Clive Owen is an English stage, television, and film actor who rose to prominence after appearing in the British television series ‘Chancer.’ His mother and stepfather raised him in England where he was born and raised. Because of the emotional ups and downs he experienced as a youngster and teenager, he had a relatively difficult childhood. He had always wanted to be an actor since he was a child. He appeared in a number of plays put on by a local youth theater. He wasn’t a particularly bright student, so he decided to skip out and acquire a job. After much hardship, he was accepted into RADA and began to pursue theatre more seriously. His big break came in 1990 with the film ‘Chancer,’ and he went on to play a variety of parts in films, television shows, and theater. Owen has dabbled in a variety of acting styles and genres, including romance, thriller, comedy, and horror. He met his wife, Sarah Jane, for the first time while performing in RADA’s ‘Romeo & Juliet.’ They are both parents to two girls.
Childhood and Adolescence
Clive Owen was born to Pamela and Jess Owen in Coventry, Warwickshire, England. When he was three years old, his father, a country musician, abandoned him and his mother. He was the oldest of five brothers and was reared by his mother and stepfather. His stepfather worked for the local train as a ticket officer. Owen has always described his upbringing as difficult. Owen attended Binley Park Comprehensive School and joined the local theatrical club when he was 13 years old. His first theatre performance was in the play “Oliver.” Owen decided to drop out of school and hunt for a job to support himself as his schoolwork began to suffer as a result of the theatre.
One of Owen’s teachers volunteered to assist him in gaining admission to Mountview College, an English drama school. But, despite being accepted into the college, he chose to work instead. For two years, Owen had been unable to locate a suitable employment and had to rely on government assistance. In the meantime, he continued to pursue his passion for theatre at the local youth club. In 1984, however, he decided to apply to RADA in London.
Owen collaborated with other Hollywood actors Ralph Fiennes and Jane Horrocks during his time at RADA. He also played the primary lead in a Howard Barker play at the Royal Court.
Career of Clive
‘Cat and the Canary,’ ‘Henry IV, Part I,’ ‘The Lady from the Sea,’ and ‘Romeo and Juliet’ were among the plays he worked on at RADA from the late 1980s to the late 1990s. Owen transitioned from theatre to television and the big picture in 1988, starring in BBC’s ‘Precious Bane’ and Channel 4’s ‘Vroom.’ From then on, he began to play prominent roles in English television and films. Following the success of ‘Vroom’ and ‘Precious Bane,’ Owen adapted R.D. Blackmore’s classic novel ‘Lorna Doone’ for television. He performed alongside Sean Bean in the role of ‘John Ridd.’
Owen earned his first big break in his acting career in 1990. In the television series ‘Chancer,’ he played the role of ‘Stephen Crane.’ It was a British television program that became an instant hit. He sang Stephen Poliakoff’s ‘Close My Eyes’ in 1991. It was the most divisive role of his acting career, and it had a negative impact on his fan base. He portrayed a brother who was involved in an incestuous relationship with his sister. Owen returned to the stage for the next two years, performing in plays such as ‘The Philanderer,’ ‘Design for Living,’ and others with well-known directors such as Brian Cox. For a long period, Owen did not return to the big screen.
Owen’s first American picture, ‘Class of 61,’ was released in 1993, and it was a war film in which he played an Irish soldier. In the same year, he starred in Stephen Playoff’s film ‘Century.’ He did many TV productions of many genres from 1994 to 1996, including ‘An Evening with Gary Lineker,’ a comedy, and later ‘The Return Of The Native,’ based on Thomas Hardy’s novel. He also appeared in the film ‘The Turnaround.’ In 1996, he co-starred with Halle Berry in the thriller ‘The Rich Man’s Wife,’ which was directed by Amy Holden Jones.
In 1998, he starred in the Channel 4 film ‘Croupier,’ directed by Mike Hodges. In the film, he plays a writer who relocates to London for work. The next year, he did a BBC production called “Split Second.” Owen appeared on BBC’s ‘The Echo’ in 2000 and also participated in the film ‘Greenfingers,’ in which he played a crook. The next year, he starred in both BBC 1’s ‘Second Sight’ and BBC 2’s ‘Walk on By.’ In 2001, he played alongside Maggie Smith, Helen Mirren, Ryan Phillipe, Kirsty Thomas, and others in ‘The Hire,’ a short film created by BMW and based on Robert Altman’s ‘Gosford Park.’
He had a significant role in ‘The Bourne Identity’ in 2002, and worked in Mike Hodges’ ‘I’ll Sleep When I’m Dead’ the following year. Following that, he appeared in the films ‘Beyond Borders’ and ‘King Arthur.’Owen featured in the 2005 film ‘Closer,’ which was based on the play by English dramatist Patrick Marber. He had previously performed in the play’s Broadway production in London. Jude Law, Julia Roberts, and Natalie Portman co-starred alongside him in the film. In 2005, he starred alongside Jennifer Aniston in ‘Derailed,’ and in ‘Sin City,’ a crime thriller action film starring Bruce Willis, Jaime King, Mickey Rourke, and others.
He worked on the American criminal drama film ‘Inside Man’ from 2006 to 2007. He starred in the remake of ‘Pink Panther’ and was rumored to be the next ‘Bond’ actor, but Daniel Craig was cast instead. In the years that followed, he appeared in films such as ‘Children of Men,’ ‘Shoot ‘EM Up,’ ‘Elizabeth: The Golden Age,’ ‘The International,’ and ‘The Boys Are Back.’ He also made an appearance on Ricky Gervais’ ‘Extras’ show.
Intruders, an American horror thriller film, was released in 2010.
Owen featured alongside Nicole Kidman in the film ‘Hemingway & Gellhorn,’ which was released in 2012. In the same year, the Anglo-Irish production ‘Shadow Dancer’ was launched. Owen’s film ‘Blood Ties’ premiered at the Cannes Film Festival in France in 2013. Guillaume Canet directed the film, which starred French actress Marion Cotillard.
Estimated Net Worth
Clive Owen is an English actor with a $30 million net worth. In the early 1990s, Clive Owen gained to prominence in the United Kingdom as the lead in the television crime drama “Chancer.” He went on to star in films including “Close My Eyes,” “Croupier,” “Closer,” and “Children of Men,” and received critical accolades for his work. Owen’s other credits include “Hemingway & Gellhorn,” a television feature, and the television shows “The Knick” and “American Crime Story.”
Trivia
He like the music of the Indie rock band ‘Hard-Fi.’ His two brothers are both vocalists. GQ magazine has named him the “Best Dressed Male.”