Paul Bettany (born May 27, 1971) is an English actor best known for his roles as Geoffrey Chaucer in A Knight's Tale, Charles Herman in A Beautiful Mind, Stephen Maturin in Master and Commander: The Far Side of the World, Peter Colt in Wimbledon and as Silas in The Da Vinci Code.
Paul Bettany was born into a theatre family. His father, Thane Bettany, is still an actor. His mother Anne Kettle has retired from acting. He has an older sister who is a mother and a writer and he has a niece. His maternal grandmother, Olga Gwynne (her maiden and stage name), was a successful actress, while his maternal grandfather was a musician and promoter. He was brought up in North West London and after the age of 9 in Hertfordshire (Brookmans Park). Immediately after finishing at Drama Centre he went into the West End to join the cast of 'An Inspector Calls', though when asked to go on tour with this play he chose to stay in England.
