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Clive Owen, co-star of the "Sin City" Movie! A suave, darkly handsome actor reminiscent of the young Sean Connery in looks and charisma, Clive Owen first came to international attention with his sinuous, understated portrayal of the amoral protagonist of Mike Hodges' Croupier (1998). A flop in Britain, where Owen had long been a staple of various BBC TV series, the film was a sleeper hit in the States, its success duly generating a flurry of interest in the relatively unknown actor who lent the film its seductive intensity. A product of Coventry, Warwickshire, Owen got a bumpy start in his chosen career, living on the dole for two years after he left school. Fortunately, respite arrived in the form of an acceptance to the Royal Academy of Dramatic Art in 1984, and following his graduation from RADA, the young actor joined the Young Vic Theatre Company, where he performed a number of the clics. Owen broke into TV in 1986 with a guest appearance on the series Boon, and subsequently made his film debut in Beeban Kidron's Vroom (1988), a road movie co-starring David Thewlis and Diana Quick. More television work followed in the form of Chancer, a popular miniseries that cast Owen as its heroic protagonist. The actor also found himself increasingly busy with big-screen performances, turning in a complex portrayal of a man involved in an obsessive and incestuous relationship with his sister (Saskia Reeves) in Close My Eyes (1991). Owen received one of his biggest roles to date in Sean Mathias' 1997 screen adaptation of Martin Sherman's Bent, a Holocaust drama in which Owen starred as a biual concentration camp inmate who falls in love with a fellow prisoner (Lothaire Bluteau). Although the film earned a substantial degree of critical acclaim and boasted the talents of such luminaries as Ian McKellen and Mick Jagger, it failed to garner much commercial notice. Owen finally broke through to an international audience with Hodges' Croupier, earning almost unanimous acclaim for his portrayal of a struggling writer who becomes caught up in an intricate scam after taking a job in a casino. He subsequently starred as a prisoner who takes up gardening in Greenfingers, a comedy that also starred Helen Mirren and had its premiere at the 2000 Toronto Film Festival. The actor also remained active on the stage, even as his screen work thrived, starring in the original 1997 London production of Patrick Marber's highly feted Closer, and performing alongside Rachel Weisz and Paul Rhys in Sean Mathias' acclaimed revival of Noël Coward's Design for Living at London's Donmar Warehouse. The new millennium saw Owen appearing in an eclectic range of projects. In 2001, he starred as the only recurring character in BMW's Hire series of ambitious short films by directors such as Ang Lee and Guy Ritchie and also appeared in Robert Altman's acclaimed Gosford Park. Following a memorable supporting performance opposite Matt Damon in 2002's popular The Bourne Identity, Owen moved up to a starring role as an international relief worker who has an affair with Angelina Jolie in 2003's Beyond Borders. The next year, he took on the title role in King Arthur, Antoine Fuqua's non-fantasy retelling of the legendary story, with then it-girl Keira Knightley as his Guinevere. Both Beyond Borders and King Arthur failed to garner much of an audience, with the latter especially disappointing in light of its 120-million-dollar budget. Despite buzz about the possibility of Owen taking over the James Bond role in the iconic series, his prospects as a Hollywood leading man seemed to be faltering. Also in 2004, Owen appeared stateside in a smaller-budget U.K. film from Croupier director Mike Hodges called I'll Sleep When I'm Dead, about a former gangster investigating the mysterious death of his younger brother. Starring an impressive cast that included Charlotte Rampling, Jonathan Rhys-Meyers, and Malcolm McDowell, the film was well-received by critics but relegated to only small arthouse exposure in the States. Later that year, Owen appeared in the big-screen adaptation of Closer, directed by Mike Nichols and co-starring such big names as Julia Roberts, Jude Law, and Natalie Portman. In 2005, Owen joined an even more star-studded cast with a role in Robert Rodriguez' adaptation of Frank Miller's comic Sin City, and he would also star opposite Julianne Moore in Savage Grace and Jennifer Aniston in Derailed. Meet Clive Owen Recently breaking into the top ranks of British superstars making it in Hollywood, the smoothly virile actor Clive Owen was born on October 3, 1964, in Keresley, Coventry, Warwickshire, England.His father was a country/western singer who deserted his family when Clive was only 3. He attended Binley Park Comprehensive School and joined the youth theatre at 13 after playing the scene-stealing role of the Artful Dodger in a production of "Oliver!" In 1984, following graduation, Clive applied and was accepted into the Royal Academy of Dramatic Art for three years. While there he built up a clical resume including roles in "Henry IV, Part I" and "The Lady from the Sea." He subsequently joined the Young Vic Theatre Company and in 1988, as it goes, the actor playing Romeo fell in love with his Juliet, Sarah Jane Fenton. The couple eventually married in 1995 and have two daughters. 1988 was a good year for another reason. Clive made his film debut in the British-made Vroom co-starring with David Thewlis as two fellows who restore a clic American car and take off on the road. Within two years Clive became a full-fledged TV star playing devishly handsome rogue Stephen Crane in "Chancer." However, the now-sought-after Clive abandoned the star-making part during the show's peak because of unwanted invasion of privacy and his fear of typecasting. His next project raised more than few eyebrows after he filmed Close My Eyes (1991) in which he played a brother who acts on his incentuous desires for his older sister. Clive's popular reputation as a loveable shyster was completely shattered and he lost profitable commercial endorsements and film offers for the next two years as a result. But the persistent Clive pursued with stage roles, including playing a biual in a production of Noel Coward's "Design For Living." He returned to TV at that time as well and played a number of roles in both mini-movies and series. In 1997 he had a hit on the London stage with "Closer," an ensemble contemporary piece about relationships. Controversy surrounded him again in the film role of Max in Bent (1997) as a brash, reckless homoual lothario in decadent pre-war Germany who finds unexpected love while interned in a Nazi war camp. His biggest film break, however, was in Mike Hodges' Croupier (1998), as a struggling writer-turned-casino employee who gets in over his head with a femme fatale scam artist. English audiences stayed away in droves but the U.S. embraced the film and Hollywood finally took notice of Clive, who was virtually unknown outside of England. Despite playing detective Ross Tanner in a series of successful "Second Sight" mini-movies and earning another stage hit with "The Day in the Death of Joe Egg" in 2001, Clive has stuck primarily with film, including the offbeat Brit romantic comedy Greenfingers (2000), the cly and popular Robert Altman film Gosford Park (2001), the Matt Damon starrer The Bourne Identity (2002), King Arthur (2004) as the title role, and the film version of his stage hit Closer (2004) with Julia Roberts. There seems to be only bigger and better things awaiting him. Ever since playing the ultra-cool driver in BMW's "The Hire" series, there has been constant pressure for Clive to don a tux and become filmdom's next 'James Bond.' It would seem a perfect fit. More fun stuff about Clive Owen Height 6' 2½" (1.89 m) Spouse: Sarah-Jane Fenton (1995 - present) 2 children Had a recurring role on a series of BMW commercials as their mysterious driver. He played a valet in the film Gosford Park (2001) and played a character named "The Professor" in The Bourne Identity (2002) who drove a BMW. Was accepted into the Royal Academy of Dramatic Art in 1984. After he graduated, he joined the Young Vic Theatre. Has four brothers and was raised by his mother and stepfather. Has 2 daughters: Hannah and Eve. Is a huge David Bowie fan. Turned down the role as The Driver for BMW twice. He was sent a copy of the script for the first ad, read it and was impressed by its presentation. He immediately accepted the role, jumped on a plane to LA, and was whisked away to the set of the first ad as soon as he landed. Two of his brothers, Alan and Lee, became musicians and released a single called "Heartbeat." Met his wife at the Royal Academy of Dramatic Art while doing Romeo and Juliet. Personal quotes: "I've never been interested in playing good guys. I'm always attracted to dangerous characters. Those roles are usually far more interesting and I hold no fears about doing them. With my character in Croupier, you're never really sure where he's coming from. He's not really a good guy or a bad guy. But people generally aren't, are they?" "The iest part of the body is the eyes. Corny, but that's what I believe. They're what connect us as human beings." "Theatre uses a different energy. It's like going to the gym and having a vigorous workout. But every few years is enough because I love filming. I am a real film animal." "When I was 10 or 11, I played the Artful Dodger in a school production of 'Oliver. From that point forward, I said I wanted to be an actor. Nobody in my family took it seriously, but I saw no other path. I was a cocky little kid. This one teacher said: 'You're a working-cl kid from Coventry. What do you know?'" "Theater is like exercise. I feel it's healthy. But I don't love it as much as movies. A bad experience in the theater can be so depressing. You've got to do it every night, even if the production is not working." Clive Owen Starstruck by Co-Star Julia Roberts Clive Owen: I'm Not the Next Bond Bruckheimer Set To Film 'King Arthur' in Ireland U.K. TV Star Seeks To Rev Up Film Career Brit Flop Film Hits U.S. Jackpot Bond Shortlist Is Revealed Clive Owen and Daniel Craig are fighting it out to become the sixth James Bond, insiders say.Executives for the next movie will choose either Owen or Craig to succeed Pierce Brosnan.Brosnan, 51, will not appear in the next film, Casino Royale, after he failed to agree terms. Owen, 40, and Craig, 37, are said to have beaten off competition from early contenders such as Hugh Jackman and Russell Crowe. Ewan McGregor and Colin Farrell were also in the running, before Owen and Craig captured the imaginations of the 007 producers. A Bond source told The Sun: "They're both good looking and charming, but also have that dangerous edge. "We feel they are the real deal. The million-dollar question is which one will get it. "There have been lots of potential candidates but these two really fit the bill." Meanwhile Nip/Tuck hunk Julian McMahon claimed he was also on the shortlist. The 26-year-old Australian, who plays serial womaniser Dr Christian Troy in the TV show said: "I met the producers for a final audition. They told me to expect a decision in a couple of months and they said it was between me and one other person. "It's going to be a very nervous wait." In the new film, Bond faces his worst nightmare yet - having his tackle chopped off. Bond will be tortured by a KGB agent who threatens to castrate him. Clive Owen tops IMDB poll for next James Bond Clive Owen has topped a recent IMDB poll to determine who should play the next James Bond. The English actor, who recently won Golden Globe and BAFTA awards for his role in "Closer", even beat Pierce Brosnan as the choice for 007 in the next movie - "Casino Royale" - due out in 2006. Clive Owen (31.9%) Clive Owen Thrilled At Wolfgang's Offer The CLOSER star will play the heroic priest Hollywood actor GENE HACKMAN portrayed in the 1972 disaster movie about a group of holidaymakers who are forced to fight for survival after the cruise ship they're on sinks. A source says, "Clive's thrilled. Even if he leaves LA empty-handed, he'll be able to take great comfort from the fact Wolfgang wants him in the film." The Poseidon Adventure is slated for release in May next year (06).
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