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The British actor is known for his wide range of roles, as well as being a supporting role scene stopper. Paul Bettany has a net worth of $50 million, shared with his actress wife, Jennifer Connelly and has made a name for himself as his career continues to move in unprecedented ways.
The 50-year-old A Beautiful Mind star not only excels on the big screen, he’s also an avid guitarist, producer, director and screenwriter. Though the A-list star has appeared in more than 40 films, he’s never received an Oscar, however, Bettany has been nominated for just about everything else.
Here’s how Bettany has managed to stay under the radar yet appearing in some of cinema’s biggest blockbusters to date.
The Early Years
Bettany grew up with parents deeply ingrained in the theatre world. As the middle child in the family, Bettany’s world turned upside down when at 16-years-old, his 8-year-old brother Matthew, died from a tragic fall from a rooftop. He earned enough money to attend drama school, however, drug addiction took hold of Bettany’s life and he was struggling.
High Profile Mentors and Admiration
The Da Vinci Code actor has named heroes and those in Hollywood he admires according to IMDb. Always a fan of legends like Al Pacino, Robert De Niro and Humphrey Bogart, Bettany has made it clear he observes others and shapes his talent based on those that have gone before him. He’s openly spoken about Harrison Ford’s willingness to do his own stunts, Will Smith’s charming and friendly personality and others. As an Englishman, Bettany has said he simply finds some of these personality traits difficult to portray, lending to the introverted, quiet persona we see today.
The Making of a Blockbuster Star
Like many others, Bettany got his start on the theater stage, working for production house, Shakespeare’s Company in plays such as Richard III, Romeo and Juliet and Julius Caesar. By 2001, he was cast in his breakthrough role as Geoffrey Chaucer in A Knights Tale with the late Heath Ledger and next, A Beautiful Mind alongside Russell Crowe and his future wife, Connelly.
By 2004, Bettany was starring in the rom com Wimbledon with Kirstin Dunst and while on set, according to Celebrity Net Worth the star met director Jon Favreau who would later cast him as the voice of J.A.R.V.I.S. in Iron Man.
Once imbedded in the Marvel cinema franchise, Bettany was cast as Vision in several Avengers films, leading to his largest career earnings to date.
From the Big Screen to Television
In 2020, Bettany stepped away from the big screen to star alongside Elizabeth Olsen in the Disney+ series WandaVision. The popular miniseries was also based on Marvel Comics and Bettany reprises his role as Vision in the successful spinoff.
Marriage to Jennifer Connelly
Bettany’s marriage to actress Jennifer Connelly is what he credits with saving his life. Together for over a decade, Bettany has recently opened up about the couple’s long-term relationship and the path it took to get them there.
The Dogville star reportedly had a crush on Connelly from the first time he saw her in roles at a young age but the two didn’t meet until they were both cast in A Beautiful Mind. After a short dating period, Bettany was moved to contact her after the attacks on Sept. 11, 2001, and literally proposed to Connelly over the phone, according to The List.
The pair quickly married and had two children, in addition to Connelly’s son from another relationship. Bettany credits his family life for his sober living, ranking his life as husband and father as number one.
Scandal With Friends
In 2020, the divorce of friend Johnny Depp and Amber Heard led to a court battle as well as outing Bettany and his previous drug use. According to Depp, the two friends exchanged negative texts regarding Heard and he had also supplied Bettany with drugs in the past.
Up Next for Bettany
According to Yahoo!, Bettany has most recently appeared in the Amazon Prime original series, A Very British Scandal, the story of The Duke and Duchess of Argyll and their 1960 notorious divorce. He’s also teased a return of the famous Vision character in future Marvel television and film plans, but no date has been set as of yet.
Awards and Accolades
The famous actor has been nominated over 30 times for various roles in film and television, however, he is still waiting on those bigger organizations like the Oscars or Screen Actors Guild. Regardless, the actor has taken home the Evening Standard British Film Award for Best Actor in 2002’s The Heart of Me. He was named British GQ’s Man of the Year in 2021 and given his wide range of diverse roles, fans can wait to see what he comes up with next.
Sources: IMDb, Celebrity Net Worth, The List, Yahoo!
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