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| | Paul Bettany
 Paul Bettany was born into a theatre family. His father, Thane, is still an actor. His mother has retired from acting. He has an older sister who is a mother and a writer and he has a niece. His maternal grandmother, Olga Gwynne (her maiden and stage name), was a successful actress, while his maternal grandfather was a musician and promoter. He was brought up in North West London and after the age of 9 in Hertfordshire (Brookmans Park). Immediately after finishing at Drama Centre he went into the West End to join the cast of 'An Inspector Calls', though when asked to go on tour with this play he chose to stay in England.
Younger brother Matthew Bettany died after a fall at Queenswood when he was only eight years old, which left the family grief-stricken. Soon after, Paul left home and went to live on his own in London, while his parents later divorced. He lived in a small flat and earned money by playing his guitar in the streets as a busker. After two years, he found a new job in a home for the elderly.
When Bettany was 19, he decided to be an actor, and he pursued that career with determination, studying at the Drama Centre London in Chalk Farm. He made his stage debut in Stephen Daldry's acclaimed West End revival of An Inspector Calls at the Aldwych Theatre, playing the part of Eric Birling. He also appeared in the Royal Shakespeare Company's productions of Richard III, Romeo and Juliet, and Julius Caesar (for which he received a Charleson Award nomination). When Bettany was 21 he appeared in a BBC production of Oliver Twist, as Bill Sikes.
Bettany had become addicted to cocaine along the way. His drug problem reached its height during the filming of the miniseries David Copperfield. After this he started to turn his back on drugs. He filmed several more movies, including his first leading role in Gangster No. 1. The British Independent Film Awards nominated him for Best Actor, and the London Critics Circle nominated him for British Newcomer of the Year.
He received critical acclaim for A Knight's Tale, including winning the London Critics Circle Award for British Supporting Actor. After the movie wrapped, Helgeland, determined that Hollywood should recognize Bettany's talent, showed the audition tape to many of his peers, including Ron Howard, who promptly cast Bettany in A Beautiful Mind.
It was on that set that Bettany would befriend Russell Crowe and meet his future wife, Jennifer Connelly. Both were already in relationships, so they remained only friends for about a year. Finally both single, they began dating. After A Beautiful Mind, Bettany was offered the role of the brutal serial killer "The Tooth Fairy" in Red Dragon, opposite Edward Norton and Anthony Hopkins. He turned down the role in favor of accepting a part with Stellan Skarsgård and Nicole Kidman in controversial director Lars Von Trier's Dogville.
On New Year's Day 2003, Bettany married Jennifer Connelly in a ceremony attended by a small circle of friends and family. He moved to Brooklyn, New York, with Connelly and her son Kai. The couple's own son, Stellan (named for actor Stellan Skarsgård) was born on 5 August 2003. Stellan's godfather is the actor Charlie Condou.
| VITAL STATS | Paul Bettany Information:
| | Eye color:Blue | Blue | | Height:6'3" (191 cm) | 6'3" (1.91 m) | | Nickname(s): |
| | Notable feature(s): | Bright blue eyes and freckles. | | Education:school in hertfordshire, | - Attended school in Herfordshire
- Studied drama at the Drama Centre London which is part of the University of the Arts London.
| | Family: | Mother: Anne Kettle
Father: Thane Bettany
Sister: Sarah
Brother: Matthew (died at 8yrs old)
Wife: Jennifer Connelly (married Jan. 1, 2003)
Son: Stellan (born August 5, 2003)
Stepson: Kai Dugan (born 1997) | | Resides in: | Brooklyn, New York USA | | Religious affiliations: | Brought up as Catholic. Now an Atheist. | | Political affiliation: |
| | Personal interests/hobbies: | Plays guitar | | Charities/Causes: | UNICEF Soccer Aid
Amnesty International - Control Arms Campaign | | Other: | - In June 2004, Paul was invited to join the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences (AMPAS).
- In 2005, Paul found his son Stellan imitating him with a pen. After seeing this he gave up smoking.
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