. After trashing hotel rooms, causing a disturbance on a flight, and making filming nearly impossible, Bettany addressed and conquered his drug problem.Given a new start, Bettany took the lead in Gangster No. 1 for which he received much critical acclaim. This included a British Independent Film Award nomination and a London Critics Circle nomination.The buzz around Bettany earned him a spot in the highly successful A Knight's Tale with Heath Ledger and Shannyn Sossamon. Director Brian Helgeland is rumored to have written the role of Chaucer with Bettany specifically in mind.After the film's release, Helgeland was so impressed by Bettany, he showed his audition tape to practically every Hollywood player he knew. This included Ron Howard. Howard, who was about to begin his new project A Beautiful Mind, saw the tape and cast him immediately.The success of the film rocketed Bettany into stardom. On set, he worked with Russell Crowe and his future wife Jennifer Connelly.With his newfound success, Bettany was given the latitude to take roles that really interested him. To that end, he appeared in the controversial film Dogville opposite Nicole Kidman and his good friend Stellan Skarsgard (whom Bettany's only child is named after).Teaming up with Crowe again, he is also noted for his supporting role in Master and Commander: The Far Side of the World. Others will recognize him from the romantic comedy Wimbledon with Kirsten Dunst or the crime thriller Firewall with Harrison Ford and Virginia Madsen. (Interestingly, both were directed by Richard Loncraine.)Recently, he can be seen opposite Tom Hanks, Audrey Tautou, Ian McKellen, Jean Reno, and Alfred Molina in The Da Vinci Code another Ron Howard project.In a small Scottish ceremony, Bettany and Connelly wed in 2003. They have one son together.