Paul Bettany (born 27 May 1971) is an
English actor who has starred as a wide range of characters in several diverse film genres. He has been nominated for
BAFTA- and
Screen Actors Guild Awards as well as numerous critics and film circle awards.
Early life
Bettany was born in
Shepherd's Bush,
London, the son of Anne (née Kettle), a stage singer, theatre teacher, and stage manager, and
Thane Bettany, a dancer, actor and drama teacher.
[Paul Bettany biography site] He has an older sister, Sarah, and had a younger brother (now deceased), Matthew, who died after a fall at Queenswood when he was eight years old. While Thane taught at the all-girls
boarding school Queenswood School in
Hertfordshire, the family lived on the campus.
Soon after his brother's death, Paul left home and went to live on his own in London and 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.
