It was a strange moment, he says, halting again for what feels like an eternity. A year later, when the 9/11 terror attacks happened in New York, the first thing that came to Bettany's mind was to call Connelly. He grew up in London, where he spent most of his childhood. At the age of 12, he went to work as a cabin boy on a merchant ship, having been . Grade-A student: Matthew Shepard was just 5ft 2in and his slight frame gave him an air of vulnerability. A new twist came last year with the publication of another book, this one by investigative journalist Stephen Jimenez, who has spent 13 years interviewing more than 100 people with a connection to the case. 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Barbara with Michael Ansara (who had shaved his head for a stage version of The King and I) and baby Matthew (Everett Collection). With his recent roles in WandaVision and as the menacing Dryden Vos in Star Wars, Bettany is part of two of the biggest franchises in the world, a bankable star. "It is a desire for freedom really," he told The Telegraph. A: Nothing is known about how, when or where Matthew died. Matthew Shepards horrific death at the hands of redneck homophobes shocked America and changed its laws. T he horrific killing of Matthew Shepard in 1998 is widely seen as one of the worst anti-gay hate crimes in American history. "Like so many people's lives in that moment, mine was changed forever," Bettany told Larry King in 2015. "Follow me", he told him, and Matthew got up and followed him." Paul Bettany has played multiple religious roles, including portraying a priest who gets caught up in a murder mystery in 2002's The Reckoning, as well as a religious killer in 2006's Da Vinci Code. 1'. Both died during Henson's childhood. Bettany admitted the second he heard the news, he frantically tried calling Connelly. The people shaping the news require a very simple story they have to be angels and villains., John Stoltenberg is a gay-rights activist who lived with the feminist writer Andrea Dworkin until her death in 2005. He is star of so many Hollywood movies known to be one of the most handsome and sexy man alive. But the Matthew Shepard story is not yet finished. Connelly already had a son, Kai, from a previous relationship, and she brought two more children, Stellan and 9-year-old Agnes Lark, into the world with Bettany. Matthew Henson/Cause of death. By then, Bettany was on track for what seemed like an inevitable ascent. Let the facts come out before rushing to judgment." It is believed that Bartholomew had ministered in Armenia and was flayed to death with knives in India. Matt would not have wanted to be seen as a martyr, but would have wanted the truth to come out., Other Laramie residents believe there is another form of prejudice at work in the way Matthews story has been told. I was very merged with my brother. Leslie Jordan. This is what gave some other groups the idea that hate-crime legislation was a good thing., Wypijewski thinks the reason some sections of the gay community are so angry about the Jimenez book is obvious: Jimenez has taken away their angel, and there is the reflexive sense that as a community its suffering was being at last recognised. And Im a bit more relaxed, Bettany says. Matthew was born into an affluent family and had attended state school in Casper, Wyoming. Director Cynthia Hill claimed Brittany was one of Simon's "last victims." JoAnn Wypijewski, an author and former senior editor at the Nation, was one of the many journalists who came to Laramie after the news of Matthews attack. And when those qualities curdle into cruelty, he plays it with teeth. Thane, Bettany's father, had been openly gay before he went back into the closet at the age of 83, claiming that his perceived sexuality was nothing but a misunderstanding. passed away on October 31, 2022. Paul Bettany was mostly grown and raised in his hometown in London. Age, Bio, Nationality, Zodiac sign, Family, Education. Want to bookmark your favourite articles and stories to read or reference later? The cause of the accident was unclear, but it was assumed that his van shifted toward the sidewalk and crashed into a tree while driving. To counter the protest, Matthews friends dressed as angels. Andy died three months before Thane also passed away, aged 86. It was karaoke night, and locals rubbed shoulders with workers calling in for a swift drink on their way home. Just like Paul Bettany's mother and grandparents, his father, Thane Bettany, was a performer. I don't know if I was aware I was numbing myself at the time," he told The Times. Paul Bettany was born on May 27, 1971, in London, England, in the United Kingdom. Hes a long-time supporter of The Laramie Project, but has also blogged positively about The Book of Matt. Matthews face was covered in blood, aside from tear tracks on each side of his cheeks. He was a sinner. He was raised by his uncle after his parents died. It turns out that he couldnt. So I got her on the phone and said, 'I'm coming over, and let's get married,'" he . The rest of us, he chuckles, mostly take the next project on offer. "I don't see money or a particular status as an actor as a goal but I want to do the best work I can in as interesting a range of roles as I can. Bettany, as of this writing, has not spoken out about the texts. I knew what peoples sexual orientation was because my best friends son was gay. Tragedy split the family apart, and it had lasting consequences on all of them.. Neither was the rumour that the killers knew that he had access to a shipment of crystal meth with a street value of $10,000 which they wanted to steal. It is surrounded by rolling prairie, ranches, the Snowy Mountain range and vast, wide-open spaces. Please refresh the page or navigate to another page on the site to be automatically logged inPlease refresh your browser to be logged in, The actor won an Emmy for his robot role in Marvels WandaVision but hes always been better suited to more sinister roles. The actor Paul Bettany: 'My brother's death, when he was eight years old, blew the family apart.'. It sits in a flat, treeless sweep of high plains. Paul Bettany told The Irish Times that the guilt of the accident weighed heavy. What we're covering. He explained that he then "realized [he] was in love." The Advocate, Americas leading LGBT magazine, published a piece last year entitled: Why Im Not Reading the Trutherism About Matt Shepard. Paul Bettany stars as gay uncle Frank, who travels back home with his niece in tow to attend his father's funeral. , updated Profession: Actor Known For: voice role as J.A.R.V.I.S. They did get married in 2003and now have two kids together, Stellan and Agnes Lark, as well as a son, Kai, from Connelly's previous relationship. There's also a family room, fitness room, a "superb eat-in kitchen leading to the wonderful garden," as well as "a spectacular media room with skylight" on the top floor. It turns out that Bettany's father, Thane, was godfather to Sophie Helen Rhys-Jones, who became the Countess of Wessex after she married Prince Edward, Earl of Wessex. Bettany does this often; unfurling in surprising, often devastating candour only to brush it off with a casual word. The new HBO documentary claims he "conned" the actress before her sudden death. Laney Chantal. The student, chemical engineering junior John Matthew Salilig of Zamboanga, was allegedly a victim of hazing. But surely there's more to Bettany than lightsabers and infinity stones. Matthew had 2 siblings: Paul Bettany and Sarah Bettany . Paul suffered a major loss when his younger brother Matthew died when they were children. Photograph: Evan Agostini/Getty Images, India's transgender law is no help to its lesbian, gay and bisexual communities, Alaska couples launch challenge to state's same-sex marriage ban, Drag queen? It should be noted, however, that his alleged involvement in the dialogue is arguably at odds with the fact that he has supported the NYC March for Gender Equality while also acknowledging the terrifying and devastating statistics regarding violence towards women. We have the same daft sense of humour. I knew there was a really simple way of navigating that accusation, but I just didnt want to take it because the f****** film was about empathy!, Bettany earned his first Emmy nomination as the lovable android in Marvels WandaVision. What he will say on the subject is that having his private messages aired in public was a peculiar experience. For others, the nastiness of the texts shattered any preconceptions of the actor. The result is often painful to watch. It's not that I'm closed off to the argument, but I do feel the burden of proof. Just saying." As explained by The Scotsman, Thane's family became acquainted with"the Rhys-Joneses when both families lived in Northern Borneo." While Bettany had a brother, Matthew, and a sister, Sarah, who is seven years younger than him, a freak accident at a sports hall sadly claimed his brother's life. However, Bettany "was left devastated when his little brother fell from the roof of a sports hall on the school complex and died," according to The Sun. Photograph: Victoria Will/AP/Press Association Images. He realises now that some of these choices denigrated the brand and made it that much harder to get work. Bettany has appeared in several films, including Bent in 1997 as Captain, The Land Girls in 1998 as . Unsurprisingly, getting Connelly on the phone was . But that isnt what happened. We are no longer accepting comments on this article. Adding that his attendance to Sophie's1999 wedding"was by royal command,"he also noted that "if something had happened to Chris that day, I would have been going down the aisle with her. When Bettany was 16 years old, he lost his brother, Matthew, in a freak accident. Boulden, a 46-year-old college instructor who says he was the last person to talk to Matthew before he met McKinney and Henderson, linked the attack to Wyoming legislatures failure to pass a hate-crimes bill. "I was so shattered by what happened I reckon it took me something like 10 years to get over it.". Soon after, Paul Bettany left home to live on his own in London. STEPHEN Don't just stick to the Malbec! I think thats a really difficult subject to talk about and I think that I just pour fuel on the fire, he finally says, before retreating into another long pause. They will remain invisible and lost., Ted Henson is a former lover and long-term friend of Matthews. The funeral was attended by more than 1,000 mourners and picketed by the Westboro Baptist Church, led by Fred Phelps, a defrocked minister and founder of GodHatesFags.com. I refused to take part in that boys school homophobia and consequently became incredibly bullied for being gay., He remembers being urinated on by his peers in the showers after football practice. Coming to light: a vigil held in New York for Matthew Shepard on 19 October 1998, two weeks after he was murdered. "Clearly we noticed each other and clearly we liked each other," Connelly shared to The Guardian, adding, "But I have very strong feelings about things that are right and things that aren't and that was all very clear.". ", The Tragic Death Of Paul Bettany's Brother. Matthew was born about a month before I Dream of Jeannie premiered, on August 29, 1965.As he grew up, he developed certain resentments towards the show and his mother's famous character, among them that she missed his second birthday due to an absolute need to . But you grow up. Instead, he claimed, "It's bananas! Bettany didnt actually set out to become an actor. Last modified on Wed 20 Sep 2017 12.17 EDT. I think because of the way the media works, one tends to be more guarded. And there are some things where you feel ancient. Jimenez had no intention of causing such controversy. Paul Bettany is an English actor. His father Thane Bettany was an actor, drama teacher and dancer but he passed away in 2015, and his mother Anne Kettle worked mostly in theatres as a teacher, singer as well as a stage manager. The star still thinks that there is a small part of him that will never heal, but overall, he is better. Matthew was eight, Paul was 16. He moved to New York in the Nineties and has lived there since (I fell in love with an American by mistake). Paul Bettany took drugs to help numb the pain of his brother's death. There have been numerous documentaries, dramas, books and events based on the story. "I went to the Creation Museum in Kentucky in a fit of openness, thinking, God, I should really see the other side," he said. Bettany was 16 when his brother Matthew died at age 8 after falling onto concrete from the roof of a tennis pavilion at Queenswood. passed away on November 1, 2022. Frankly, there's a very good chance that you've seen him in plenty of popular movies over the years thanks to the fact that he's worked steadily and shown up in various films and series since the mid-90s. Paul - who has two children Stellan, 11, and Agnes, three, with his wife Jennifer Connelly - added the accident still impacts on his daily life and has caused him to feel increasingly anxious following the birth of his children. Yet Bettany says this with so much of that jammy English charm that its hard to truly believe him. The two were constantly going back and forth with their feelings for each other, so fans finally got what they wanted when the two were married. That's because his mom, Anne Kettle, was also an actor. Early on, his look lent itself to roles with religious overtones. Yknow, us simple folks with the piece of straw hanging from our mouths, spitting tobacco and shooting pop cans from the front porch. His great grandnephew worked with Bill Cosby. She is also mother to Kai, 23. She is set to star in the Doctor Strange sequel alongside lead star Benedict Cumberbatch. That's because the star dedicates part of his time to supporting worthy causes. Difficult past:Paul Bettany has reflected on his spiral of drug and alcohol abuse following the tragic death of his younger brother. The men got into a fight, resulting in McKinney cracking open Moraless head with the same gun he had used on Matthew. The police did not investigate the killers relationship to the gay community. But its his distinctive browless-ness that has often undercut the actors more obviously Hollywood attributes, which mightve seen him pursue a less interesting career. But this is not the Matthew Shepard who became a celebrated figure for the gay-rights movement in America. Paul Bettany's life has not always been glitz and glamour. But then he read an article headlined something like Paul Bettany scripts film about homelessness from his $8m apartment in New York City. McKinney had spent much of his childhood alone, left by his mother with his grandparents, who locked him in the basement to keep him out of trouble. 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I see different sources of Apostle Matthew's death. However, there was apparently a mix-up regarding which scripts were real and which contained things that weren't meant to end up in the final cut of the film, in order to throw would-be spoilers. "He was in his 80s at this point," Paul noted, while saying that it was then that his "dad decided to go back inside the closet and say that it had all been a big misunderstanding" Apparently, he did so "because he was a Catholic and concerned about getting past Peter through the pearly gates." Beyond that, Bettany also uses his own social media accounts to focus on worthy causes, such as bringing attention to imprisoned activists as well as to encourage people to vote. Vision was initially a voice role in 2008s Iron Man before Bettany parlayed it into an Emmy-nominated performance in the studios first TV series, WandaVision, this year. In his junior year of high school, Matthew moved with his family to Saudi Arabia. Looking fabulous! Thankfully, series writer Julian Fellowes wasn't ready to close the doors on the series and released the "Downton Abbey" film in 2019, with "A New Era" on the way. Bettany was convincing as a pretty boy who could kick your teeth in. The pair met while filming A Beautiful Mind in 2001, though they didn't begin dating until after the shoot. Matthew Bettany died after a fall at Queenswood when he was eight. According to the Gospel of Matthew: "As Jesus went on from there, he saw a man named Matthew sitting at the tax collector's booth. He had an accident, and it was miserable. So, from Mark and Luke, we learn that this sinner from the tribe of Levi is the well-known tax collector, Matthew, that had been introduced to us in Matthew's Gospel. It isn't in any way planned," he told The Oklahoman. Henson told me he believes that The Book of Matt is nothing more than the truth and that he was never certain that the murder was an anti-gay hate crime. The play The Laramie Project has toured the US and many other countries, telling Matthews story and encouraging campaigns against bigotry. More recently, though, he has split from scripture to play a character that does away with eyebrows altogether, caked as they are in layers of red paint when he is portraying a lovable Marvel android. Behind him a sliver of that $8m apartment beams in through a wide door frame. killed by a sword wound. Bettany's character in "Uncle Frank" chooses happiness in the end, and he couldn't help but wonder how different life would have been if his father had done the same. While there was no one (and no need) to blame, that obviously didn't make the loss any easier. "(It was) manic. Loss: His father Thane Bettany split from his mother Anne in 1993 after 25 . He also took significant sexual risks and was being pimped alongside Aaron McKinney, one of his killers, with whom hed had occasional sexual encounters. Bettany discussed his secular leaning while talking to New York Magazine in 2009, saying, "I wish I did have faith. Can you imagine what it would be like, honestly, to have a bunch of lawyers go through every one of your emails and texts for 10 years? Music had once been the goal. 'The terrible thing for my father is that, in the end, he went back in the closet, which was awful to watch, really,' Paul recalls, speaking to People. It sees the pairdropped into a 1950s suburban town and discovering they're in a black and white sitcom and hurtling through the decades togethe. "It really altered who I was and what I saw as my goals." 'It was the awfulness that is bad luck. After, paul Bettany took drugs to help numb the pain of his brother, moved. Sits in a flat, treeless sweep of high plains with teeth could kick your teeth in argument but... At the hands of redneck homophobes shocked America and changed its laws 1993. 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