Clive Owen | |
|---|---|
_cropped.jpg) Owen in 2006 | |
| Born | (1964-10-03)3 October 1964 (age 61) Coventry,Warwickshire, England |
| Education | Royal Academy of Dramatic Art (BA) |
| Occupation | Actor |
| Years active | 1987–present |
| Spouse | |
| Children | 2 |
Clive Owen (born 3 October 1964) is an English actor. He first gained recognition in the United Kingdom for playing the lead role in theITV seriesChancer from 1990 to 1991. He received critical acclaim for his work in the filmClose My Eyes (1991) before earning international attention for his performance as a struggling writer inCroupier (1998). In 2005, he won aGolden Globe and aBAFTA Award and was nominated for anAcademy Award for his performance in the dramaCloser (2004).
Owen has played leading roles in films such asSin City (2005),Derailed (2005),Inside Man (2006),Children of Men (2006), andThe International (2009). In 2012, he earned his firstPrimetime Emmy Award nomination forOutstanding Lead Actor in a Miniseries or a Movie for his role inHemingway & Gellhorn. He played Dr. John W. Thackery on theCinemax medical drama seriesThe Knick, for which he received aGolden Globe Award for Best Actor – Television Series Drama nomination. In 2021, Owen starred in the psychological romance horror miniseriesLisey's Story and also portrayed PresidentBill Clinton in the third season ofAmerican Crime Story. He then had further television roles inA Murder at the End of the World (2023) andMonsieur Spade (2024).
Owen was born inKeresley,Coventry (then inWarwickshire),[1] the fourth of five sons born to Pamela (née Cotton) and Jess Owen. His father, acountry and western singer, left the family when Owen was three years old, and despite a brief reconciliation when Owen was 19, they have remained estranged.[2][3] He has described his childhood as "rough".[2]
While initially opposed to drama school, he changed his mind in 1984, after a long and fruitless period of searching for work. After graduating from theRoyal Academy of Dramatic Art,[4] he worked at theYoung Vic, performing in severalShakespearean plays.[5]
Initially, Owen's career was in television. In 1988, he starred as Gideon Sarn in aBBC production ofPrecious Bane and theChannel 4 filmVroom before the 1990s saw him become a regular on stage and television in the UK, notably his lead role in theITV seriesChancer, followed by an appearance in theThames Television production ofLorna Doone.
He won critical acclaim for his performances in theStephen Poliakoff filmClose My Eyes (1991) about a brother and sister who embark on anincestuous love affair. He subsequently appeared inThe Magician,Class of '61,Century,Nobody's Children,An Evening with Gary Lineker,Doomsday Gun,Return of the Native and a Carlton production calledSharman, about a private detective. In 1996, he appeared in his first major Hollywood filmThe Rich Man's Wife alongsideHalle Berry before finding international acclaim in a Channel 4 film directed byMike Hodges calledCroupier (1998). InCroupier, he played the title role of a struggling writer who takes a job in a Londoncasino as inspiration for his work, only to get caught up in a robbery scheme. In 1999, he appeared as an accident-prone driver inSplit Second, his first BBC production in about a decade.
Owen starred inThe Echo, aBBC1 drama, before starring in the filmGreenfingers, about a criminal who goes to work in a garden. He appeared in the BBC1 mystery seriesSecond Sight. In 2001, he provided the voice-over forWalk On By, a BBC2 documentary about popular music, as well as starring in a highly acclaimed theatre revival of Peter Nichols' playA Day in the Death of Joe Egg, about a couple with a severely handicapped daughter.
Owen became known to North American audiences in the summer of 2001 after starring as "The Driver" inThe Hire, a series of short films sponsored byBMW and made by prominent directors.[6] He appeared inRobert Altman'sGosford Park. He appeared in the 2002 filmThe Bourne Identity. In 2003, he reteamed with director Mike Hodges inI'll Sleep When I'm Dead. He starred inBeyond Borders as well asKing Arthur inKing Arthur, for which he learned to ride a horse.
He appeared in the Royal National Theatre debut of the hit playCloser, byPatrick Marber, which was produced as afilm in 2004. He played Dan in the play, and played Larry in the film version. His portrayal of Larry in the film received very favourable reviews, as well as theGolden Globe andBAFTA awards, and anAcademy Award nomination forBest Supporting Actor. He noted that the expectations of him since the Oscar nomination have not changed the way he approaches film-making, stating "I try, every film I do, to be as good as I can and that's all I can do."[7]
AfterCloser, he appeared inDerailed alongsideJennifer Aniston, thecomic bookthrillerSin City as thenoirantiheroDwight McCarthy and as a mysterious bank robber inInside Man. Despite public denials, Owen had been rumoured to be a possible successor toPierce Brosnan in the role ofJames Bond. A public opinion poll in the United Kingdom in October 2005 by SkyNews found that he was the public's number one choice to star in the next instalment of the series. In that same month, however, it was announced that fellow British actorDaniel Craig would become the next James Bond. In an interview in the September 2007 issue ofDetails, he claimed that he was not offered or approached concerning the role.[8]
In 2006, Owen spoofed the Bond connection by making an appearance in the remake ofThe Pink Panther in which he plays a character named "Nigel Boswell, Agent 006" (when he introduces himself toInspector Clouseau, he quips that Owen's character is "one short of the big time").[citation needed]
In 2006, Owen starred inChildren of Men.[9] The film was nominated for various awards, including anAcademy Award for Best Adapted Screenplay; Owen worked on the screenplay, although he was uncredited.[10] The next year he starred alongsidePaul Giamatti in the filmShoot 'Em Up and appeared asSir Walter Raleigh oppositeCate Blanchett'sElizabeth I of England in the filmElizabeth: The Golden Age. He appeared in the Christmas special of theRicky Gervais andStephen Merchant showExtras.
Owen starred inThe International (2009), a film which he described as a "paranoid political thriller".[11] He played the lead inThe Boys Are Back,[12] an Australian adaptation of the bookThe Boys Are Back in Town by Simon Carr.
In June 2010, it was announced that Owen andNicole Kidman would star in anHBO film aboutErnest Hemingway and his relationship withMartha Gellhorn entitledHemingway & Gellhorn.James Gandolfini served as executive producer to the film, written byBarbara Turner andJerry Stahl. The film was directed byPhilip Kaufman[13] and released in 2012. Owen played the lead inShadow Dancer,[14] a joint UK/Ireland production about a young mother who is involved withIrish republicanism. It co-starredAndrea Riseborough,Gillian Anderson, andAidan Gillen, and was directed byJames Marsh. In April 2010, he was cast as the lead inJuan Carlos Fresnadillo's horror-thrillerIntruders.[15]
Owen starred in the filmBlood Ties, directed byGuillaume Canet, alongside French actressMarion Cotillard. It was released in June 2013 at the2013 Cannes Film Festival. In 2015, Owen made hisBroadway debut in a revival ofHarold Pinter'sOld Times at theAmerican Airlines Theatre.[16] He was selected to be on the jury for the main competition section of the2016 Berlin Film Festival.
In October 2017, Owen returned to Broadway as Rene Gallimard in a revival ofDavid Henry Hwang'sM. Butterfly at theCort Theatre in New York City.[17]
In 2019, Owen played the role of the defrocked Reverend T. Lawrence Shannon in theWest End theatre production ofTennessee Williams'The Night of the Iguana at theNoël Coward Theatre.[18] Also in 2019, he played Dovidl Rapaport inThe Song of Names.[19] He playedBill Clinton in the miniseriesImpeachment: American Crime Story.
Owen met his wife, Sarah-Jane Fenton, in 1988, when they were in a production of Shakespeare'sRomeo and Juliet at the Young Vic Theatre in London. They began dating shortly after and married in March 1995.
Owen became a patron of theElectric Palace Cinema inHarwich, Essex, and launched an appeal for funds to repair deteriorating elements of the historic building.[20][21][22] The cinema is local to his second home atWrabness.[23]
Owen is a supporter ofLiverpool FC[24] and narrated thefly on the wall documentary seriesBeing: Liverpool.[25]
| Year | Title | Role | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1990 | Vroom | Jake | film debut |
| 1991 | Close My Eyes | Richard | |
| 1993 | Century | Paul Reisner | |
| 1995 | The Turnaround | Nick Sharman | |
| 1996 | The Rich Man's Wife | Jake Golden | |
| 1997 | Bent | Max | |
| 1998 | Croupier | Jack Manfred | |
| 2000 | Greenfingers | Colin Briggs | |
| 2001 | Ambush | The Driver | 1st season ofThe Hire short film series forBMW |
| Chosen | |||
| The Follow | |||
| Star | |||
| Powder Keg | |||
| Gosford Park | Robert Parks | ||
| 2002 | The Bourne Identity | The Professor | |
| Hostage | The Driver | 2nd season ofThe Hire short film series forBMW | |
| Ticker | |||
| Beat the Devil | |||
| 2003 | I'll Sleep When I'm Dead | Will | |
| Beyond Borders | Nick Callahan | ||
| 2004 | King Arthur | Arthur | |
| Closer | Larry Gray | ||
| 2005 | Sin City | Dwight McCarthy | |
| Derailed | Charles Schine | ||
| 2006 | The Pink Panther | Nigel Boswell/Agent 006 | uncredited |
| Inside Man | Dalton Russell | ||
| Children of Men | Theo Faron | ||
| 2007 | Shoot 'Em Up | Smith | |
| Elizabeth: The Golden Age | Sir Walter Raleigh | ||
| 2009 | The International | Louis Salinger | |
| Duplicity | Ray Koval | ||
| The Boys Are Back | Joe Warr | ||
| 2010 | Trust | Will | |
| 2011 | Killer Elite | Spike | |
| Intruders | John Farrow | ||
| 2012 | Shadow Dancer | Mac | |
| 2013 | Blood Ties | Chris | |
| Words and Pictures | Jack Marcus | ||
| 2015 | Last Knights | Raiden | |
| 2016 | The Confirmation | Walt | |
| The Escape | The Driver | 3rd season ofThe Hire short film series forBMW | |
| 2017 | Killer in Red | Floyd | Short film |
| Valerian and the City of a Thousand Planets | Commander Arun Filitt | ||
| 2018 | Ophelia | Claudius | |
| Anon | Sal Frieland | ||
| 2019 | Gemini Man | Clay Varris | |
| The Song of Names | Dovidl | ||
| The Informer | Keith Montgomery | ||
| 2020 | Romantic Guide to Lost Places | Benno | |
| 2021 | Lui | Jason | Voice |
| 2025 | Cleaner | Marcus Blake | |
| TBA | Kristallnacht | Wilhelm Krützfeld | Filming[26] |
| Year | Title | Role | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1987 | Rockliffe's Babies | PC Parslew | Television debut Episode: "Up the Down Escalator" |
| 1988 | Boon | Geoff | Episode: "Peacemaker" |
| 1989 | Precious Bane | Gideon Sarn | Television film |
| 1990 | Lorna Doone | John Ridd | |
| 1990–1991 | Chancer | Derek Love/Stephen Crane | Series regular; 20 episodes |
| 1993 | Class of '61 | Devin O'Neil | Television film |
| The Magician | Detective Conservative George Byrne | Television film | |
| 1994 | Nobody's Children | Corneliu Bratu | |
| An Evening with Gary Lineker | Bill | ||
| Doomsday Gun | Dov | ||
| The Return of the Native | Damon Wildeve | ||
| 1995–1996 | Screen Two | Paul/Diggory Venn | 2 episodes |
| 1996 | Sharman | Nick Sharman | Series regular; 4 episodes |
| 1998 | The Echo | Deacon | Television miniseries; 2 episodes |
| 1999 | Split Second | Michael Anderson | Television film |
| Second Sight | DCI Ross Tanner | ||
| 2000 | Second Sight: Parasomnia | ||
| Second Sight: Kingdom of the Blind | |||
| Second Sight: Hide and Seek | |||
| 2007 | Extras | Himself | Episode: "The Extra Special Series Finale" |
| Hypnose homee | Television short | ||
| 2012 | Hemingway & Gellhorn | Ernest Hemingway | Television film |
| Being: Liverpool | Narrator | Episode: "Silver Shovel" | |
| 2014–2015 | The Knick | Dr. John W. Thackery | Series regular; 20 episodes |
| 2020 | Curb Your Enthusiasm | Himself | Episode: "Insufficient Praise" |
| 2021 | Lisey's Story | Scott Landon | Main cast; 8 episodes |
| Impeachment: American Crime Story | Bill Clinton | Main cast; 10 episodes | |
| 2023 | A Murder at the End of the World | Andy Ronson | Main cast |
| 2024 | Monsieur Spade | Sam Spade | Lead role[27][28] |
| Year | Title | Role | Director | Venue | Ref. |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1991 | The Philanderer | Mr Joseph Cuthbertson | Brian Cox | Hampstead Theatre, London | |
| The Doctor's Dilemma | Unknown | James Maxwell | Royal Exchange Theatre | ||
| 1994 | Design for Living | Alfred Lunt | Sean Mathias | Donmar Warehouse, London | [29] |
| 1997 | Closer | Dan | Patrick Marber | Royal National Theatre, London | [30] |
| 2001 | A Day in the Death of Joe Egg | Bri | Laurence Boswell | New Ambassadors Theatre, London | [31] |
| 2015 | Old Times | Deeley | Douglas Hodge | American Airlines Theatre,Broadway | [32] |
| 2017 | M. Butterfly | Rene Gallimard | Julie Taymor | Cort Theatre, Broadway | [33] |
| 2019 | The Night of the Iguana | Rev. T. Lawrence Shannon | James Macdonald | Noël Coward Theatre, West End | [34] |
| Year | Title | Role | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1996 | Privateer 2: The Darkening | Lev Arris | Live-action cutscenes |
| Year | Title | Notes |
|---|---|---|
| 2009 | The Boys Are Back | Feature film; executive producer |
| 2014–2015 | The Knick | 20 episodes; executive producer |
| 2024 | Monsieur Spade | 6 episodes; executive producer |
| Year | Title | Notes | Song |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2012 | Hemingway & Gellhorn | Television film | "Tutti Mi Chiamano Bionda" |
Owen has received multiple nominations for his work in both film and television. He has oneAcademy Award nomination forBest Supporting Actor for his role as Larry inCloser (2004), threeGolden Globe Award nominations, winning one in 2005 forBest Supporting Actor in a Motion Picture for his role inCloser; his other two nominations are for his roles in television including made-for-television filmHemingway & Gellhorn (2012) forBest Lead Actor in a Miniseries or Motion Picture Made for Television, and drama seriesThe Knick (2014) forBest Lead Actor in a Television Series – Drama, onePrimetime Emmy Award for Outstanding Lead Actor in a Limited Series or Movie nomination for his performance inHemingway & Gellhorn (2012), and twoScreen Actors Guild Award nominations – winning one in 2002 forOutstanding Performance by an Ensemble in a Motion Picture for his performance inGosford Park (2002).[citation needed]
