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The British-born
Bettany is a recognized star overseas with well-received
performances in film, on
the London stage and on British television. American audiences
first discovered him in A Knight’s Tale, in which he
played the comical role of Chaucer opposite Heath Ledger.
Bettany earned the Best Supporting Actor award from the London
Film Critics for his performance in the film, and led to
his being named one of Daily Variety’s “Ten to
Watch” for 2001.
Classically trained at the Drama Centre in London, he made
his stage debut in a West End production of An Inspector
Calls under the direction of Stephen Daldry (Billy Elliot).
He then spent a season with the Royal Shakespeare Company,
performing in productions of Richard III, Romeo and Juliet
and Julius Caesar before landing his first feature film role
in Bent.
Bettany returned to the stage to
appear in Love and Understanding at London’s Bush Theatre. He later reprised that role
at the Longwharf Theatre in Connecticut. The play led to
more British television work, including Lynda La Plante’s
Killer Net and Coming Home, in which he starred with Peter
O’Toole.
His appearance in the Royal Court Theatre productions of
One More Wasted Year and Stranger’s House preceded
his second feature film role in David Leland’s Land
Girls with Catherine McCormack and Rachel Weisz. He next
appeared in the film After the Rain.
Bettany portrayed Steerforth in the
TNT production of David Copperfield, directed by Peter
Medak, opposite Sally Field
and Michael Richards. More feature film roles followed, including
The Suicide Club with Jonathan Pryce and David Morrissey.
He was nominated for a British Independent Film award and
a London Film Critics’ award for Best Newcomer in the
just-released Gangster No.1, directed by Paul McGuigan, and
starring Malcolm McDowell, David Thewlis, and Saffron Burrows.
He stars in the period mystery-thriller The Reckoning opposite
Willem Dafoe, which re-teamed Bettany with director Paul
McGuigan.
Next, Bettany starred in the independent
U.K. feature Heart of Me, starring opposite Helena Bonham-Carter
and Oliver
Williams for director Thaddeus O’Sullivan. He recently
starred in director Lars von Trier’s (Dancing in the
Dark, Breaking the Waves) dramatic thriller Dogville, also
starring Nicole Kidman and Stellan Skaarsgard. Bettany’s
most recent project is Wimbledon, also starring Kirsten Dunst,
directed by Richard Loncraine, and centering on the tennis
world.
BILLY BOYD plays Coxswain Barrett Bonden.
Boyd most recently portrayed Peregrin
(Pippin) Took in director Peter Jackson’s The Lord
of the Rings film trilogy based on J.R.R. Tolkien book
series. The first and second
films in the series, The Fellowship of the Ring and The Two
Towers, were released to worldwide boxoffice success. His
other films include An Urban Ghost Story, Julie and the Cadillacs
and a film short, Soldiers Leap.
Boyd, a native of Glasgow, Scotland, began his acting career
in the Scottish television series Taggart. His UK television
credits include Coming Soon and Chapter and Verse. On stage,
Boyd has performed in various UK productions including The
Speculator, Trainspotting, An Experienced Woman Gives Advice,
Therese Racquin, Britannia Rules, Kill The Old, Torture Their
Young, The Chic Nerds, Much Ado About Nothing, The Merchant
of Venice, Merlin the Magnificent and The Slab Boys, and
most recently, the Traverse production of The Ballad of Crazy
Paola. Boyd also plays guitar, bass and sings light baritone/tenor.
JAMES D’ARCY portrays 1st Lt. Thomas Pullings. D’Arcy
portrayed the title role in Nicholas Nickleby for Britain’s
Channel 4. He also appeared in several BBC TV productions,
including The Ice House, Silent Witness, Beck, Dalziel and
Pascoe, Tom Jones and Sunburn.
D’Arcy’s film work includes
Dot the I opposite Gael Garcia Bernal, which was recently
featured at the Sundance
Film Festival. He portrayed Sherlock Holmes in A Case of
Evil, and he also appeared in the films Revelation, The Trench,
Wilde and Guest House Paradiso.
He performed in several theatre productions at the London
Academy of Music and Dramatic Arts, including the title roles
in Heracles and Sherlock Holmes; As You Like It, Wild Honey,
The Freedom of the City and Larkrise to Candleford.
Release: London West End - November 21st
Release: Nationwide - November 28th
Cert: 12A
Running time: 135
Dist: 20th Century Fox
www.masterandcommandermovie.co.uk |
