Wes Bentley
Wes Bentley | |
|---|---|
 Bentley in 2012 | |
| Born | September 4, 1978 Jonesboro, Arkansas,U.S. |
| Education | Juilliard School(no degree) |
| Occupation | Actor |
| Years active | 1995–present |
| Spouses | Jennifer Quanz
(m.2001;div.2009)Jacqui Swedberg
(m.2010) |
| Children | 2 |
Wes Bentley(born September 4, 1978) is an American actor.[1]He is best known for his roles as Ricky Fitts inAmerican Beauty(1999), which earned him a nomination for theBAFTA Award for Supporting Actor;Seneca Crane inThe Hunger Games(2012); Doyle inInterstellar(2014); Erik inMission: Impossible – Fallout;and Jamie Dutton inYellowstone.He was one of four subjects in the documentaryMy Big Break(2009), which covered his fame afterAmerican Beautyand his subsequent struggles with substance abuse. Rebuilding his career, he starred in the premiere ofVenus in FurbyDavid Ivesin the off-Broadway production in 2010. Other film roles includeThe Four Feathers(2002),Ghost Rider(2007),P2(2007), andPete's Dragon(2016).
He began appearing in theFXanthology seriesAmerican Horror Storyin 2014, playingEdward MordrakeinFreak Show.In 2015, he starred as Detective John Lowe inHotel,for which he received aCritics' Choice Television Awardnomination. The following year, he played Dylan (the actor who plays Ambrose White inMy Roanoke Nightmare) in the series' sixth cycle, subtitledRoanoke.In 2018, Bentley began starring in theParamount Networkoriginal television seriesYellowstone.
Early life
[edit]Bentley was born inJonesboro, Arkansas,and raised inLittle Rock,[2][3]the third of four sons of Cherie Baker and David Bentley. His father is a minister, and his mother is a chaplain and ordained elder in the Arkansas Conference, both in theUnited Methodistdenomination.[4][5]His grandfather was an evangelical minister.[6]He is ofGerman,Scottish,andEnglishdescent.[7]
In 1996, he graduated fromSylvan Hills High SchoolinSherwood, Arkansas.[8]He attended theJuilliard School's Drama Division as part of its Group 29 (1996–2000)[9]but left the school after one year to pursue his acting career.[10]
Career
[edit]Bentley has starred in several films, including the Oscar-winningAmerican Beauty,The Four Feathers,P2,andGhost Rider.He starred in the thrillerDolan's Cadillac,[11]based on the short story byStephen King,[12]andThere Be Dragonsby directorRoland Joffé.Bentley is one of the main subjects in the documentaryMy Big Break,directed byTony Zierra,which follows Bentley and three of his former roommates,Chad Lindberg,Brad RoweandGreg Fawcett,as they pursue their dream to become successful actors in Hollywood. InGhost Rider(2007), Bentley playedBlackheart,a demonic being that served as the mainantagonist.
In 2010, he starred oppositeNina Ariandain the premiere of theDavid IvesplayVenus in Furoff-Broadway at theClassic Stage Companyin New York City. The production later moved to Broadway, withHugh Dancyin the role debuted by Bentley.[13][14][15][16]
In March 2012, Bentley had a supporting role in the blockbuster movieThe Hunger Games,playing gamemaker Seneca Crane. In 2012, Bentley starred in the indie feature3 Nights in the Desert,directed byGabriel Cowan.[17]
Bentley andScott Speedmanstarred in apilot episodefor a plannedHBOseries created byRyan Murphy,Open,[18]but the series was not picked up. The following year, Bentley guest starred in Murphy'sFXseriesAmerican Horror Storyfor its fourth season,Freak Show.In 2015, he was promoted to the main cast for the fifth season,Hotel,starring as Detective John Lowe. In 2016, he played a main role in the sixth season,Roanoke.Since 2018, he has played Jamie Dutton on Paramount Network'sYellowstone.[6]
OnJimmy Kimmel Live!on December 9, 2022, Bentley said he turned down the role ofSpider-Man,a role later offered toTobey Maguire.[6]
Personal life
[edit]Bentley was married to actress Jennifer Quanz from 2001 to 2009. They divorced in 2009, reportedly due to his substance abuse. He married producer Jacqui Swedberg in 2010, and their son was born in 2010[19]and their daughter in 2014.
In aNew York Timesarticle on February 8, 2010,[20]he described his descent intodrug addictionthat began almost immediately after his success inAmerican Beauty.He said he hid his addiction from his wife; they separated in 2006, and he moved to an apartment where he began doing drugs full-time. During this time, he worked sporadically, just enough to pay bills and buy drugs. His addiction began to cause problems on the sets of the filmsP2andWeirdsville.In 2008, he was arrested and ordered into counseling and12-step programs.He relapsed, however, and "continued usingheroinuntil he was broke ".[13]
In July 2009, he said, he confessed to a friend, "I'm a drug addict, and analcoholic,and I need help. I need help or I'm going to die ".[21]He again entered a 12-step program and, while clean since then, considers himself on the path to recovery.[citation needed]
The documentaryMy Big Break(2009) captures Bentley's early life as an unknown actor, his sudden fame afterAmerican Beauty,his subsequent emotional struggle with fame, and his admission years later that he was recovering from an addiction to drugs and alcohol.[13]He began to rebuild his career by starring in theOff-Broadwaypremiere of the playVenus in FurbyDavid Ives.
Filmography
[edit]| Year | Film | Role | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1995 | Serendipity Lane | Lonnie | Short film |
| 1998 | Three Below Zero | Julian Flincher | |
| Beloved | Schoolteacher's Nephew | ||
| 1999 | American Beauty | Ricky Fitts | |
| The White River Kid | White River Kid | ||
| 2000 | The Claim | Donald Daglish | |
| 2001 | Carving Out Our Name | Himself | |
| Soul Survivors | Matt | ||
| 2002 | The Four Feathers | Jack Durrance | |
| 2005 | The Game of Their Lives | Walter Bahr | |
| 2007 | Weirdsville | Royce | |
| Ghost Rider | Blackheart / Legion | ||
| The Perfect Witness | Mickey Gravatski | ||
| P2 | Thomas Barclay | ||
| 2008 | The Last Word | Evan | |
| 2009 | The Tomb | Johnathan Merrick | |
| Dolan's Cadillac | Tom Robinson | ||
| The Greims | Donnie Greims | Short film | |
| 2010 | Jonah Hex | Adleman Lusk | |
| 2011 | Rites of Passage | Benny | |
| Hirokin | Hirokin | ||
| There Be Dragons | Manolo Torres | ||
| After-School Special | Man | Short film | |
| 2012 | Underworld: Awakening | Dr. Edward Vronski | Uncredited; credited as Antigen Scientist |
| 2012 | Gone | Peter Hood | |
| The Hunger Games | Seneca Crane | ||
| Stars in Shorts | Man | ||
| The Time Being | Daniel | ||
| Hidden Moon | Victor Brighton | ||
| Hirokin: The Last Samurai | Hirokin | ||
| 2013 | Lovelace | Thomas | |
| Pioneer | Mike | ||
| Cesar Chavez | Jerry Cohen | ||
| 2014 | 3 Nights in the Desert | Travis | |
| After the Fall | Bill Scanlon | ||
| The Better Angels | Mr. Crawford | ||
| Interstellar | Doyle | ||
| Welcome to Me | Gabe Ruskin | ||
| Final Girl | William | ||
| 2015 | Knight of Cups | Barry | |
| We Are Your Friends | James Reed | ||
| Amnesiac | Man | ||
| 2016 | Pete's Dragon | Jack Magary | |
| Broken Vows | Patrick | ||
| 2018 | Mission: Impossible – Fallout | Erik | |
| 2019 | The Best of Enemies | Floyd Kelly |
| Year | TV | Role | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2011 | Tilda | — | Television film |
| 2014 | Open | Evan Foster | Unsold TV pilot |
| 2014–15 | American Horror Story: Freak Show | Edward Mordrake | 3 episodes |
| 2015–16 | American Horror Story: Hotel | Det. John Lowe | 11 episodes |
| 2016 | American Horror Story: Roanoke | Dylan Conrad (Ambrose White, re-enactment) | 8 episodes |
| 2018–present | Yellowstone | Jamie Dutton | 36 episodes |
| 2021–2022 | Blade Runner: Black Lotus | Niander Wallace, Jr.(voice) | 13 episodes |
Stage
[edit]| Year | Title | Role | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2010 | Venus in Fur | Thomas | East 13th Street/CSC Theatre |
Awards and nominations
[edit]| Year | Association | Category | Nominated work | Result |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1999 | National Board of Review | Best Male Breakthrough Performance | American Beauty | Won |
| 2000 | BAFTA Awards | Best Actor in a Supporting Role | Nominated | |
| Blockbuster Entertainment Awards | Favorite Supporting Actor – Drama | Nominated | ||
| Chicago Film Critics Association Awards | Most Promising Actor | Won | ||
| MTV Movie Awards | Breakthrough Male Performance | Nominated | ||
| Online Film Critics Society Awards | Best Supporting Actor | Nominated | ||
| Screen Actors Guild Awards | Outstanding Performance by a Cast in a Motion Picture | Won | ||
| Teen Choice Awards | Choice Movie Breakout Performance | Nominated | ||
| 2007 | Fright Meter Awards | Best Actor | P2 | Nominated |
| 2016 | Critics' Choice Television Awards | Best Actor in a Movie or Limited Series | American Horror Story: Hotel | Nominated |
| 2017 | MTV Movie & TV Awards | Best Villain | American Horror Story: Roanoke | Nominated |
| 2022 | Screen Actors Guild Awards | Outstanding Performance by an Ensemble in a Drama Series | Yellowstone | Nominated |
References
[edit]- ^"Celebrity Birthdays for the Week of Sept. 4–10".The Associated Press.August 29, 2022.RetrievedAugust 14,2023.
- ^"Wes Bentley Talks Past Drug Use, Loss Of 'Brother' Heath Ledger".The Larry King Show.Archivedfrom the original on November 17, 2021 – via YouTube.
- ^"American Beauty's Wes Bentley".The Guardian.January 23, 2000.
- ^"Wes Bentley star bio".Tribute.ca.
- ^"Arkansas-born Actor Reconnects With God on Film".arumc.org.Archived fromthe originalon July 3, 2013.
- ^abcWes Bentley on Yellowstone Success, Turning Down Spider-Man & Being Cast in American Beauty,youtube. Accessed May 31, 2023.
- ^"Wes Bentley Wiki: Young, Photos, Ethnicity & Gay or Straight".entertainmentwise.RetrievedMarch 16,2018.
- ^Bennett, Tara (March 21, 2012)."The 'Hunger Games' Cast Before They Were Famous: Wes Bentley, Senior Year at Sylvan Hills High School, Sherwood, Arkansas (1996)".Snakkle.Pontiac Digital Media.
- ^"Alumni News".The Juilliard School.March 2010. Archived fromthe originalon November 11, 2011.RetrievedApril 7,2012.
- ^Daly, Steve (October 8, 1999)."Wes Bentley of 'American Beauty'".People.Archivedfrom the original on October 23, 2014.RetrievedFebruary 19,2020.
- ^Christian Slater and Wes Bentley Join 'Dolan's Cadillac',Cinematical, April 25, 2008
- ^Stephen King's DOLAN'S CADILLAC Filming in Canada!,May 29, 2008
- ^abcHealy, Patrick (February 8, 2010). Kahn, Joseph; Dean, Baquet; Monica, Drake; Meghan, Louttit; Philip B., Corbett; Kathleen, Kingsbury; Tracie, Lee; Rebecca, Blumenstein; Steve, Duenes; Matthew, Purdy; Sam, Dolnick; Mara, Gay; Sam, Sifton (eds.)."Back from the depths, rebuilding a career".Arts.New York Times (Online).Vol. CLIX, no. 31. New York City: The New York Times Company. p. C1.ISSN1553-8095.RetrievedFebruary 7,2021.
{{cite news}}:CS1 maint: date and year (link) - ^"Run Extended for 'Venus in Fur'",February 3, 2010,New York Times.
- ^Charles Isherwood, "One Object of Desire, Delivered",New York Times,January 28, 2010.
- ^"Nina Arianda: A Star Is Born",Playbill.Accessed May 31, 2023.
- ^Mike Fleming Jr (November 29, 2011)."Indie Feature '3 Nights In The Desert' Gets Underway".Deadline Hollywood.
- ^Goldberg, Lesley (June 13, 2013)."Wes Bentley to Star in Ryan Murphy's HBO Sexuality Drama 'Open'".The Hollywood Reporter.
- ^Oliver Jones (June 13, 2011)."Wes Bentley: 'I Felt Myself Dying'".People magazine.RetrievedJanuary 13,2012.
- ^Healy, Patrick (February 7, 2010)."Back From the Depths, Rebuilding a Career".The New York Times.ISSN0362-4331.RetrievedDecember 9,2022.
- ^"The Hunger Games Star Wes Bentley Fights Back From Homelessness, Bankruptcy".Radar Online.March 29, 2012.RetrievedApril 9,2012.
External links
[edit]
- 1978 births
- 20th-century American male actors
- 21st-century American male actors
- Actors from Craighead County, Arkansas
- American male film actors
- American people of English descent
- American people of German descent
- American people of Scottish descent
- Juilliard School alumni
- Living people
- Male actors from Little Rock, Arkansas
- Outstanding Performance by a Cast in a Motion Picture Screen Actors Guild Award winners
- People from Jonesboro, Arkansas
- Sylvan Hills High School alumni