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Clive Owen
Clive Owen (born 3 October 1964) is an Academy Award -nominated, and Golden Globe- and BAFTA-award winning British actor.
Early life
The fourth of five brothers, Owen was born in Coventry, Warwickshire, UK, the son of Pamela and Jess Owen. His father, a country and western singer, left the family when Owen was three years old, and despite a brief reconciliation when Owen was nineteen, the two have remained estranged. Raised by his mother and stepfather, a railway ticket clerk, he has described his childhood as "rough." While initially opposed to drama school, he changed his mind in 1984, after a long and fruitless period of searching for work. Owen graduated from the Royal Academy of Dramatic Art in 1987 with a class that included Ralph Fiennes and Jane Horrocks. After graduation, he won a position at the Young Vic, performing in several William Shakespeare plays. In an incident he later described as "very schmaltzy", he met his future wife when the two performed the leads in Romeo and Juliet.
Career
Initially, Owen carved out a career in television: in 1988 Owen starred as Gideon Sarn in a BBC production of Precious Bane and the Channel 4 film Vroom before the 1990s saw him become a regular on stage and television in the UK, notably his lead role in the ITV series Chancer, followed by an appearance in the Thames Television production of Lorna Doone.
He won critical acclaim for his performances in the 1991 Stephen Poliakoff film Close My Eyes, in which he has a full frontal nude scene, about a brother and sister who embark on an incestuous love affair; he subsequently appeared in The Magician, Class of '61, Century, Nobody's Children, An Evening with Gary Lineker, Doomsday Gun, Return of the Native, The Turnaround and then a Carlton production called Sharman, about a private detective. In 1996 he appeared in his first major Hollywood film The Rich Man's Wife alongside Halle Berry before finding international acclaim in a Channel 4 film directed by Mike Hodges called Croupier in 1998. He played the title role of a struggling writer who takes a job in a London casino as inspiration for his work, only to get caught up in a robbery scheme. In 1999 he appeared as an accident-prone driver in Split Second, his first BBC production for a decade.
He then starred in The Echo, a BBC1 drama. He starred in a film called Greenfingers about a criminal who goes to work in a garden, before appearing in the BBC1 mystery series Second Sight. In 2001 he provided the voice-over for a BBC2 documentary about popular music through the years called Walk On By, as well as starring in a highly-acclaimed theatre production called The Day in the Death of Joe Egg, about a couple with a severely handicapped daughter.
He became well known to North American audiences in the summer of 2001 after starring as The Driver in the The Hire, a series of short films sponsored by BMW and made by prominent directors. He then appeared in Robert Altman's Gosford Park, alongside an all-star cast including Helen Mirren and Ryan Phillippe. He has appeared in The Bourne Identity with Matt Damon. In 2003, he teamed up with Hodges again to make I'll Sleep When I'm Dead. He starred in Beyond Borders and took on the title role in King Arthur, for which he took horse-riding lessons.
Owen appeared in the West End and Broadway hit play Closer, by Patrick Marber, which was produced as a film, and was released in 2005. He played "Dan" in the play, but was "Larry" the dermatologist in the film version. His portrayal of Larry in the film version earned him a lot of recognition as well as the Golden Globe and BAFTA award and an Academy Award nomination for Best Supporting Actor. He noted that the expectations of him since the Oscar nomination have not changed the way he approaches film-making, stating that, "I try, every film I do, to be as good as I can and that's all I can do".
Personal life
Owen lives in Highgate, London and Wrabness, north Essex, with his wife Sarah-Jane Fenton and their two daughters, Hannah and Eve.
In November 2006, he became patron of the Electric Palace Cinema in Harwich, UK, and launched an appeal for funds to repair deteriorating elements of the fabric.
He enjoys the music of indie rock band Hard-Fi and has been seen at two of their concerts, Brixton Academy, 15 May 2006 and Wembley Arena, 18 December 2007.
Owen has been a fan of Liverpool FC since he was a boy - despite hailing from Coventry.
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Filmography
Clive Owen - photos
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Sir Walter Raleigh
Clive Owen as Sir Walter Raleigh in Elizabeth - The Golden Age
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Clive Owen in Inside Man
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Clive Owen
Clive Owen - news / articles
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Owen stunned by bad movie scripts -
17 September 2009
-Actor Clive Owen is staggered at the amount of money which has been thrown at terrible films during the recession - insisting he has seen many of the worst scripts which have been greenlighted. -
-The Closer star can't believe that Hollywood executives are backing
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Top 10 Clive Owen -
6 July 2009
ost of all Kazakhs…-
-Tom Charity-
tom.charity@lovefilm.com-
-FREAKS & GEEKS-
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-Croupier (1998)-
-Clive Owen was accustomed to TV roles when he found international acclaim in the intelligent Channel 4 thriller Croupier. Channeling James
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Julia Roberts to re-team with Clive Owen -
1 November 2007
Oscar-winning actress Julia Roberts is set to co-star once again with Clive Owen in a new project entitled Duplicity, Variety reported this week.-Previously, the pair featured as a married couple in Closer, a story of love and infidelity also starring Jude Law and N
Clive Owen - what members say
Clive Owen - filmography
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Duplicity - BLU-RAY Version
(2009)
Starring: Julia Roberts, Clive Owen, Tom Wilkinson
Director: Tony Gilroy
Certificate: 
CLOSER co-stars Julia Roberts and Clive Owen reunite for Oscar-nominated director Tony Gilroy's drama tracing the illicit love affair between two spies-turned-corporate operatives. The Cold War has thawed, and for CIA agents seeking to make an easy mint, the real money is in multinational ..read more »
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55%
from 1,161 member
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Duplicity
on DVD
(2009)
Starring: Julia Roberts, Clive Owen, Tom Wilkinson
Director: Tony Gilroy
Certificate:
From the writer/director of Michael Clayton, Duplicity is a smart, slick and cool espionage movie. Academy Award® winner Julia Roberts and Clive Owen star as two sexy spies turned-corporate operatives who attempt to pull off one of the biggest heists ever. As the stakes rise in the ultimate game of ..read more »
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56%
from 10,511 members
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The International
on DVD
(2008)
Starring: Clive Owen, Naomi Watts, Armin Mueller-Stahl
Director: Tom Tykwer
Certificate: 
RUN LOLA RUN and PERFUME director Tom Tykwer assembles a fine international cast for this thriller that spans continents. Clive Owen (CHILDREN OF MEN, SHOOT 'EM UP) and Naomi Watts (FUNNY GAMES, EASTERN PROMISES) stars as a besieged pair who encounter many obstacles as they try to expose a bank's ..read more »
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61%
from 12,254 members
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Shoot 'Em Up
on DVD
(2007)
Starring: Clive Owen, Monica Bellucci, Paul Giamatti
Director: Michael Davis
Certificate: 
Shoot 'Em Up is a gritty, fast paced action thriller starring Clive Owen as Mr. Smith; a mysterious loner who teams up with an unlikely ally (Monica Bellucci) in order to protect a newborn baby from a determined hitman (Paul Giamatti) who hunts them throughout the bowels of the city.
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58%
from 35,282 members
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Elizabeth - The Golden Age
on DVD
(2007)
Starring: Cate Blanchett, Clive Owen, Geoffrey Rush
Director: Shekhar Kapur
Certificate:
The sequel to 1998's Elizabeth. This film follows the monarch's middle years on the throne, highlighting the conflict between her personal and public life, and the continuing threats to her reign at home and abroad.
Rate this:
68%
from 37,201 members
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Children Of Men
on DVD
(2006)
Starring: Clive Owen, Julianne Moore, Michael Caine
Director: Alfonso Cuaron
Certificate:
In 2027, in a chaotic world in which man can no longer procreate, a former activist agrees to help transport a miraculously pregnant woman to a sanctuary at sea where her child's birth may help scientists save the future of mankind.
Rate this:
67%
from 85,445 members
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Second Sight
(4 discs)
on DVD
(2006)
Starring: Clive Owen, Claire Skinner, Stuart Wilson
Director: Charles Beeson
Certificate:
Dedication and results have earned Detective Chief Inspector Ross Tanner the prestigious charge of the Special Murder Unit. But Tanner has a secret - he is suffering from a rare disorder that causes intermittent blindness and hallucinations. When his deputy, Detective Inspector Tully, deduces the ..read more »
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67%
from 333 members
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Inside Man - HD DVD Version
(2006)
Starring: Denzel Washington, Clive Owen, Jodie Foster
Director: Spike Lee
Certificate:
In the tense thriller INSIDE MAN, a bank robbery leads to a number of people being taken hostage and its up to NYPD hostage negotiators Detectives Keith Frazier and Bill Mitchell to secure their release. The detectives are sent to the scene with orders to contact the ringleader of the gang, Dalton ..read more »
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73%
from 532 members
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Inside Man
on DVD
(2006)
Starring: Denzel Washington, Clive Owen, Jodie Foster
Director: Spike Lee
Certificate:
Inside Man is the story of a tough cop, Detective Frazier (Denzel Washington), who matches wits with a clever bank robber, Dalton (Clive Owen), in a tense hostage drama. As the dangerous cat-and-mouse game unfolds, a wild card emerges: Madaline (Jodie Foster), a power broker with a hidden agenda, ..read more »
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71%
from 71,179 members
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Inside Man - BLU-RAY Version
(2006)
Starring: Denzel Washington, Clive Owen, Jodie Foster
Director: Spike Lee
Certificate:
Inside Man is the story of a tough cop, Detective Frazier (Denzel Washington), who matches wits with a clever bank robber, Dalton (Clive Owen), in a tense hostage drama. As the dangerous cat-and-mouse game unfolds, a wild card emerges: Madaline (Jodie Foster), a power broker with a hidden agenda, ..read more »
Rate this:
74%
from 1,000 member
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Derailed
on DVD
(2005)
Starring: Clive Owen, Jennifer Aniston, Vincent Cassel
Director: Mikael Hafstrom
Certificate:
For Charles and Lucinda, a chance meeting quickly leads to unstoppable passion. But just as suddenly, a violent stranger explodes into their lives. Before they know it, they are thrown into an inescapable game of blackmail and sent hurlting towards a terrifying fate they may not survive...
Rate this:
66%
from 38,021 members
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Sin City - BLU-RAY Version - Recut, Ext...
(2005)
Starring: Bruce Willis, Mickey Rourke, Jessica Alba
Director: Frank Miller, Robert Rodriguez, Quentin Tarant
Certificate:
Comic artist genius Frank Miller and Desperado director Robert Rodriguez combine to bring Miller's searing, stylised vision of a torn, twisted city - and the people within it. Told in three chapters and definitely not for the faint of heart...
Recut, Extended, Unrated Version Includes:
Kill 'Em ..read more »
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76%
from 1,096 member
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Closer - BLU-RAY Version
(2004)
Starring: Julia Roberts, Jude Law, Natalie Portman
Director: Mike Nichols
Certificate:
Are humans meant to mate for life? What drives someone in a perfectly good relationship to cheat and risk losing the one that they love and that loves them? Is it possible to love more than one person at the same time? How well does anyone really know the one that they love? Directed by Mike ..read more »
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61%
from 1,060 member
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King Arthur
on DVD
(2004)
Starring: Clive Owen, Ioan Gruffudd, Keira Knightley
Director: Antoine Fuqua
Certificate:
Combining the historical appeal and epic sequences of films like GLADIATOR and BRAVEHEART, director Antoine Fuqua (TRAINING DAY) and producer Jerry Bruckheimer provide a sleek twist on the King Arthur legend. Arthur (Clive Owen), a brave Roman/British Christian warrior who leads his band of pagan ..read more »
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56%
from 50,953 members
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Closer
on DVD
(2004)
Starring: Julia Roberts, Jude Law, Natalie Portman
Director: Mike Nichols
Certificate:
Are humans meant to mate for life - What drives someone in a perfectly good relationship to cheat and risk losing the one that they love and that loves them - Is it possible to love more than one person at the same time - How well does anyone really know the one that they love. Directed by Mike ..read more »
Rate this:
55%
from 67,496 members
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King Arthur - BLU-RAY Version
(2004)
Starring: Clive Owen, Ioan Gruffudd, Keira Knightley
Director: Antoine Fuqua
Certificate:
Combining the historical appeal and epic sequences of films like GLADIATOR and BRAVEHEART, director Antoine Fuqua (TRAINING DAY) and producer Jerry Bruckheimer provide a sleek twist on the King Arthur legend. Arthur (Clive Owen), a brave Roman/British Christian warrior who leads his band of pagan ..read more »
Rate this:
60%
from 1,462 member
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Beyond Borders
on DVD
(2003)
Starring: Angelina Jolie, Clive Owen, Linus Roache
Director: Martin Campbell
Certificate:
Director Martin Campbell (GOLDENEYE) balances a romantic tale, serious political commentary, and beautifully shot scenery from exotic locations in BEYOND BORDERS. Oscar winner Angelina Jolie gives a moving performance inspired by her real-life U.N. work, and has the perfect romantic foil in Clive ..read more »
Rate this:
62%
from 6,061 members
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Bourne Identity, The - HD DVD Version
(2002)
Starring: Matt Damon, Franka Potente, Chris Cooper
Director: Doug Liman
Certificate:
A young man with two bullet wounds in his back is pulled from the Mediterranean Sea by a group of Italian fishermen, barely alive, he is nursed back to health. With no memory to help him, his only clue to his own identity is a bank account number, it becomes clear that he is Jason Bourne, but what ..read more »
Rate this:
84%
from 1,018 member
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Bourne Identity, The - BLU-RAY Version
(2002)
Starring: Matt Damon, Franka Potente, Chris Cooper
Director: Doug Liman
Certificate:
A young man with two bullet wounds in his back is pulled from the Mediterranean Sea by a group of Italian fishermen, barely alive, he is nursed back to health. With no memory to help him, his only clue to his own identity is a bank account number, it becomes clear that he is Jason Bourne, but what ..read more »
Rate this:
85%
from 2,095 members
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The Bourne Identity
on DVD
(2002)
Starring: Matt Damon, Franka Potente, Chris Cooper
Director: Doug Liman
Certificate:
A young man with two bullet wounds in his back is pulled from the Mediterranean Sea by a group of Italian fishermen. Barely alive, he is nursed back to health, but with no memory to help him, his only clue to his identity is a bank account number. It becomes clear that he is Jason Bourne, but what ..read more »
Rate this:
76%
from 82,841 members
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Gosford Park
on DVD
(2001)
Starring: Michael Gambon, Stephen Fry, Richard E. Grant
Director: Robert Altman
Certificate:
In GOSFORD PARK, Robert Altman explores the English class system and master-servant relations via his preferred modus operandi of multiple characters and intertwining storylines, which he achieved so brilliantly in NASHVILLE. Featuring an all-star British ensemble cast, the film recalls both THE ..read more »
Rate this:
64%
from 14,529 members
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Greenfingers
on DVD
(2000)
Starring: Clive Owen, Helen Mirren, David Kelly
Director: Joel Hershman
Certificate:
A blooming comedy, this is a heart-warming horticultural tale of redemption and rehabilitation. Clive Owen stars as a greenfingered ex-convict sent to an open prison, he helps and encourages the other prisoners to create a prison garden. They are so successful that they are allowed to take their ..read more »
Rate this:
67%
from 1,559 member
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Croupier
on DVD
(1998)
Starring: Clive Owen, Kate Hardie, Alex Kingston
Director: Mike Hodges
Certificate:
CROUPIER tells the complex story of an aspiring writer who must take a job in order to pay the bills. Experienced as a professional croupier, Jack Manfred (Clive Owen) is hired by an upscale casino in London, where he intends to silently observe the goings on while continuing to work on his latest ..read more »
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62%
from 4,247 members
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Bent
(1997)
Starring: Clive Owen, Lothaire Bluteau, Ian McKellen
Director: Sean Mathias
Certificate:
An interesting cast fills out this solemn production based on the play by Martin Sherman (who also wrote the screenplay). During WWII, a Berlin homosexual is caught up in the Nazi hysteria. After being forced to kill his lover, he is placed in a prison camp, where he lies so he will be classified ..read more »
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60%
from 1,850 member
Not currently released
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The Rich Man's Wife
on DVD
(1996)
Starring: Halle Berry, Peter Greene, Clive Owen
Director: Amy Holden Jones
Certificate:
When the wealthy, older husband of a beautiful young woman is found brutally murdered, the wife (Halle Berry) instantly becomes the prime suspect. Caught up in trying to clear her name, she becomes the prime target for the psychotic terrorist who actually committed the murder.
Rate this:
51%
from 493 members
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The Return of the Native
(1994)
Starring: Catherine Zeta Jones, Clive Owen, Ray Stevenson
Director: Jack Gold
Certificate: 
Eustacia Vye longs to return to Paris, so marries Clym Yeobright when he returns from his work there, hoping he will take her back with him. However he has no plans to return, less so after his eyes begin to fail him. And so Eustacia finds herself looking for love elsewhere.
Rate this:
46%
from 28 members
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Close My Eyes
on DVD
(1991)
Starring: Alan Rickman, Clive Owen, Saskia Reeves
Director: Stephen Poliakoff
Certificate:
A woman, Natalie (Saskia Reeves), becomes re-aquainted with her younger brother, Richard (Clive Owen), from whom she was separated as a child. They meet intermittently for the next few years, until the sister gets married to Sinclair (Alan Rickman), a wealthy businessman. Once married, the siblings ..read more »
Rate this:
56%
from 1,604 member
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Chancer - The Complete Series 1
(4 discs)
(1990)
Starring: Clive Owen, Leslie Phillips, Peter Vaughan
Director: Laurence Moody
Certificate: 
Unfortunately this title is currently unavailable for rental. We apologise for any inconvenience that this may cause.
All 13 episodes from the first series of the popular TV drama which follows Stephen Crane as he tries to save a struggling sports car factory.
Rate this:
65%
from 630 members
Not available for rental
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Chancer - The Complete Series 2
(2 discs)
(1990)
Starring: Clive Owen, Leslie Phillips, Peter Vaughan
Director: Alan Grint
Certificate:
Unfortunately this title is currently unavailable for rental. We apologise for any inconvenience that this may cause.
All seven individual episodes from Series 2 of the popular TV drama which follows Stephen Crane's release from prison.
Rate this:
66%
from 376 members
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Clive Owen facts
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Somewhat predictable! 9 August 2004
...e story is pretty corny and predictable. Makes you wonder why Helen Mirren and Clive Owen wanted to be a part of it!
More like 'a made for TV' film....
Chancer - 6 episodes 19 April 2005
Retro thriller 11 August 2004
