Clive Owen (born October 3, 1964; age: 53) is an English actor who first became known for playing the lead character in the short-lived UK crime drama series Chancer from 1990-1991. He then gained further praise for his performance in the 1999 British drama film Croupier, and also earned strong reviews for his acting in the movie Close My Eyes (1991).

Owen is also known for his roles in the films Closer (2004) — for which he received several award nominations and wins— Sin City (2005), Derailed (2005), Inside Man (2006), Children of Men (2006) and The International (2009), as well as for his role in the Cinemax medical drama series The Knick (2014-2015).

Clive Owen Bio: Early Life

Owen was born in Coventry to Pamela and Jess Owen, one of five sons. His country singer father left the family when Owen was three years old and the two have remained estranged. He was then raised by his mother and a railway ticket clerk stepdad.

Owen received his degree from the Royal Academy of Dramatic Art. After this, he began working at the Young Vic, where he acted in many Shakespearean plays.

Clive Owen Bio: Early Television and Film Career

Owen first played Gideon Sarn in a 1988 BBC production of Precious Bane before landing his lead role in the television series Chancer in 1990. He then appeared in the Thames Television production of Lorna Doone. 

He subsequently gained critical praise for his work in the Stephen Poliakoff incest film Close My Eyes (1991) about two siblings who become romantically involved with each other.

Owen then appeared in the films Century, Nobody’s Children, An Evening with Gary Lineker, Doomsday Gun and Return of the Native. His first major Hollywood film was the 1996 thriller The Rich Man’s Wife alongside Halle Berry. He gained further praise for his performance as a struggling writer in the 1998 neo-noir British film Croupier. 

Owen also starred in the BBC1 drama The Echo, before appearing in the film Greenfingers. In 2001, he provided the voice-over for a BBC2 documentary about popular music called Walk On By. 

Clive Owen Bio: Mainstream Success (2001-Present)

In 2001, Owen gained further fame after starring in the British mystery film Gosford Park alongside Eileen Atkins, Alan Bates, Charles Dance and Michael Gambon, among others. He then appeared in the 2002 action film The Bourne Identity. 

Owen then played King Arthur in Antoine Fuqua’s 2004 historical adventure film King Arthur, which co-starred Keira Knightley, Ioan Gruffudd and Stephen Dillane. Owen learned to ride a horse for the role.

Owen then appeared in the Royal National Theatre debut of Patrick Marber’s play Closer. He played Dan in the play, but was Larry the dermatologist in the 2004 film version. He earned rave reviews for his performance, and won him a Golden Globe Award and a BAFTA, as well as an Academy Award nomination for Best Supporting Actor.

Regarding the high expectations people had of him following this personal success, Owen simply said he didn’t think he would change his approach to film-making and choosing roles. “I try, every film I do, to be as good as I can and that’s all I can do,” he stated. 

Owen then starred alongside Jennifer Aniston and Vincent Cassel in the 2005 crime thriller Derailed, and that same year appeared opposite Bruce Willis and Jessica Alba in the neo-noir crime anthology film Sin City, based on Frank Miller’s graphic novel of the same name.

In 2006, Owen starred in two major films: Alfonso Cuaron’s highly-acclaimed dystopian flick Children of Men (co-starring Julianne Moore and Michael Caine) — and Spike Lee’s crime thriller Inside Man, which co-starred Denzel Washington, Jodie Foster and Christopher Plummer. 

The following year, Owen starred in the action film Shoot ‘Em Up with Paul Giamatti and Monica Bellucci. He also played Sir Walter Raleigh in Elizabeth: The Golden Age, which starred Cate Blanchett as Queen Elizabeth I.

Owen then starred in the 2009 film The International, which he described as a “paranoid political thriller.” That same year, he starred in and executive produced the drama film The Boys are Back, in which he played a British widower raising his two sons in Australia.

In 2010, Owen starred in the David Schwimmer-directed thriller Trust alongside Catherine Keener, Jason Clarke and Viola Davis. 

In 2011, Owen starred in two films: the action thriller Killer Elite, alongside Robert De Niro and Jason Statham, and the horror flick Intruders. 

Owen then played Ernest Hemingway in the 2012 HBO biopic film Hemingway & Gellhorn, about the famous writer’s love affair with journalist Martha Gellhorn, who was played by Nicole Kidman. Owen was nominated for several awards for his performance, including an Emmy, a Golden Globe and a Screen Actor’s Guild Award.

Owen also starred in the 2012 British-Irish film Shadow Dancer, and in two films in 2013: the crime thriller Blood Ties, and the romantic drama Words & Pictures, opposite Juliette Binoche.

In 2014, Owen played a surgeon in early 1900s New York in the Cinemax drama series The Knick opposite Andre Holland and Bono‘s daughter Eve Hewson. Owen was nominated for the Golden Globe in 2015 after the show’s first season aired. After two seasons, the series was officially canceled in March 2017.

Owen’s recent films include Last Knights (2015), The Confirmation (2016), and Luc Besson’s sci-fi-flick Valerian and the City of a Thousand Planets. 

In 2015, Owen made his Broadway debut in a revival of Harold Pinter’s play Old Times. In October 2017, he returned to Broadway for a revival of David Henry Hwang’s M. Butterfly, in New York City.

Among Owen’s upcoming projects are the historical drama Ophelia, based on the Shakespearean character of the same name. The film, which also stars Daisy Ridley, Naomi Watts and Tom Felton, premiered at the 2018 Sundance Film Festival in January.

Owen is also set to star in the sci-fi thriller Anon (2018), the British film Three Seconds (2018) and in Ang Lee’s 2019 sci-fi action film Gemini Man, opposite Will Smith and Mary Elizabeth Winstead. 

Clive Owen Bio: Interview on ‘Shadow Dancer’

In 2013, Owen sat down with uinterview for an exclusive look at his film Shadow Dancer. Owen plays an MI-5 agent taking on the IRA (Irish Republican Army). It is based on the novel of the same name by Tom Bradby. 

“I wasn’t looking to work, I was finishing something. I was tired. I wanted to take a break,” Owen told uInterview. “And because it was James Marsh, I read it and I loved it,” he added, citing the film’s director.

Starring opposite Owen in the film is Andrea Riseborough, who plays an IRA agent.

“She’s a really fine actress so the chemistry kind of just happens,” Owen said of his co-star. “And when you’re working with someone who’s really good, you don’t need to work that hard.” 

Clive Owen Bio: Wife, Social Media, Net Worth, Quotes

Owen has been married to Sarah-Jane Fenton since 1995, and shares two children with her. He is 6-foot-2 and weighs 191 pounds.

Owen loves English indie rock band Hard-Fi and is also a fan of Premier League club Liverpool FC. He narrated a documentary series about the team called Being: Liverpool. 

Owen is not on Twitter but is on Instagram as @cliveowenofficial.

His net worth is estimated at $30 million.

Quotes:

“You go back to those films of the ’40s and ’50s and hear the dialogue, the way the people played off each other, the wordplay. I think we’ve really lost that in movies.”

On his co-star who played his son in The Confirmation: “You won’t find a better young actor than Jaeden Lieberher. I ended up having one of the best times with him, really. Going to work with him every day was a treat.”

“Parenthood and family come first for me, and when I’m not working I’m cool with the Teletubbies.”

“I’m always very aware of the physical challenges of work. I train much more than I did when I was in my twenties, and I’ve done some very physical films, and I always get properly prepared for them and get as fit as I can.”

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