Paul Bettany

Paul Bettany

Paul Bettany is an English-American actor. He is known for his role as J. A. R. V. I. S. and Vision in the Marvel Cinematic Universe films Iron Man, Iron Man 2 and The Avengers. He dropped out of school, left home and became a street performer in London.

About Paul Bettany in brief

Summary Paul BettanyPaul Bettany is an English-American actor. He is known for his role as J. A. R. V. I. S. and Vision in the Marvel Cinematic Universe films Iron Man, Iron Man 2 and The Avengers. He first came to the attention of mainstream audiences when he appeared in the British film Gangster No. 1 and director Brian Helgeland’s film A Knight’s Tale. He has gone on to appear in a wide variety of films, including A Beautiful Mind, Master and Commander: The Far Side of the World, Wimbledon and The Da Vinci Code. Bettany has been nominated for various awards, including BAFTA Award for Best Actor in a Supporting Role and a Screen Actors Guild Award for Outstanding Performance by a Cast in a Motion Picture. He was born in London, the son of Anne, a stage singer, theatre teacher, and stage manager, and Thane Bettany, a dancer, actor, drama teacher and godfather to Sophie, Countess of Wessex. His brother Matthew died at age 8 after falling onto concrete from a tennis pavilion roof at Queenswood.

He dropped out of school, left home, and became a street performer in London. He had dyslexia prior to it being recognised as a learning disability. In 1990, at the age of 19, Bettany began a three-year course 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 later appeared in a BBC production of Oliver Twist, playing Bill Sikes. After appearing in the finale of Sean Bean’s series Sharpe as William II of the Netherlands at the Battle of Waterloo, he made his film debut with a small part in Bent, a Holocaust drama which also featured Clive Owen, Jude Law, and Ian McKellen. He turned down the role of serial killer Francis Dolarhyde in Red Dragon opposite Edward Norton and Anthony Hopkins.