Alexander Richard "
Alex"
Pettyfer (born 10 April 1990) is an
EnglishEngland is a country that is part of the United Kingdom. It shares land borders with Scotland to the north and Wales to the west; the Irish Sea is to the north west, the Celtic Sea to the south west and the North Sea to the east, with the English Channel to the south separating it from continental...
actor and
modelthumb|200px|Alesya Nazarova modeling a dress by [[bebe stores|bebe]]A model , sometimes called a mannequin, is a person who is employed for the purpose of displaying and promoting fashion clothing or other products and for advertising or promotional purposes or who poses for works of art.Modeling...
. The son of an actor and former fashion model, he appeared in school plays and on television before being cast as
Alex RiderAlexander "Alex" Rider is a fictional character. He is the protagonist and title character of the popular Alex Rider series of novels by British author Anthony Horowitz...
, the main character in the 2006 film version of
StormbreakerStormbreaker is a 2006 spy film based on Anthony Horowitz's novel of the same name, the first novel in the Alex Rider series. It stars newcomer Alex Pettyfer as the teenage spy alongside actors Mickey Rourke and Ewan McGregor...
. Pettyfer was nominated for a Young Artist Award and an Empire Award for his role. He appeared in the 2008 film
Wild ChildWild Child is a 2008 teen comedy film starring Emma Roberts, Alex Pettyfer and Natasha Richardson.-Plot:The film starts with Poppy Moore and her friends trashing all her dad's girlfriend's stuff in a wild prank. When her father angrily arrives, he tells her he is sending her to boarding school in...
. He has been seen as a model in several advertising campaigns for
BurberryBurberry Group plc is a British luxury fashion house, manufacturing clothing and fashion accessories. Its distinctive tartan pattern has become one of its most widely copied trademarks. The company has branded stores and franchises around the world, and also sells through concessions in...
. In May 2009 he appeared in the film
TormentedFor the 1960 film, see Tormented Tormented is a 2009 horror/comedy film starring Alex Pettyfer, April Pearson, Dimitri Leonidas, Calvin Dean and newcomer Tuppence Middleton., it was released on the 22 May 2009 in the UK. Tormented is produced by BBC Films, Pathe, Slingshot Studios, Forward Films...
alongside
April PearsonApril Janet Pearson is an English actress best known for her role as Michelle Richardson in the E4 teen drama series, Skins.-Career:...
.
Family background
Pettyfer was born in
StevenageStevenage is a town and district in Hertfordshire, England. It is to the east of junctions 7 and 8 of the A1, and is between Letchworth Garden City to the north, and Welwyn Garden City to the south....
,
HertfordshireHertfordshire , abbreviated Herts, is a ceremonial and non-metropolitan county in the East region of England. The county town is Hertford....
, the son of actor Richard Pettyfer and Lee Robinson; he has a younger half-brother, James Ireland, a junior tennis player, from his mother's re-marriage to Michael Ireland, a property developer.
Career
Pettyfer began his career as a child fashion model at the age of seven, modeling for labels such as
GapThe Gap, Inc. is an American clothing and accessories retailer based in San Francisco, California, and founded in 1969 by Donald G. Fisher and Doris F. Fisher. The company has five primary brands: the namesake Gap banner, Banana Republic, Old Navy, Piperlime and Athleta. As of September 2008,...
, after meeting
Ralph LaurenRalph Lauren is an American fashion designer and business executive. He is most notable for his Polo Ralph Lauren clothing brand.-Early life:...
in a toy store in
New York CityNew York is the most populous city in the United States, and the center of the New York metropolitan area, which is among the most populous urban areas in the world. A leading global city, New York exerts a powerful influence over worldwide commerce, finance, culture, fashion and entertainment...
. He also did advertisements for some yogurt brands. His first commercial was at age six. He attended
The Mall SchoolThe Mall School is a preparatory school for boys located in Twickenham, Greater London, England. The current headmaster is Dr Jeremy Jeanes. The majority of boys go on to London day-schools, particularly St. Paul’s School, Hampton School, and King%27s College School, Wimbledon. The others choose a...
, a small private school in
TwickenhamTwickenham is a town and suburb in the south west of London, England: being the principal town by population and administrative centre of the Borough of Richmond upon Thames.-Pre-Norman:...
and as a schoolboy performed in plays, including in the role of
Willy WonkaWilly Wonka is a fictional character in the novel Charlie and the Chocolate Factory, as well as the film adaptations Willy Wonka & the Chocolate Factory and Charlie and the Chocolate Factory...
in a production
Charlie and the Chocolate FactoryCharlie and the Chocolate Factory is a children's book by British author Roald Dahl. The story features the adventures of young Charlie Bucket inside the chocolate factory of eccentric candymaker Willy Wonka....
. He then went on to attend
Lambrook HaileyburyLambrook is a prep school in Berkshire for children between the ages of 3 and 13.The school, located in the village of Winkfield Row, was originally known only as Lambrook. As Lambrook it was a traditional boys' boarding preparatory school, and officially accepted only male pupils between 7 and 13...
school in
BerkshireBerkshire is a county in the South East of England. It is also often referred to as the Royal County of Berkshire because of the presence of the royal residence of Windsor Castle in the county; this usage, which dates to the 19th century at least, was recognised by the Queen in 1958, and Letters...
.
In 2005, Pettyfer, after ending his modeling career, made his professional acting début in the
BritishThe United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland is a sovereign state located off the northwestern coast of continental Europe. It is an island country, spanning an archipelago including Great Britain, the northeastern part of Ireland, and many small islands...
televisionTelevision is a widely used telecommunication medium for transmitting and receiving moving images, either monochromatic or color, usually accompanied by sound. "Television" may also refer specifically to a television set, television programming or television transmission...
production of
Tom Brown's SchooldaysTom Brown's Schooldays is a novel by Thomas Hughes first published in 1857. The story is set at Rugby School, a public school for boys, in the 1830s. Hughes attended Rugby School from 1834 to 1842...
, playing the lead character,
Tom BrownTom Brown is a fictional character created by the author Thomas Hughes in his semi-autobiographical work Tom Brown's Schooldays, first published in 1857, set at a real English public school, Rugby School for Boys, in the 1830s when Hughes himself had been a pupil there...
; he received positive reviews for the role. In June 2005, he was cast in his most prominent role so far, that of teenage MI6 spy
Alex RiderAlex Rider is a series of spy novels by English author Anthony Horowitz about a young spy named Alex Rider. The series is aimed primarily for teenagers.Seven novels have been published to date, as well as three graphic novels, two short stories and a supplementary book...
in the film
StormbreakerStormbreaker is a 2006 spy film based on Anthony Horowitz's novel of the same name, the first novel in the Alex Rider series. It stars newcomer Alex Pettyfer as the teenage spy alongside actors Mickey Rourke and Ewan McGregor...
, based on the novel by
Anthony HorowitzAnthony Horowitz , is an English author and screenwriter. He has written many children's novels, including The Power of Five, Alex Rider and The Diamond Brothers series and has written over fifty books. He has also written extensively for television, adapting many of Agatha Christie's Hercule...
. He was one of 500 who auditioned for the role. Pettyfer chose to appear in the film over a role in the film
EragonEragon is a 2006 live-action/CGI fantasy-adventure film based on the novel of the same name by author Christopher Paolini. The cast includes Edward Speleers in the title role, Jeremy Irons, Garrett Hedlund, Sienna Guillory, Robert Carlyle, John Malkovich, Djimon Hounsou, Joss Stone, and the voice...
, noting that he preferred
Stormbreaker because it would be filmed in Britain, in the
Isle of ManThe Isle of Man , or Mann , is a self-governing British Crown dependency, located in the Irish Sea between the islands of Britain and Ireland. The head of state is Queen Elizabeth II, who holds the title of Lord of Mann. The Crown is represented by a Lieutenant Governor...
, while
Eragon would film in the
Czech RepublicThe Czech Republic is a country in Central Europe that is sometimes considered to be Eastern European. The country borders Poland to the northeast, Germany to the west and northwest, Austria to the south and Slovakia to the east. The capital and largest city is Prague...
; Pettyfer is afraid of flying, and he liked the looks of the cast for
Stormbreaker.
Stormbreaker was released on 21 July 2006 in the
United KingdomThe United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland is a sovereign state located off the northwestern coast of continental Europe. It is an island country, spanning an archipelago including Great Britain, the northeastern part of Ireland, and many small islands...
, on 6 October 2006 in the
United StatesThe United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
and on 21 September 2006 in
AustraliaAustralia , officially the Commonwealth of Australia, is a country in the Southern Hemisphere comprising the continental mainland , the island of Tasmania, and numerous smaller islands in the Indian and Pacific Oceans...
.
One review of Pettyfer's performance described him as playing the role with an "earnest intensity", although another noted that he "isn't quite at ease as an actor". Media reports specified that the film was expected to make Pettyfer a "
teen idolA Teen idol is a celebrity who is widely idolized by teenagers; he or she is often young but not necessarily teenaged. Often teen idols are actors or pop singers, but some sports figures have an appeal to teenagers. Some teen idols are child actors...
". Pettyfer will not reprise the role if there is another Alex Rider film because he is too old.
He next appeared in
Wild Child, a movie set in California and Yorkshire. He played school boy Freddie Kingsley and he co-starred with
Emma RobertsEmma Rose Roberts is an American teen actress, singer-songwriter, spokesperson, and designer. She is the daughter of actor Eric Roberts and the niece of actress Julia Roberts....
.
Pettyfer returned to modelling in 2007. His recent modelling jobs include ad campaigns for
BurberryBurberry Group plc is a British luxury fashion house, manufacturing clothing and fashion accessories. Its distinctive tartan pattern has become one of its most widely copied trademarks. The company has branded stores and franchises around the world, and also sells through concessions in...
in 2008 and 2009.
He can currently be seen in the comedy-horror film
TormentedFor the 1960 film, see Tormented Tormented is a 2009 horror/comedy film starring Alex Pettyfer, April Pearson, Dimitri Leonidas, Calvin Dean and newcomer Tuppence Middleton., it was released on the 22 May 2009 in the UK. Tormented is produced by BBC Films, Pathe, Slingshot Studios, Forward Films...
, alongside
SkinsSkins is a teen drama that follows a group of teenagers in Bristol, South West England as they grow up. The controversial plotline explores issues including homosexuality, narcissism, dysfunctional families, absent parents, personality disorders, post traumatic stress, substance abuse, anorexia,...
star
April PearsonApril Janet Pearson is an English actress best known for her role as Michelle Richardson in the E4 teen drama series, Skins.-Career:...
, which was released 22 May 2009 in the UK.
On 14 June 2009, Pettyfer was voted #35 on the Britain's top 50 most eligible bachelors by UK women's magazine
CompanyA company is a form of business organization.In the United States, a company is a corporation—or, less commonly, an association, partnership, or union—that carries on an industrial enterprise." Generally, a company may be a "corporation, partnership, association, joint-stock company,...
.
In August 2009 the UK magazine
GlamourGlamour is an appearance of enhanced attractiveness-Popular culture:* Glamour , a magazine for women* The Glamour, an album by Schmoof* Glamor , a Marvel Comics character* The Glamour , by Christopher Priest...
ranked him at #21 on their list of the sexiest men on the planet, as determined by a poll of 2000 British women.
He will star in the film
BeastlyBeastly is an upcoming 2010 fantasy romance feature film, based on Alex Flinn's 2007 novel of the same name. Written and directed by Daniel Barnz, the film stars Vanessa Hudgens, Alex Pettyfer, Mary Kate Olsen, Neil Patrick Harris and Lisa Gay Hamilton....
, based on the novel by
Alex FlinnAlex Flinn is an author of novels for young adults. To date, she has written seven books that have been published.-Life:...
, alongside
Mary-Kate OlsenMary-Kate Olsen is an American actress, producer, fashion model and fashion designer. She has had an acting career beginning at a young age, in roles with her twin sister Ashley Olsen....
, Vanessa Hudgens and
Neil Patrick HarrisNeil Patrick Harris is an American actor. Prominent roles of his career include the title role in Doogie Howser, M.D., the womanizing Barney Stinson in How I Met Your Mother and a fictionalized version of himself in the Harold & Kumar series...
to be released in 2010. He finished filming on 13 August 2009, according to the film's
TwitterTwitter is a free social networking and micro-blogging service that enables its users to send and read messages known as tweets. Tweets are text-based posts of up to 140 characters displayed on the author's profile page and delivered to the author's subscribers who are known as followers...
account.
Personal life
Pettyfer was raised in
WindsorWindsor is a suburban town in the Royal Borough of Windsor and Maidenhead in Berkshire, England. It is best known as the site of Windsor Castle....
,
BerkshireBerkshire is a county in the South East of England. It is also often referred to as the Royal County of Berkshire because of the presence of the royal residence of Windsor Castle in the county; this usage, which dates to the 19th century at least, was recognised by the Queen in 1958, and Letters...
, and attended
Shiplake CollegeShiplake College is a small independent school in Shiplake, by the River Thames south of Henley-on-Thames, England. The school, with just over 320 pupils, admits day boys from 11-18 and boarding boys from 13-18. Day and boarding girls are admitted in the Sixth Form.The College offers small class...
boarding school near
Henley-on-ThamesHenley-on-Thames is a town on the north side of the River Thames in south Oxfordshire, England, about 10 miles downstream and north-east from Reading, 10 miles upstream and west from Maidenhead...
in
OxfordshireOxfordshire is a county in the South East England region, bordering on Northamptonshire, Buckinghamshire, Berkshire, Wiltshire, Gloucestershire, and Warwickshire....
and
Lambrook HaileyburyLambrook is a prep school in Berkshire for children between the ages of 3 and 13.The school, located in the village of Winkfield Row, was originally known only as Lambrook. As Lambrook it was a traditional boys' boarding preparatory school, and officially accepted only male pupils between 7 and 13...
School in Windsor. He initially attended
Millfield SchoolMillfield is an independent school in Street, Somerset, England. It caters for 1,260 pupils, of which 910 are boarders. The school's selection criteria are non-academic and some pupils receive subsidised tuition in the form of scholarships and bursaries....
in Somerset, before
Shipklake CollegeShiplake is a village and civil parish about south of Henley-on-Thames in Oxfordshire, England on the River Thames.-History:The Church of England parish church of St. Peter and St. Paul dates from at least the 13th century, but in 1869 the Gothic Revival architect G.E. Street rebuilt the chancel,...
, and then left after GCSEs to attend Drama College. When not working, Pettyfer's hobbies include
skiingSkiing is a group of sports using skis as equipment for traveling over snow. Skis are used in conjunction with boots that connect to the ski with use of a binding....
and
hockeyHockey is any of a family of sports in which two teams play against each other by trying to maneuver a ball, or a hard, round, rubber or heavy plastic disc called a puck, into the opponent's net or goal, using a hockey stick.-Field hockey:...
. He also attended
Sylvia Young Theatre SchoolSylvia Young Theatre School is an independent fee-paying stage school, in Marylebone, London, named after its founder and Principal, Sylvia Young.-Outline:...
.
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 McGregorEwan Gordon McGregor is a Scottish actor, singer, and adventurer who has had success in mainstream, indie and art house films...
, who told him to keep his personal and professional life separate. Pettyfer has since decided to leave school and concentrate on his film career, whilst studying
dramaDrama is the specific mode of fiction represented in performance. The term comes from a Greek word meaning "action" , which is derived from "to do" . The enactment of drama in theatre, performed by actors on a stage before an audience, presupposes collaborative modes of production and a collective...
at college, 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".
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, the letters "ER" inside interlinking hearts on his right wrist and a Kanji script on his lower waist.
Filmography
| Year |
Title |
Role |
| 2005 |
Tom Brown's Schooldays Tom Brown's Schooldays is a 2005 television film adaptation of the Thomas Hughes novel of the same name. It was released on 1 January 2005 and released on DVD 9 days later.-Plot:...
|
Tom Brown Tom Brown is a fictional character created by the author Thomas Hughes in his semi-autobiographical work Tom Brown's Schooldays, first published in 1857, set at a real English public school, Rugby School for Boys, in the 1830s when Hughes himself had been a pupil there...
|
| 2006 |
StormbreakerStormbreaker is a 2006 spy film based on Anthony Horowitz's novel of the same name, the first novel in the Alex Rider series. It stars newcomer Alex Pettyfer as the teenage spy alongside actors Mickey Rourke and Ewan McGregor...
|
Alex RiderAlexander "Alex" Rider is a fictional character. He is the protagonist and title character of the popular Alex Rider series of novels by British author Anthony Horowitz...
|
| 2008 |
Wild Child |
Freddie Kingsley |
| 2009 |
TormentedFor the 1960 film, see Tormented Tormented is a 2009 horror/comedy film starring Alex Pettyfer, April Pearson, Dimitri Leonidas, Calvin Dean and newcomer Tuppence Middleton., it was released on the 22 May 2009 in the UK. Tormented is produced by BBC Films, Pathe, Slingshot Studios, Forward Films...
|
Bradley |
| 2010 |
Beastly Beastly is an upcoming 2010 fantasy romance feature film, based on Alex Flinn's 2007 novel of the same name. Written and directed by Daniel Barnz, the film stars Vanessa Hudgens, Alex Pettyfer, Mary Kate Olsen, Neil Patrick Harris and Lisa Gay Hamilton....
|
Kyle |
Modelling
- 2008: Burberry
Burberry Group plc is a British luxury fashion house, manufacturing clothing and fashion accessories. Its distinctive tartan pattern has become one of its most widely copied trademarks. The company has branded stores and franchises around the world, and also sells through concessions in...
- Spring/Summer
- 2008: Burberry
Burberry Group plc is a British luxury fashion house, manufacturing clothing and fashion accessories. Its distinctive tartan pattern has become one of its most widely copied trademarks. The company has branded stores and franchises around the world, and also sells through concessions in...
- The Beat For Men eau du cologne
- 2009: Burberry
Burberry Group plc is a British luxury fashion house, manufacturing clothing and fashion accessories. Its distinctive tartan pattern has become one of its most widely copied trademarks. The company has branded stores and franchises around the world, and also sells through concessions in...
- Spring/Summer
External links