The acting hunger which stars bring on the set of any film can dissipate as their career progresses or it can be lost in the noose of alcohol, drug abuse, and other vices. Wes Bentley is known for his role in The Hunger Games as Seneca Crane. He is also known for his drug addiction problems which almost ended his career in 2009. Wes is making good films again and here is everything you need to know about his acting journey and personal life.
Wes Bentley was raised in Little Rock
Wes Bentley was born in Jonesboro, Arkansas on September 4, 1978, and was raised in Little Rock where his parents pastored a church. His father David Bentley is a minister of the United Methodist Church while his mother Cherie Baker is a chaplain and ordained elder in the Arkansas Conference.
Wes and his siblings Jamey, Philip, and Patrick Bentley were weaned from the uneven book. He is of German, Scottish and English descent. He attended Sylvan Hills High School in Sherwood, Arkansas where he discovered his acting talent and became part of the school’s drama club; featuring in several plays before graduating in 1996. To ensure that he kept his foot on the acting pedal, he formed an Improv comedy group called B (3) + C along with his close friends.
He enrolled at Julliard Drama School with the support of her mother but unfortunately dropped out of the school to chase his acting dreams.
Wes Bentley is 41 years old.
He has appeared in Oscar-winning films
Wes Bentley made a bright start to his acting career. His first film was in 1995 when he played the role of Lonnie in the short film “Serendipity Lane”. He later played the role of a school teacher’s nephew in the horror drama film “Beloved” before landing his breakout role in the film “American Beauty” as Ricky Fitts, a teenage boy who films his surroundings with his small camcorder while also running his secret marijuana dealings as a part-time waiter on the sides. Kevin Spacey played the lead role in the film.
He appeared in the thriller “Dolan’s Cadillac” based on the short story by Stephen King. The documentary “My Big Break” which was directed by Tony Zierra revolves around him and three of his former roommates, Chad Lindberg, Brad Rowe, and Greg Fawcett. The documentary focuses on the hurdles they passed through in their quest to become successful actors in Hollywood.
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In 2007, he appeared as Blackheart/Legion the illegitimate son of Mephisto, who wants to use the Contract of San Venganza in order to unleash Hell on Earth in the Marvel Superhero film “Ghost Rider”. Nicolas Cage played the lead character in the film.
Wes continued to make impressive films until 2014 when he appeared in the FX horror series “American Horror Story: Freak Show” as Edward Mordrake. He also played the role of Det. John Lowe in the same anthology series “American Horror Story: Freak Show” on FX.
Wes has also appeared in a theater play entitled “Venus in Fur” at the Classic Stage Company in New York City where he played the role of Thomas. Perhaps all his acting successes are domiciled on his motion picture credits.
In March 2012, Wes Bentley played a supporting role in the blockbuster movie “The Hunger Games” as the game maker Seneca Crane. The same year, he also appeared alongside Amber Tamblyn and Vincent Piazza in the indie feature “3 Nights in the Desert”, directed by Gabriel Cowan and written by award-winning playwright Adam Chanzit. In 2019, he played the role of Floyd Kelly in the drama film “The Best of Enemies”.
Substance abuse made a mess on his career and marriage
Everything was going perfectly well for Wes both in his career and marriage until his first wife left him following his drinking problems and substance abuse. He married actress Jennifer Quanz in 2001 and after 8 years, Jennifer left him when she could no longer cope with his lifestyle. This marriage did not produce any child.
Wes would later confess that after he separated from Jennifer Quanz, he moved into an apartment where no one would check and rant about his lifestyle. He was still appearing in films as of then but his money went into alcohol, drugs, and rents as he went broke.
While on the sets of the films “P2” and “Weirdsville” in 2008 he was arrested and ordered into counseling and 12-step programs, however, he still went back to embrace his addictions until a friend helped him recover.
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For his second marriage, Wes Bentley married producer Jacqui Swedberg in 2010. They have a son born in late 2010 and a daughter born in 2014.
Wes Bentley has a net worth of 3 million dollars
Wes Bentley has been nominated in various industry awards. He has won some as well. He won the Most Promising Actor Award at the Chicago Film Critics Association Awards for his role in “American Beauty” in 1999. He also won the Screen Actors Guild Awards in the Outstanding Performance by a Cast in a Motion Picture category for his role in the same film. He is a big soccer fan.
He was broke, now he is rich. The actor is worth 3 million dollars thanks to the people who helped him overcome his dark days. The actor has the potentials to make more money in the industry.
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