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Balthazar Getty

 
Actor: Balthazar Getty
 
  • Born: Jan 22, 1975
  • Occupation: Actor
  • Active: '90s-2000s
  • Major Genres: Drama, Fantasy
  • Career Highlights: Where the Day Takes You, Lost Highway, The Center of the World
  • First Major Screen Credit: Lord of the Flies (1990)

Biography

Often playing characters with a sensitive demeanor lurking beneath a brooding surface, Balthazar Getty is an actor whose offscreen life has boasted as much drama as his onscreen work. Born in Los Angeles, CA, on January 22, 1975, Balthazar Getty's father was John Paul Getty III, the grandson of famous oil tycoon J. Paul Getty, and a notorious figure in his own right after his ear was cut off by kidnappers in 1973. John Paul Getty III suffered a debilitating drug overdose in 1980 which left him in a wheelchair, and in time he and his wife Gisela Zacher split up; Gisela remarried in 1988, to wedding translator and musician Olaf Kraemar. In 1989, a casting agent spotted young Balthazar Getty in his art class at school, and invited him to audition for a film role. Getty was then cast in the 1990 film adaptation of Lord of the Flies as Ralph, the child who struggles against the baser impulses which have overtaken his peers. Due to extensive post-production work on Lord of the Flies, Getty's second film -- a made-for-cable adaptation of The Turn of the Screw -- actually appeared first, but his work in Flies was well received and it wasn't long before more and bigger roles came his way. Getty won key roles in smaller independent projects such as Dead Beat and Where the Day Takes You as well as bigger-budget films, including Natural Born Killers, White Squall, and Lost Highway. However, the lure of the Hollywood high life took its toll as Getty's star rose; his family had a history of drug abuse, and Getty himself became addicted to heroin, only narrowly avoiding arrest in the fall of 1998, according to published reports. After this incident, Getty made a new commitment to health, and after kicking his habit began working steadily again in 2000 and 2001, appearing in the acclaimed independent films The Center of the World, MacArthur Park, and Four Dogs Playing Poker; Getty also tried his hand at working behind the scenes, serving as both star and executive producer of Shadow Hours. ~ All Movie Guide
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Wikipedia: Balthazar Getty
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Balthazar Getty
Born Paul Balthazar Getty
January 22, 1975 (1975-01-22) (age 34)
Tarzana, California, United States
Occupation Actor, musician
Years active 1990–present
Spouse(s) Rosetta Millington (2000–present, separated)

Paul Balthazar Getty (born January 22, 1975) is an American film actor and member of the band Ringside.[1] His great grandfather was billionaire Jean Paul Getty, his grandfather Sir Paul Getty, and his father John Paul Getty III. His family's fortune is based on the oil business. He's most known for the roles of Thomas Grace on the American action drama Alias and as Tommy Walker on the ABC prime time drama Brothers & Sisters.

Contents

Biography

Early life

Getty was born in Tarzana, California and raised in San Francisco before being sent to private school in Britain, where he was enrolled at Gordonstoun School, an elite boarding school that has educated three generations of the British Royal Family. His great-grandfather is the late multi-billionaire Jean Paul Getty, founder of the Getty Oil Company, and at one time one of the richest men in the world.[2] His father is John Paul Getty III, and his mother, Gisela Martine Getty (née Zacher), is a professional photographer and documentary filmmaker. His parents are now divorced. Getty has a sister, Anna.[3]

Personal life

In 2000, Getty married fashion designer Rosetta Millington and has four children: Cassius Paul, Grace, Violet, and June Catherine.[2][4][5]

In July 2008, Getty was photographed kissing a topless Sienna Miller aboard a boat and on a hotel balcony in Italy.[6] Getty and Miller have reportedly been dating since May 2008, shortly after his wife Rosetta Millington had the couple's fourth child.[7] On July 21, 2008, Getty released a statement confirming that he and his wife had separated, although to date no divorce has been filed.[8]

Getty is on the board of directors for The Lunchbox Fund, an organization that provides lunches to impoverished children in South Africa.

He is close friends with actor Eric Dane.

Career

He entered the movie business in 1987 when he auditioned for the lead role in the movie Lord of the Flies after being spotted by a talent scout in his art class at school. During the course of the 1990s and early 2000s, he has appeared in films such as Young Guns II, Natural Born Killers, Judge Dredd, White Squall, Lost Highway, Big City Blues, The Center of the World, Deuces Wild, Ladder 49, Feast and the television series Traffic.

Getty guest-starred on the television series Charmed as Richard Montana, a male witch who at one point was romantically linked with Paige Matthews. He appeared in the fifth season of the hit show Alias as Agent Thomas Grace. He currently stars, alongside Alias costar Ron Rifkin, in the ABC prime time drama Brothers & Sisters, which first aired in September 2006. Getty plays the role of Thomas "Tommy" Walker, one of the five Walker siblings.

In late 2008, it was reported that Getty's contract as a full-time series regular will not be renewed due, in part, to budgetary and storyline considerations, though Getty may return in a reduced capacity.[9]


Filmography

Film
Year Film Role Notes
1990 Lord of the Flies Ralph
Young Guns II Tom O'Folliard Alternative title: Young Guns II: Blaze of Glory
1991 My Heroes Have Always Been Cowboys Jud, Jolie's Son
The Pope Must Die Joe Don Dante Alternative title: The Pope Must Diet
December Allister Gibbs
1992 Halfway House
Where the Day Takes You Little J
1993 Red Hot Alexi Alternative title: Fièvre Rouge
1994 Cityscrapes: Los Angeles Leader
Dead Beat Rudy Alternative title: The Phony Perfector
Natural Born Killers Gas Station Attendant
Don't Do It Jake
1995 Toughguy Chad's Friend Alternative titles: Evil Never Sleeps and Terrified
Judge Dredd Olmeyer
Mr. Holland's Opus Stadler Uncredited
1996 White Squall Tod Johnstone
1997 Lost Highway Pete Dayton
Habitat Andreas Symes
1998 Fait Accompli A.J. Merchant Alternative title: Voodoo Dawn
1999 Big City Blues Walter
Out in Fifty Lefty
2000 Shadow Hours Michael Holloway
Four Dogs Playing Poker Julian Alternative title: 4 Dogs Playing Poker
Shadow Hours
-
Co-producer
2001 Sol Goode Sol Goode
MacArthur Park Steve
The Center of the World Brian Pivano Alternative title: The Centre of the World
Sluts & Losers--his autobiographical film
-
Co-executive producer
2002 Hard Cash Eddie Alternative title: Run for the Money
Deuces Wild Jimmy Pockets
2004 Ladder 49 Ray Gauquin
2005 Slingshot Taylor
Feast Bozo
2006 The Tripper Jimmy
2008 West of Brooklyn Man at door
Struggle Jack
Television
Year Title Role Notes
1990 Nightmare Classics Miles 1 episode
1997 The Hunger James Chandler 1 episode
2001-2002 Pasadena Nate Greeley 13 episodes
2002 Corsairs Television movie
2003-2004 Charmed Richard Montana 6 episodes
2004 Traffic Ben Edmonds Miniseries
2005 Into the West David Wheeler 1 episode
Ghost Whisperer Michael Adams 1 episode
2005-2006 Alias Thomas Grace 17 episodes
2006 Dirtbags Scotty Television movie
2006 - Present Brothers & Sisters Tommy Walker 62 episodes
2009 Medium Christopher Dennis Sipes 1 episodes

References

External links



 
 

 

Copyrights:

Actor. Copyright © 2009 All Media Guide, LLC. All rights reserved.  Read more
Wikipedia. This article is licensed under the GNU Free Documentation License. It uses material from the Wikipedia article "Balthazar Getty" Read more

 

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