Bettany was born in London on 27 May 1971. Bettany’s early life was not an easy one. His 8 years old brother died when Bettany was only 16. Soon after, Bettany left school and home to become a street performer. He lived in a small London flat and earned his living by playing guitar on the streets. Later, Paul also worked in a home for the elderly and saved enough to enroll at the London Drama Centre. The effort and struggle he went through to hone his acting skills are evident in his work.
The British actor radiates intelligence that very few artists of his generation possess. The patrician vibe is the key factor that helped his transition to movies. However, it is his attention to character details that made him an in-demand star.
Here is the list of his top 10 movies where he marked Hollywood with his aristocratic persona and engaging performance.
Image Courtesy: IMDb
Master and Commander: The Far Side of the World
Year: 2003
Genre: Action, Drama, Adventure
Director: Peter Weir
IMDB ratings: 7.4
Patrick O’Brian’s books served as the inspiration for this film adaptation. There are a total of twenty-one novels chronicling the exploits of Jack Aubrey (Russel Crowe) and Stephen Maturin (Paul Bettany). Aubrey, a Royal Navy captain, and Maturin, a physician on board ships, experience adventure during the Napoleonic Wars of the nineteenth century.
Its remarkable $150 million production budget for the extensive use of full-size ships on open water was far outpaced by its modest $200 million in ticket sales. However, the movie deserves to be number one on our list for one of the best performances of Paul Bettany in the action-adventure project.
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Avengers: Infinity War
Year: 2018
Genre: Action, Sci-fi, Adventure
Director: Russo Brothers
IMDB ratings: 8.4
Paul Bettany’s Vision did not have a good time during Infinity War. Soon after, he marries the woman he has always loved; he is thrust into a galactic conflict that threatens the very survival of humanity.
The situation is complicated because an evil alien with access to the deadliest weapon in the universe is on the hunt for the infinity stone that Vision carries within. The brutality with which Vision was killed exemplified the adversary’s unyielding nature.
Image Courtesy: USA Today
The Avengers
Year: 2012
Genre: Action, Sci-fi, Adventure
Director: Joss Whedon
IMDB ratings: 8.0
Bettany’s Vision in the Marvel Comics Universe was first introduced as the artificial intelligence J.A.R.V.I.S., which belonged to Tony Stark in “Iron Man” (2008). After the Avengers implanted J.A.R.V.I.S in Vision’s (now Bettany’s) body, he swiftly became one of the heroes fighting for justice. Smartly, Bettany lets Vision’s human-like qualities (such as his affections for Scarlet Witch/Wanda) shine through while never letting us forget that Vision is fundamentally not one of us. In the Disney+ animated series “What If…?”, Bettany also provides the voice of Vision.
Image Courtesy: Star Tribune
Dogville
Year: 2003
Genre: Crime, Drama
Director: Lars von Trier
IMDB ratings: 8.0
A mob-fled woman is unwillingly taken into a small Colorado town in exchange for labor. Still, when the authorities come looking for her, she learns that their help comes at a cost.
Bettany, as the town’s philosopher, and Nicole Kidman, as a desperate visitor, bring reality to what could have been an acting class exercise. Instead, their on-screen connection makes the village of Dogville come alive despite its simplistic chalk design.
Image Courtesy: Empire Online
Solo: A Star Wars Story
Year: 2018
Genre: Action, Sci-fi, Adventure
Director: Ron Howard
IMDB ratings: 6.9
Although Bettany is no stranger to adventure sci-fi franchises (as seen by his crucial part in the MCU), he detoured into the “Star Wars” universe for this 2018 prequel. The story follows the youthful Han Solo (Alden Whrenreich) on his exploits. Dryden Vos, played by Bettany, is a near-human space thug who challenges Solo in a fight over the latter’s theft of coaxium, which Vos needs to bolster his criminal enterprise. However, Bettany resists the need to give Vos a campy performance, allowing his icy demeanor to have a greater impact.
Image Courtesy: IMDb
A Beautiful Mind
Year: 2001
Genre: Biograph, Drama
Director: Ron Howard
IMDB ratings: 8.2
Bettany beautifully brought the supporting character of Charles Herman to life in A Beautiful Mind. Mathematician John Nash (Russell Crowe) finds an incredibly helpful and friendly roommate in Charles, a literature student at Harvard. He treats Nash to pizza and beer while encouraging him to propose to Alicia (Jennifer Connelly). Charles is nearly ideal, with the exception of one minor secret detail. Bettany infuses his acting with an ethereal aspect, which is evident in every act of kindness he displays and makes the discovery of Charles’ truth so credible.
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Captain America: Civil War
Year: 2016
Genre: Action, Sci-fi, Adventure
Director: Russo Brothers
IMDB ratings: 7.8
Cap. America and Iron Man were on opposite sides of the Civil War, tearing the heroes (and their audiences) apart in 2016. Although the introduction of Black Panther and Spider-Man to the MCU was amazing, the film’s events also had some huge negative effects.
Vision (Bettany), who is just beginning to understand the physical world, becomes embroiled in a battle and must fight on the side of his purported allies while still learning the ropes.
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Margin Call
Year: 2011
Genre: Drama, Thriller
Director: J.C. Chandor
IMDB ratings: 7.1
Numerous films have attempted to explore the realm of money and economics with varying degrees of success. The genre is both complex and fascinating. However, Margin Call aims for the thrill, in contrast to the more instructive The Big Short.
The financial crisis of 2007-2008 was a once-in-a-lifetime event that impacted the lives of hundreds of millions of people worldwide. Margin Call transports viewers to the time right before the crisis occurred, to a group of people who manage to forecast what is going to happen.
One of the firm’s top sharks, Will Emerson (Bettany), defends his conduct by saying he’s enabling “normal people” to live above their means. This mindset is representative of the intelligent film as a whole. Bettany has found himself a meaty role and appears to be relishing every bite. He is a perfect match among this extraordinary cast of actors, all of whom are delivering a master class in acting.
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The Da Vinci Code
Year: 2006
Genre: Thriller, Mystery
Director: Ron Howard
IMDB ratings: 6.6
The uncovering of a sacred riddle guarded by a secret society for two thousand years is made possible by a murder in the Louvre. The revelation could upset the foundations of Christianity. The clues of this murder mystery are hidden in Da Vinci’s paintings. Bettany plays Silas, the antagonist of the movie. “Silas” (actual name Simon) isn’t inherently wicked. However, Opus Dei’s adherent must kill anyone who stands in his way of finding the Holy Grail.
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Legend
Year: 2015
Genre: Biography, Drama, Crime
Director: Brian Helgeland
IMDB ratings: 6.9
The interesting plot of this drama traces the ups and downs of identical twin gangsters Ronald and Reginald Kray, who ran London’s underworld in the 1950s and ’60s with a combination of brutality, insanity, and commercial skill. Another gang (the Torture gang) is led by Charlie (Bettany) and his brother Eddie in south London, who were bitter enemies of the Krays’ gang, The Firm.
