English actor (born 1971)
Paul Bettany
Bettany in 2025
Born (1971-05-27 ) 27 May 1971 (age 54) Citizenship United Kingdom United States[ 1] Education Drama Centre London Occupation Actor Years active 1992–present Spouse Children 2 Father Thane Bettany
Paul Bettany (born 27 May 1971) is an English actor. He is best known for his roles asJ.A.R.V.I.S. andVision in theMarvel Cinematic Universe , including theDisney+ seriesWandaVision Primetime Emmy Award nomination.
Bettany first gained popularity for appearing in the filmsGangster No. 1 A Knight's Tale A Beautiful Mind BAFTA Award for playingStephen Maturin in the filmMaster and Commander: The Far Side of the World Dogville Wimbledon The Da Vinci Code The Tourist Margin Call Legend Solo: A Star Wars Story Shelter
In television, Bettany has portrayedIan Campbell, 11th Duke of Argyll in the seriesA Very British Scandal Andy Warhol in the playThe Collaboration West End andBroadway .
Bettany was born on 27 May 1971[ 2] [ a] née KettleThane Bettany , a dancer, actor, drama teacher andgodfather toSophie, Duchess of Edinburgh .[ 8] [ 4] Roman Catholic ,[ 9] [ 10] [ 9] Methodist andChurch of England congregations with his father,[ 11] atheist .[ 12] [ 13] Queenswood School , nearHatfield , Hertfordshire, the family lived on the school grounds.[ 5]
When Bettany was 16, his brother Matthew died at age 8 after falling onto concrete from a tennis pavilion roof at Queenswood.[ 6] [ 14] busker .[ 14] [ 15] [ 14] Drama Centre London .[ 14]
In 1990, at the age of 19, Bettany began a three-year course at the Drama Centre London inChalk Farm .[ 16] Stephen Daldry 's acclaimed West End revival ofAn Inspector Calls Aldwych Theatre , playing the part of Eric Birling. He also appeared in theRoyal Shakespeare Company 's productions ofRichard III Romeo and Juliet Julius Caesar BBC production ofOliver Twist Bill Sikes .
After appearing in the finale ofSean Bean 's seriesSharpe William II of the Netherlands at theBattle of Waterloo , he made his film debut with a small part inBent Holocaust drama which also featuredClive Owen ,Jude Law , andIan McKellen . He continued doing work in stage and television: these includedJoe Penhall 'sLove and Understanding , which played at London'sBush Theatre and then ran inConnecticut . He had roles in the television productionsKiller Net Coming Home Emily Mortimer . His last stage work was inOne More Wasted Year andStranger's House at theRoyal Court Theatre . He filmed several more movies, including his first leading role inGangster No. 1 British Independent Film Awards nominated him for Best Actor,[ 17] London Film Critics' Circle nominated him for British Newcomer of the Year.[citation needed
Back in Hollywood, writer/directorBrian Helgeland (L.A. Confidential The Sin Eater (also known asThe Order A Knight's Tale Chaucer for him.A Knight's Tale A Knight's Tale , including winning theLondon Film Critics Circle Award for Best British Supporting Actor . After the movie wrapped, Helgeland, determined that Hollywood should recognise Bettany's talent, showed the audition tape to many of his peers, includingRon Howard , who promptly cast Bettany inA Beautiful Mind Russell Crowe andJennifer Connelly . AfterA Beautiful Mind , Bettany was offered the role of serial killerFrancis Dolarhyde inRed Dragon Edward Norton andAnthony Hopkins . He turned down the role due to his commitment to a role inLars von Trier 'sDogville [ 18]
Bettany's next major project saw him starring again alongsideA Beautiful Mind Russell Crowe inPeter Weir 'sMaster and Commander: The Far Side of the World Stephen Maturin brought him aBAFTA nomination, and he was named British Actor of the Year (London Film Critics' Circle ), and Best Actor (Evening Standard
On 28 June 2004, Bettany and 13 other actors were included in the 2004 invitation to join theAcademy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences .Dogville The Reckoning Wimbledon Kirsten Dunst . The film's cast would also introduce him toJon Favreau , playing his manager, a relationship that would return when Favreau cast him as the voice ofJ.A.R.V.I.S. inIron Man Firewall Vancouver , Canada, a thriller also starringHarrison Ford andVirginia Madsen , which reunited him withWimbledon directorRichard Loncraine . He spent the autumn of 2005 filmingThe Da Vinci Code Dan Brown 's best-selling novel and starringTom Hanks ,Audrey Tautou andIan McKellen . In the film, he played anOpus Dei monk named Silas.
In 2007, Bettany went to London to star inThere For Me , written by his friends Dan Fredenburgh and Doraly Rosen.[ 19] New Line Cinema family fantasyInkheart Dustfinger .[ 20] Charles Darwin inCreation Jennifer Connelly . In 2010, Bettany appeared alongsideJohnny Depp andAngelina Jolie inThe Tourist Legion Priest andMargin Call
Bettany reprised his voice role as J.A.R.V.I.S. in 2010'sIron Man 2 The Avengers Iron Man 3 Disneyland 'sInnoventions attraction.[ 21] Johnny Depp and fellow British actorRebecca Hall in the feature filmTranscendence Mortdecai Gwyneth Paltrow andEwan McGregor .[ 22] Marvel Cinematic Universe film in the 2015 filmAvengers: Age of Ultron Vision .[ 23] Captain America: Civil War Avengers: Infinity War [ 24] [ 25]
Bettany portrayedTed Kaczynski in theDiscovery Channel television showManhunt: Unabomber Michael K. Williams inSolo: A Star Wars Story [ 26] [ 27] Prince Philip, Duke of Edinburgh in theNetflix seriesThe Crown Matt Smith .[ 28] TVLine that Bettany was ultimately unable to sign on due to scheduling conflicts.[ 29]
Bettany starred alongsideElizabeth Olsen in the Marvel television miniseriesWandaVision Marvel Cinematic Universe character, Vision, with Olsen portraying the titularWanda .[ 30] [ 31] Disney+ in January 2021, garnering praise from critics.[ 32] IGN [ 33] Primetime Emmy Award for Outstanding Lead Actor in a Limited or Anthology Series or Movie andGolden Globe Award for Best Actor – Miniseries or Television Film .[ 34] [ 35]
Bettany starred in the 2021 miniseriesA Very British Scandal [ 36] Andy Warhol in a production of the playThe Collaboration byAnthony McCarten at theYoung Vic in London from February to April 2022.[ 37] [ 38]
In 2020, Bettany was announced to portray businessmanAlexander Nix in a feature film about theFacebook–Cambridge Analytica data scandal , to be produced byAGBO with a script byChristopher Markus andStephen McFeely .[ 39] [ 40] Peter Farrelly , did not move forward and remains unproduced.[ 41]
He was also announced to co-write and star in thedramedy film Harvest Moon for Miramax.[ 42]
On 1 January 2003, Bettany married American actressJennifer Connelly in Scotland, whom he met when they starred together in the 2001 filmA Beautiful Mind [ 43] Labyrinth [ 44] September 11 attacks motivated him to act on his feelings for her, and after two days of attempting to contact her, he proposed, despite the fact that they were not yet in a relationship.[ 45] Brooklyn Heights after living inTribeca .[ 46] [ 47] [ 48] [ 49] [ 50]
Bettany is a close friend of actorJohnny Depp since 2010 as they met on the set ofThe Tourist [ 51] Depp's defamation trial againstThe Sun and in 2022 as part ofDepp's defamation trial against his ex-wife, actress Amber Heard .[ 52] [ 53]
Key † Denotes film or TV productions that have not yet been released
Key † Denotes series that have not yet been released
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Retrieved21 October 2012 . ^ Aftab, Kaleem (30 November 2015)."Paul Bettany on why his directorial debut is about homelessness" .The Independent .Archived from the original on 17 July 2018. Retrieved13 July 2018 . ^ Biography of Paul Bettany Archived 26 March 2009 at theWayback Machine ^a b Barton, Laura (12 May 2006)."When albino monks attack" .The Guardian Archived from the original on 20 March 2014. Retrieved6 May 2021 .Bettany was himself raised as a Catholic,... ^ Carnevale, Rob (September 2006)."Paul Bettany: The Da Vinci Code" . BBC.Archived from the original on 30 October 2011. Retrieved27 May 2010 .I was born a Catholic and now I'm a lapsed Catholic. ^ David Germain (15 May 2006)."Pious killer: Bettany dons robes as monk assassin in 'Da Vinci' .Associated Press . Archived fromthe original on 26 January 2013. Retrieved21 October 2012 . ^ "Paul Bettany on Charles Darwin: 'He Was an Atheist and So Am I' .Parade: Entertainment, Recipes, Health, Life, Holidays . 20 January 2010.Archived from the original on 12 June 2018. Retrieved10 June 2018 .^ Adam Rutherford (12 February 2009)."Paul Bettany: Playing Darwin with Creation" .The Guardian . UK.Archived from the original on 20 March 2014. Retrieved7 September 2009 . ^a b c d Mal Vincent (18 September 2004)." .Virginia Pilot and Ledger-Star the original on 11 June 2014. Retrieved21 October 2012 . ^ Standing, Sarah (28 May 2009)."Rise of the strays (that's formerly straight, now gay)" .London Evening Standard Archived from the original on 23 October 2012. Retrieved16 May 2013 . ^ Jamie Portman (17 September 2004). "Wimbledon actor glimpses fame on set: Hollywood is grooming Paul Bettany as a major international star".The Vancouver Sun ^ "Winners Nominations · BIFA · British Independent Film Awards" .BIFA · British Independent Film Awards . 24 October 2000.Archived from the original on 12 May 2021. Retrieved4 May 2021 .^ Mills, Nancy (6 January 2002)."THE NEXT BIG THINGS? A new slew of Hollywood hopefuls who are more than just pretty faces" .New York Daily News Archived from the original on 6 February 2022. Retrieved6 February 2022 . ^ "Film Stars Come To Hanwell" . Ealingtimes.co.uk. 12 July 2007.Archived from the original on 4 March 2022. Retrieved9 October 2010 .^ "Paul Bettany joins the fantasy INKHEART" . Cinescape.com. Archived fromthe original on 30 August 2006. Retrieved9 October 2010 .^ Goldman, Eric (12 April 2013)."Disneyland Introduces Their First Marvel Exhibit with Iron Man Tech" . IGN.Archived from the original on 20 February 2014. Retrieved27 April 2013 . ^ "Hedsor House used in the film Mortdecai (2015)" . Hedsor House. 2015. Archived fromthe original on 21 January 2015. Retrieved20 January 2015 .^ Lang, Derrik J. (29 April 2015)."Paul Bettany plays new role in 'Avengers: Age of Ultron' .The Mercury News Archived from the original on 28 April 2017. Retrieved6 February 2022 . ^ Dockterman, Eliana (12 April 2016)."Captain America: Civil War Stars Answer Fans Taking Sides" Time Archived from the original on 23 May 2019. Retrieved8 February 2022 . ^ Warner, Sam (1 June 2018)."Avengers: Infinity War's Paul Bettany opens up about Vision's "moving" fate" .Digital Spy .Archived from the original on 8 February 2022. Retrieved8 February 2022 . ^ "Michael Kennth Williams joins young Han Solo film" . StarWars.com. 6 March 2017.Archived from the original on 7 March 2017. Retrieved6 March 2017 .^ Hall, Jacob (1 September 2017)."The Han Solo Spin-Off Adds Paul Bettany to Replace Michael K. Williams" ./Film .Archived from the original on 2 September 2017. Retrieved2 September 2017 . ^ Goldberg, Lesley; Konerman, Jennifer (20 January 2018)." .The Hollywood Reporter .Archived from the original on 20 January 2018. Retrieved20 January 2018 . ^ Ausiello, Michael (25 January 2018)."The Crown Season 3: Paul Bettany Exits Talks to Play Prince Philip" .TVLine .Archived from the original on 26 January 2018. Retrieved25 January 2018 . ^ Couch, Aaron (11 April 2019)."Marvel's Kevin Feige Promises "Major Storylines" for Disney+ Shows" .The Hollywood Reporter Archived from the original on 12 April 2019. Retrieved12 April 2019 . ^ Travers, Ben (26 February 2021)." .IndieWire Archived from the original on 27 February 2021. Retrieved26 February 2021 . ^ McMillan, Graeme (14 January 2021)." .The Hollywood Reporter Archived from the original on 22 May 2021. Retrieved6 February 2022 . ^ Purslow, Matt (9 March 2021)."WandaVision: Full Series Review" .IGN Archived from the original on 2 January 2022. Retrieved8 February 2022 . ^ Hammond, Pete (4 August 2021)."Paul Bettany On His 'WandaVision' Emmy Nomination And Career — The Actor's Side" .Deadline Hollywood Archived from the original on 15 December 2021. Retrieved8 February 2022 . ^ "2022 Golden Globe winners: the complete list" Los Angeles Times Archived from the original on 7 February 2022. Retrieved8 February 2022 .^ Friedlander, Whitney (22 April 2022)."A Very British Scandal Stars Claire Foy and Paul Bettany on Avenging Margaret Campbell" .Rotten Tomatoes .Archived from the original on 23 April 2022. Retrieved24 April 2022 . ^ Gershonowitz, Heather (3 February 2022)."Look Inside Rehearsal for The Collaboration, Starring Jeremy Pope and Paul Bettany, at the Young Vic" .Playbill Archived from the original on 5 February 2022. Retrieved6 February 2022 . ^ Fleming, Mike Jr (3 February 2022)."Anthony McCarten's Warhol-Basquiat Stage Play 'The Collaboration' Heading For Big Screen; Helmer Kwame Kwei-Armah, Paul Bettany & Jeremy Pope Reprise" .Deadline Hollywood Archived from the original on 3 February 2022. Retrieved6 February 2022 . ^ Katz, Brandon (13 March 2020)."Exclusive: Paul Bettany to Co-Star in Cambridge Analytica Drama From 'Avengers' Team" .Observer Archived from the original on 26 June 2020. Retrieved5 May 2021 . ^ Fleming Jr., Mike (16 July 2019)."AGBO, David Gordon Green Plot Film On Cambridge Analytica Mastermind Christopher Wylie; Script By 'Avengers: Endgame's Markus & McFeely" .Deadline Hollywood . Retrieved1 November 2025 . ^ Sneider, Jeff (9 July 2021)."Exclusive: Eddie Redmayne, Peter Farrelly Circling Russo Brothers' Cambridge Analytica Movie" .Collider . Retrieved1 November 2025 . ^ Kroll, Justin (11 October 2021)."Paul Bettany To Star In 'Harvest Moon' For Miramax; Carmen Ejogo, Candice Bergen And Cary Elwes Also On Board" .Deadline Hollywood Archived from the original on 20 January 2022. Retrieved6 February 2022 . ^ Mark Armstrong (10 January 2003)."Jennifer Connelly marries Paul Bettany" .People . Archived fromthe original on 14 October 2012. Retrieved12 February 2013 . ^ Superfan Movies (28 September 2015).Yahoo Confessional: Paul Bettany the original on 25 August 2016. Retrieved16 July 2016 . ^ Larry King (13 November 2015).Paul Bettany And Jennifer Connelly Got Engaged Without Even Dating – Larry King Now – Ora.TV Archived from the original on 31 May 2018. Retrieved16 July 2016 – via YouTube. ^ David, Amrk."Paul Bettany and Jennifer Connelly On the Move Again" Archived 26 February 2019 at theWayback Machine ,Variety (magazine) A Beautiful Mind ,The Da Vinci Code ,A Knight's Tale ) and Brooklyn-bred Academy Award winner Jennifer Connelly (A Beautiful Mind, Requiem For A Dream, Blood Diamond) paid $6,920,000 for a full floor loft-type penthouse apartment on the edge of New York City's star-stocked TriBeCa neighborhood." ^ Tim Adams (25 January 2004)." .The Guardian .Archived from the original on 20 March 2014. Retrieved7 November 2020 . ^ Zakarin, Jordan (14 December 2010)."Jennifer Connelly pregnant with husband Paul Bettany's second child" .HuffPost Archived from the original on 27 November 2011. Retrieved7 November 2020 . ^ "Jennifer Connelly gives birth to baby girl!" .US Weekly . 8 June 2011.Archived from the original on 21 June 2012. Retrieved7 November 2020 .^ Jordan, Julie (14 January 2021)."WandaVision 's Paul Bettany Says His Marriage to Jennifer Connelly 'Really Altered Who I Was' .People .Archived from the original on 5 May 2021. Retrieved5 May 2021 . ^ Oppenheim, Maya (29 May 2016)."Mickey Rourke and Paul Bettany defend Johnny Depp and deny claims he is a violent man" .The Independent . Archived from the original on 29 October 2021. Retrieved23 September 2021 . {{cite news }}: CS1 maint: bot: original URL status unknown (link )^ Maxwell, Dominic (24 February 2022)."Paul Bettany on becoming Warhol, WandaVision and those Johnny Depp texts" .The Times . Retrieved23 April 2022 . {{cite news }}: CS1 maint: bot: original URL status unknown (link )^ Southern, Keiran (21 April 2022)."Johnny Depp discussed drowning ex-wife Amber Heard in texts to British actor Paul Bettany" .The Times . 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