Paul Bettany Movies
A former Westminster Bridge busker who shot to fame in such stateside efforts as A Knight's Tale and A Beautiful Mind (both 2001), actor Paul Bettany's willingness to challenge himself by jumping genres has given him rare exposure on both sides of the Atlantic. Born in London, Bettany was raised in Brookmans Park, Hertfordshire from age nine. Introduced to acting by his father (a teacher and ex-actor who gave up the stage for the classroom) and fueled by a love of cinema (Casablanca [1942] and Brief Encounter [1945] provided Bettany with early inspiration), the aspiring actor would subsequently pursue studies at London's Drama Center. Though the popular misconception that he was raised in a "theater family" continues to shadow the actor, Bettany has publicly stated that, by the time he was around, his father was working as a teacher and his mother's days as a singer were long behind her.Following his stage debut in the West End production of An Inspector Calls, it wasn't long before Bettany made his television debut in the U.K. mystery series Wycliffe in 1994; and his feature debut in 1997's harrowing war drama Bent showed much promise. Alternating between film and television work with such efforts as The Land Girls (1997) and Coming Home (1998) in the following years, Bettany continued to climb the credits until his breakthrough performance in 2000's Gangster No. 1. Bettany's chilling portrayal of a ruthless gangster who will stop at nothing to get to the top proved so potent that American distributors were hesitant to provide the film with a proper stateside release. Though it would eventually make its U.S. premiere via home video, Bettany's unforgettable performance nevertheless made a lasting impression on industry insiders, who clamored to cast the intense young actor in whatever roles they could find for him. Though Bettany would return to the role of supporting player for Kiss Kiss (Bang Bang) (2000), that same year's depraved black comedy Dead Babies once again found him taking the lead.
If 2000 proved a successful year for Bettany, the following year would introduce the talented young actor to American audiences in a pair of films that couldn't be less alike. A revealing and hilarious performance in the otherwise forgettable adventure comedy A Knight's Tale proved one of the film's few highlights, and his subsequent role as mathematician John Nash's (Russell Crowe) best friend in A Beautiful Mind proved a good reminder of Bettany's convincing dramatic range -- in addition to providing him with an introduction to future wife Jennifer Connelly (the couple would wed in January of 2003). That same year Bettany appearred opposite Willem Dafoe in The Reckoning, and a supporting performance in director Lars von Trier's 2003 thriller Dogville kept audiences hungering for more. Later re-teaming with A Beautiful Mind co-star Crowe for director Peter Weir's Master and Commander: The Far Side of the World, Bettany would next make his first foray into romantic comedy territory opposite Kirsten Dunst in Wimbledon. ~ Jason Buchanan, All Movie Guide
- 1998
The mysterious world of the Internet served as the stomping grounds for the four-part British thriller Killer Net. Tam Williams headed the cast as psychology student Scott Miller, who made the acquaintance of a beautiful but slightly unbalanced young lady while surfing the net. The girl enticed Scott into participating in a sinister CD-ROM game called "Killer Net," in which the players pretend to be serial murderers. Unfortunately, the girl is killed for real, and unlucky Scott is framed for the murder by the actual culprit. Adapted by former actress Lynda La Plante from her own novel, this series caused some controversy when it originally aired because of its implication that the British police were utterly computer ignorant. Co-produced by Channel Four and Australia's Nine Network, Killer Net premiered in the United Kingdom on May 5, 1998. ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Tam Williams, Paul Bettany, (more)
Based on novels by Bernard Cornwell, Sharpe details the exploits of Richard Sharpe, a British soldier who fights Napoleon on the battlefield and his devious wife on the home front. Sean Bean plays Sharpe, while Abigail Cruttenden portrays Jane. The personal and the political all come to a boil in "Sharpe's Waterloo," the final episode of the series. Sharpe must face Napoleon's army at Waterloo while confronting the man who has cuckolded him, Lord Rossendale. ~ Perry Seibert, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Sean Bean
- 1997
- R
David Leland (Wish You Were Here) directed this adaptation of Angela Huth's novel about the British Women's Land Army (aka "land girls"), a WW II regiment which recruited women to work on farms during the war. The volunteer "land girls," from all walks of life, were dispatched across the British countryside to replace the farm workers who had gone to the front. Answering the call and ready to pitch in, three young WLA women arrive at a remote farm in the Dorset countryside. Romantic Stella (Catherine McCormack) plans to wed naval officer Philip (Paul Bettany). Cambridge grad Ag (Rachel Weisz) is quirky and cerebral. Working-class Prue (Anna Friel) is a flirt whose impudent wit conceals her innocence. The farm is owned by the Lawrences (Tom Georgeson, Maureen O'Brien), whose handsome son Joe (Steven Mackintosh) gets involved with all three land girls. Joe dreams of leaving the family farm to become a fighter pilot, but he's thwarted by health problems. For the women, the work is hard, the days are long, and the war is never far from their thoughts. But the women's camaraderie strengthens them, individually and as a unit. They form close friendships with each other, and Stella finds true love with Joe. All experience exhilaration and passion, and with the war's end, altered destinies (revealed in an epilogue in which the land girls are reunited some years after the war). The soundtrack features memorable '40s songs. ~ Bhob Stewart, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Catherine McCormack, Rachel Weisz, (more)
