Alexander Richard Pettyfer(born 10 April 1990) is an English actor and model. He appeared in school plays and on television before being cast asAlex Rider,the main character in the 2006 film version ofStormbreaker.Pettyfer was nominated for aYoung Artist Awardand anEmpire Awardfor his role.[1]
Alex Pettyfer | |
|---|---|
 Pettyfer in 2006 | |
| Born | Alexander Richard Pettyfer 10 April 1990 Stevenage,England |
| Alma mater | Sylvia Young Theatre School |
| Occupations |
|
| Years active | 2005–present |
| Spouse | |
| Children | 1 |
Pettyfer has been seen as a model in several advertising campaigns forBurberry[2]and has starred in a number of other films, includingI Am Number Four,Beastly,andMagic Mike.He starred as Brody in theNetflixscience fiction miniseriesThe I-Land.
Early life
editPettyfer was born inStevenage,Hertfordshire, England, the son of Lee Robinson and Richard Pettyfer, both actors. His parents met while performing in London's West End inWest Side Story,[3]CatsandMiss Saigon.[4][5]He has a younger half-brother, James Ireland from his mother's remarriage to Michael J. Ireland, a retired builder and property developer.[4][6]
Pettyfer was brought up inEsherand thenWindsor, Berkshireand began his career initially being managed by his mother as a young fashion model at the age of seven, forGap,after meetingRalph Laurenin a toy store inNew York.[4]He also did advertisements for some yogurt brands. His first commercial was at age six.
As a schoolboy, he performed in plays, including in the role ofWilly Wonkain a production ofCharlie and the Chocolate Factory,Jack in his school play "Jack and the Beanstalk" and Robin Hood in the adaptation ofThe Adventures of Robin Hood(1938). Pettyfer was educated at two junior independent schools:The Mall School,a small school inTwickenham,followed by theLambrook Haileyburyschool inWinkfield,Berkshire.[7]He subsequently attended two other independent boarding schools:Millfield SchoolinStreet,SomersetandShiplake CollegenearHenley-on-ThamesinOxfordshire.[4]Before his GCSEs, he left Shiplake College to attend the independentSylvia Young Theatre Schoolin London.[8]
Career
editIn 2005, Pettyfer made his professional acting début in the British television production ofTom Brown's Schooldays,playing the lead character,Tom Brown;he received positive reviews for the role.[9]In June 2005, he was cast in his most prominent role so far, that of teenageMI6spyAlex Riderin the filmStormbreaker,based on the novel byAnthony Horowitz.He was one of 500 who auditioned for the role.[6]Pettyfer chose to appear in the film over a role in the filmEragon,noting that he preferredStormbreakerbecause it would be filmed in Britain, in theIsle of Man,whileEragonwould film in Hungary; Pettyfer has a fear of flying, and he liked the looks of the cast forStormbreaker.[4]In 2006,Stormbreakerwas released on 21 July in the United Kingdom, 6 October in the United States, and 21 September in Australia.
One review of Pettyfer's performance described him as playing the role with an "earnest intensity",[10]although another noted that he "isn't quite at ease as an actor".[11]Media reports specified that the film was expected to make Pettyfer a "teen idol".[9]In September 2006, it was reported that Pettyfer would not reprise the role if there was another Alex Rider film because he had become too mature for the role.[12]
At around age 17, due to his earlier acting success and to supplement his income, Pettyfer started modelling, notably in some advertising campaigns forBurberry.[13]
He next appeared inWild Child,a film set inCalifornia,KentandYorkshirepart of which took place atCobham Hall Girls' Schoolin Kent. He played schoolboy Freddie Kingsley.[14]In 2009, he played the callous ringleader of a group of cool but cruel teenagers who are picked off one by one by the ghost of one of their former victims, in the horror-comedyTormented.[15]
He starred in the filmBeastly,based on the novel byAlex Flinn.He finished filming on 13 August 2009,[16]and the film was released on 4 March 2011.[17]Pettyfer portrayed the main character inI Am Number Four,released in February 2011[18]and directed byD.J. Caruso.[19]
He was offered the part ofJace Waylandin the film adaptation ofCassandra Clare's best selling book,City of Bones.Jamie Campbell Bowerwas later cast as Jace Wayland.[20][21]Pettyfer had also been offered a part in a film adaptation ofJoseph Delaney'sThe Spook's Apprentice,but he declined the role.[22]He was in line to star inThe Paperboy,based on thePete Dexternovel of the same name, but was dropped for the role. In 2012, he played Adam, a 19-year-old who enters the world of male stripping inMagic Mike.[23]
In 2013, Pettyfer had a small role as Thomas Westfall inThe Butler.[24]In 2014, he starred in the romantic dramaEndless Love.[25]In 2016, Pettyfer played the role ofJerry Schillingin the biography filmElvis & Nixon.[26]In 2017, he starred as Nick in the indie thrillerThe Strange Onesdirected by Christopher Radcliff andLauren Wolkstein.[27]2018 saw Pettyfer making his directorial debut inBack Roadswhere he also played the lead role of Harley Altmyer.[28]
In 2018, Pettyfer starred as Stephen Underwood, a journalist who uncovers the horrific murder of 22,000 Poles under Stalin's instructions, in the post–World War II thrillerThe Last Witness.[29]In the same year, it was announced that Pettyfer had been cast in the main role of Brody on theNetflixscience fiction miniseriesThe I-Land.[30]The miniseries was released on 12 September 2019.[31]
Personal life
editIn June 2009, Pettyfer was voted number 35 on British women's magazineCompany'slist of the top 50 most eligible bachelors.[32]In August 2009, the British magazineGlamourranked him number 21 on their list of the sexiest men on the planet.[33]
Pettyfer completed filmingStormbreaker,but he did not discuss the film with anyone at his school, citing the advice of his costarEwan McGregor,who told him to keep his personal and professional lives separate. Pettyfer subsequently decided to leave school without any qualifications and concentrate on his film career,[34][9]saying that "When you have already experienced going out and working in the real world, and you come back to school, you just see it as a playground and you don't want to be there any more."[35]
In a 2011 interview, he stated "I felt like the industry was just a factory. You hear a lot of people say they want to make art in this industry, but so few people actually fucking do it. I was disillusioned byHollywoodat the time, but now I've come to accept that's just the way things are: it's called show business, not show art. "[36]In the same interview, when asked about how he liked living in Los Angeles, he stated, "LA is growing on me a little bit, but it's still a shit-hole. I think it's this insidious pool where nearly everyone lives in fear. Geographically it's fantastic: in a half hour, you can be on the beach in one direction, go snowboarding in another, or go out into the desert. But socially it's disgusting. I wish they'd just run all the cunts out."[36]
Relationships and marriage
editPettyfer was briefly engaged to actressRiley Keoughin 2012. They met while filmingMagic Mike.[37]
On 24 December 2019, he became engaged to German modelToni Garrnafter ten months of dating.[38]They were married in Hamburg, Germany, on 2 October 2020.[39]They have a daughter, born in 2021.[40]
On 22 April 2023, Garrn announced through her Instagram account that the couple were divorcing.[41]
Allegations of domestic violence
editIn July 2010, Pettyfer began dating actressDianna Agron,hisI Am Number Fourco-star. He was reportedly controlling and paranoid throughout their relationship, but they begancohabitingin 2010. The couple broke up in February 2011, the day after the film was released, with reports that Pettyfer threatened Agron over the phone and had a "heated confrontation" with actorSebastian Stan,someone with whom Agron was close in early 2011. She temporarily moved to a hotel under a false name so that Pettyfer would not be able to find her,[42][43]and he was instructed by his agents to not to attend an event where she would be present.[44]
Filmography
editFilm
edit| Year | Title | Role | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2006 | Stormbreaker | Alex Rider | |
| 2008 | Wild Child | Freddie Kingsley | |
| 2009 | Tormented | Bradley White | |
| 2011 | I Am Number Four | John Smith | |
| Beastly | Kyle Kingstone | ||
| In Time | Fortis | ||
| 2012 | Magic Mike | Adam | |
| 2013 | The Butler | Thomas Westfall | |
| 2014 | Endless Love | David Elliot | |
| 2016 | Elvis & Nixon | Jerry Schilling | |
| 2017 | The Strange Ones | Nick | |
| 2018 | Back Roads | Harley Altmyer | |
| The Last Witness | Stephen Underwood | ||
| 2020 | Echo Boomers | Ellis Beck | |
| 2021 | Collection | Brandon | |
| Warning | Liam | ||
| 2022 | The Infernal Machine | Dwight Tufford | |
| 2023 | Black Noise | Jordan | |
| 2024 | Sunrise | Fallon | |
| 5lbs of Pressure | Leff[45] | ||
| The Ministry of Ungentlemanly Warfare | Geoffrey Appleyard | ||
| Chief of Station | John Branca |
Television
edit| Year | Title | Role | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2005 | Tom Brown's Schooldays | Tom Brown | Television film |
| 2018 | Urban Myths | Tony Curtis | Episode: "Marilyn Monroe and Billy Wilder" |
| 2019 | The I-Land | Brody | Main role |
| 2020 | Family Guy | Troy (voice) | Episode: "The Movement" |
Directorial
edit| Year | Title | Notes |
|---|---|---|
| 2018 | Back Roads | Directorial debut |
Modelling
edit- 2008:Burberry– Spring/Summer
- 2008: Burberry – The Beat For Men eau de cologne
- 2009: Burberry – Spring/Summer
Awards and nominations
edit| Year | Award | Category | Nominated work | Result |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2007 | Young Artist Awards | Best Performance in an International Feature Film Leading Young Actor or Actress[46] | Stormbreaker | Nominated |
| Empire Award | Best Male Newcomer[1] | Stormbreaker | Nominated | |
| 2010 | ShoWest Award | Male Star of Tomorrow | N/A | Won |
| 2011 | MTV Movie Awards | Biggest Badass Star[47] | I Am Number Four | Nominated |
| Teen Choice Awards | Choice Movie: Liplock(shared with Vanessa Hudgens) | Beastly | Nominated | |
| Choice Movie: Breakout Male[48] | BeastlyandI Am Number Four | Won | ||
| 2014 | Acapulco Black Film Festival | Best Ensemble Cast | The Butler | Nominated |
| Screen Actors Guild Awards | Outstanding Performance by a Cast in a Motion Picture[49] | The Butler | Nominated | |
| Brasov International Film Festival and Market | Best Lead Actor | Endless Love | Won |
References
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External links
edit
Media related toAlex Pettyferat Wikimedia Commons- Alex PettyferatIMDb
- Alex PettyferonInstagram
