Alex Pettyfer
Alex Pettyfer | |
|---|---|
| File:Alexpettyfer1.jpg Pettyfer in July 2006 | |
| Born | Alexander Richard Pettyfer |
| Occupations |
|
| Years active | 2005–present |
| Website | Official site |
Alexander Richard "Alex" Pettyfer (born 10 April 1990) is an English actor and model.[1] He appeared in school plays and on television before being cast as Alex Rider, the main character in the 2006 film version of Stormbreaker. Pettyfer was nominated for a Young Artist Award and an Empire Award for his role.[2] He has been seen as a model in several advertising campaigns for Burberry.[3] His next two starring roles are in "I Am Number Four" (February 18, 2011), a science fiction action adventure movie and Beastly (march 4, 2011), a modernized retelling of Beauty and the Beast.
Early life
Pettyfer was born in Stevenage, Hertfordshire, the son of Lee Ireland (née Robinson), a former model, and Richard Pettyfer, an actor.[4] He has a younger half-brother, James Ireland, a junior tennis player, from his mother's re-marriage to Michael Ireland, a property developer.[4][5]
Pettyfer was raised in Windsor, and began his career as a child fashion model at the age of seven, for the Gap, after meeting Ralph Lauren in a toy store in New York City.[4] He also did advertisements for some yogurt brands. His first commercial was at age six.
As a schoolboy, he performed in plays, including in the role of Willy Wonka in a production Charlie and the Chocolate Factory. Pettyfer was educated at two junior independent schools: The Mall School, a small school in Twickenham, followed by the Lambrook Haileybury school in Berkshire.[citation needed]. He subsequently attended two other independent boarding schools: Millfield School in Street in Somerset and Shiplake College near Henley-on-Thames in Oxfordshire.[4] After GCSEs, he left Shiplake College to attend the independent Sylvia Young Theatre School.
Career
In 2005, Pettyfer, after ending his modelling career,[4] made his professional acting début in the British television production of Tom Brown's Schooldays, playing the lead character, Tom Brown; he received positive reviews for the role.[6] In June 2005, he was cast in his most prominent role so far, that of teenage MI6 spy Alex Rider in the film Stormbreaker, based on the novel by Anthony Horowitz. He was one of 500 who auditioned for the role.[5] Pettyfer chose to appear in the film over a role in the film Eragon, noting that he preferred Stormbreaker because it would be filmed in Britain, in the Isle of Man, while Eragon would film in the Czech Republic; Pettyfer is afraid of flying, and he liked the looks of the cast for Stormbreaker.[4] Stormbreaker was released on 21 July 2006 in the United Kingdom, on 6 October 2006 in the United States and on 21 September 2006 in Australia.
One review of Pettyfer's performance described him as playing the role with an "earnest intensity",[7] although another noted that he "isn't quite at ease as an actor".[8] Media reports specified that the film was expected to make Pettyfer a "teen idol".[6] Pettyfer will not reprise the role if there is another Alex Rider film because he is too old.[9]
He next appeared in Wild Child, a film set in California, Kent and Yorkshire part of which took place at Cobham Hall Girl's School in Kent. He played school boy Freddie Kingsley and he co-starred with Emma Roberts. In 2009, he played the callous ringleader of a group of cool but cruel teenagers who are picked off one by one by the ghost of one of their former victims, in the horror-comedy, Tormented.
He will star in the film Beastly, based on the novel by Alex Flinn, alongside Mary-Kate Olsen, Vanessa Hudgens and Neil Patrick Harris which will be released in 2011.[10] He finished filming on 13 August 2009, according to the film's Twitter account.
Pettyfer returned to modelling in 2007. His recent modelling jobs include ad campaigns for Burberry in 2008 and 2009.[citation needed]
Pettyfer will portray the main character in I Am Number Four, to be released in 2011. The film will co-star Timothy Olyphant, Dianna Agron, and Teresa Palmer,[11] and is directed by D. J. Caruso, produced by Michael Bay, and executive produced by Steven Spielberg.[12]
It has also been announced that he will portray racing car driver James Hunt in the formula 1 biopic Shunt. He will also serve as producer on the movie.[13]
Sources also say that he has been offered the part of Jace Wayland in the upcoming portayal of Cassandra Clare's best selling book, City of Bones. No news if he has accepted the part yet.[14][15]
Personal life
On 14 June 2009, Pettyfer was voted #35 on the Britain's top 50 most eligible bachelors by UK women's magazine Company.[16] In August 2009 the UK magazine Glamour ranked him at #21 on their list of the sexiest men on the planet, as determined by a poll of 2000 British women.[citation needed]
Also a teen choice magazine, voted him as the sexiest man alive. He is also roumerd to be in a relationship with a girl named courtney
After Pettyfer completed filming Stormbreaker, he did not discuss the film with anyone at his school, citing the advice of his Stormbreaker co-star, Ewan McGregor, who told him to keep his personal and professional life separate. Pettyfer has since decided to leave school and concentrate on his film career,[17] whilst studying drama at college,[6] saying that "When you have already experienced going out and working in the real world, and you come back to school, you just see it as a playground and you don't want to be there any more".[18]
Pettyfer has seven tattoos, including a Celtic cross on his chest, Arabic script on the inside of his right arm, the words, "What Goes Around Comes Around" on his right shoulder, a Kanji script on his lower waist,[19] and the letters "ER," the initials of his now ex-girlfriend Emma Roberts inside interlinking hearts on his right wrist. When Contactmusic asked him about the "ER" tattoo he said "I don't know how to say it, she's a lovely, lovely girl, we had a spell of something that is over now, but we're on good terms. She's beautiful, she's great; we're really good friends." The actor had gotten Roberts' name tattooed on his wrist while the two were dating. "I'm going to get asked about this, aren't I? I thought it was just between me and her," he said when asked about the tattoo.[20]
He is now dating Glee star Dianna Agron after being set up by their director on the film I Am Number Four, in which they both star. [21]
Filmography
| Year | Title | Role |
|---|---|---|
| 2005 | Tom Brown's Schooldays | Tom Brown |
| 2006 | Stormbreaker | Alex Rider |
| 2008 | Wild Child | Freddie Kingsley |
| 2009 | Tormented | Bradley White |
| 2011 | I Am Number Four | John Smith/Number Four |
| 2011 | Beastly | Kyle Kingson/Hunter |
| 2011 | Now | Fortis |
Modelling
- 2008: Burberry - Spring/Summer
- 2008: Burberry - The Beat For Men eau du cologne
- 2009: Burberry - Spring/Summer
Awards and nominations
| Year | Award | Category | Role | Result |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2007 | Young Artist Awards | Best Performance in an International Feature Film Leading Young Actor or Actress[22] |
Alex Rider in Stormbreaker | Nominated |
| Empire Award | Best Male Newcomer[23] | Nominated | ||
| 2010 | ShoWest Award | Male Star of Tomorrow[24] | Won |
References
- ^ England & Wales, Birth Index: 1984-2005
- ^ "Alex Pettyfer awards". IMDb.com. Retrieved 13 July 2010.
- ^ "Burberry.com". Burberry. Retrieved 13 July 2010.
- ^ a b c d e f Lyall, Sarah (18 July 2006). "He Was a Teenage Spy, Surrounded by Treacherous Adults". The New York Times. Retrieved 1 November 2010.
{{cite news}}: Cite has empty unknown parameter:|coauthors=(help) - ^ a b "Scotsman.com". Calm amid the storm. Retrieved 20 July 2006.
- ^ a b c "ICWales.co.uk". Going down a storm. Retrieved 20 July 2006.
- ^ "ScreenDaily.com". Stormbreaker. Retrieved 20 July 2006. [dead link]
- ^ Quinn, Anthony (21 July 2006). "The Independent". Stormbreaker (PG). London. Retrieved 22 July 2006.
- ^ Hudson, Fiona (24 September 2006). "The Sunday Mail". Young star cruising. Retrieved 23 September 2006.
- ^ "E! Online". Vanessa Hudgens' New British Import. Retrieved 21 April 2009.
- ^ "Timothy Olyphant Joins I Am Number Four". reelzchannel.com. 13 May 2010. Retrieved 5 June 2010.
- ^ "Alex Pettyfer comfirmed for I am Number Four". Coming Soon. 1 July 2010. Retrieved 13 July 2010.
- ^ >"Alex Pettyfer to star as James Hunt in formula 1 biopic". nme. 26 December 2010. Retrieved December 2010.
{{cite web}}: Check date values in:|accessdate=(help) - ^ http://nymag.com/daily/entertainment/2011/01/alex_pettyfer_offered_another.html
- ^ http://hollywoodcrush.mtv.com/2011/01/20/alex-pettyfer-mortal-instruments-city-of-bones/
- ^ "Alex Pettyfer #35 on Britain's 50 most eligible bachelors". US Post Today. 10 December 2009. Retrieved 13 July 2010.
- ^ "ContactMusic". Pettyfer Puts McGregor's Advice Into Practice. 20 July 2006. Retrieved 20 July 2006.
- ^ "PRInside". Stormbreaker Star Quits School. 18 July 2006. Retrieved 20 July 2006.
- ^ Barker, Andy (15 August 2008). "Alex The Great". Evening Standard Magazine.
{{cite news}}: Italic or bold markup not allowed in:|publisher=(help) - ^ "Alex Pettyfer had a fling with Julia Roberts niece". 26 August 2008. Retrieved 5 June 2010.
- ^ http://uk.news.yahoo.com/1/20110120/ten-agron-opens-up-about-pettyfer-romanc-c60bd6d.html
- ^ "28th Annual Young Artist Awards". Retrieved 15 June 2010.
- ^ "Empire Awards, UK - Awards for 2007". Internet Movie Database. Retrieved 14 June 2010.
- ^ "ShoWest Awards - Past Award Winners". Retrieved 14 June 2010.