Sam Rockwell: biography, personal life and filmography of the actor

2024 Author: Leah Sherlock | [email protected]. Last modified: 2023-12-17 05:25

Handsome heartthrob, one of the enviable suitors of Hollywood Sam Rockwell - a star hiding in the shadow of the glory of his colleagues or an underestimated talent?

Acting family

Sam Rockwell will turn 46 on November 5, 2014, most of which he has spent on film sets. It was on this day in the fall of 1968 that baby Sammy was born into the family of young Californian actors Penny Hess and Pete Rockwell. However, the small town of Daly City, where the family lived at that time, did not meet the high ambitions of budding talents. Therefore, when the boy was 2 years old, the Rockwells moved to New York, and then, after the next three years of marriage, they divorced. Five-year-old Sam, who remained in the care of his father and moved with him to San Francisco, saw his beloved mother only on vacation. However, it was she who managed to instill in the boy a love for acting and the stage. Seeing his outstanding talent from an early age, Penny decided to make him a Hollywood star by all means. And already at the age of 10, Sam Rockwell made his stage debut with his mother, playing the role of Humphrey Bogart in one of the comedies.

School years are wonderful

Father enrolled son ina specialized school for the arts in San Francisco, but the guy, who was not particularly reverent about his studies, soon left it without receiving a high school diploma. Parents had to look for an alternative, and Sam still had to study, although already at the Urban Pioneers school. I must say, young Sam was not particularly zealous with his studies, spending most of his time at parties and running after girls. But nature took its toll, and, as Sam Rockwell himself now says, it was this institution that aroused in him a passion for acting. Although the reputation of this school left much to be desired - the students of the dubious institution were mostly "gouging", and it was possible to get a diploma without any problems.

Not a minute of rest

1989 was a landmark year for Sam - he got his first role in a big movie. Yes, even in what! Francis Ford Coppola himself was the producer of the horror film House of the Clowns, in which he played the role of Randy. It is with this picture that his professional filmography begins. Sam Rockwell, having finished shooting the film and school, returns to New York, where he studies acting at the William Esper Studio for another two years. He does not waste this time: in parallel with filming in several television films, he plays a large number of theatrical roles. In 1990, the Emmy-winning TV series Law & Order was released, where Sam played a cameo role.

However, even such an abundance of acting could not ensure the normal existence of a person in New York, so SamI also had to earn extra money (as a waiter, a carrier and even an assistant detective). From the constancy of such a fate, he was saved by participating in the filming of an advertisement for Miller Ice beer, a generous fee from which allowed him to completely surrender to the acting profession.

The door to the "dream factory"

After filming the commercial, several more not-so-remarkable roles followed. And the very door to the world of the film industry was the picture "Moonlight Box", released on blue screens in 1996. And although the project was not particularly successful at the box office, critics in unison noted what a talented actor Sam Rockwell!

And just a year later, the newly minted Hollywood figure appeared on the same set with Mischa Barton on the set of the film Prairie Dogs. The lawnmower, who was very well played by Sam, brought him the first significant award in his life - the award of the Montreal and California Film Festivals for Best Actor.

But in 1999, Sam Rockwell broke all the stereotypes that the directors had, who offered him only the role of the “right” characters. Brilliantly playing a pedophile maniac in The Green Mile, he not only showed his versatility, but also met movie legend Tom Hanks.

Hollywood confession

Sam's next successful work was the role in George Clooney's Confessions of a Dangerous Man. An unusually strong cast (Cloone himself, Drew Barrymore, Julia Roberts, Rutger Hauer) and a good script brought the film two whole awards from the National Council of Film CriticsUSA. Rockwell himself was awarded the Berlin Film Festival for Best Actor of the Year.

Further - like clockwork. Leading roles in the hit Charlie's Angels, The Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy, The Magnificent Scam, Judgment, A Midsummer Night's Dream, The Snow Angels, Iron Man bring Sam excellent fees and acquaintance with the giants of the film industry: Nicolas Cage, Michelle Pfeiffer, Cameron Diaz, Robert De Niro, Hilary Swank.

Well, we have to admit that the most surprising actor's filmography. Sam Rockwell tries himself in diverse roles and, apparently, everything works out for him. Already in 2015, another horror film from Gili Kanan called "Poltergeist" should be released, where Sam will again play a leading role. Looking forward to it!

Sam's position in life

As Rockwell himself says in his interviews, which he hates, by the way, he has not yet moved into the category of so-called famous celebrities. Filming in films for him is a kind of fun. Although in life the actor prefers the theatrical game - it is much more interesting and dynamic. Sam does not consider his film career to be work, he just does not turn his tongue to call it that. What the guy did for a living in his early years in New York - that was a real job for him, and it was a real hell. Therefore, if suddenly laziness covers an actor, he quickly remembers his young years and inspiration comes by itself.

If you believe the words of Sam, he is not going to, as almost all American actors do,play in zombie movies. Although horror films about the zombie apocalypse are inherently attracted to him, he can take part in such a film only if he is confident in the future "greatness" of this picture. In any mediocre "zombies" Rockwell will not act in film. That's it!

Interesting things in life

• Sam considers himself a bit of a psycho and constantly feels detached from the events taking place around him.
• At 10 years old, little Sammy was already smoking weed, talking with buxom beauties who were constantly spinning at acting parties (where his mother, in fact, brought him).
• Dark-haired handsome Sam Rockwell, whose height is 175 cm, has always been popular with the beautiful half of humanity, but, nevertheless, has never been married.
• He prefers to take part in films for which they do not release trailers (not sure why).
• Sam has lived his entire adult life in the "concrete jungle", but he was most often invited to the roles of provincials and village men.
• He plays the polka pretty well.
• Unable to drastically change appearance (like growing a mustache) to get a movie role.
• Sam considers himself a talented professional, but not like Al Pacino or Marlon Brando. These two, in his opinion, were touched by the Lord God himself.
• Doesn't like being naked. I only did it once, and that was for fun.
• He is fond of shooting from military weapons, although he himself knows little about it.

Nothing too personal

Exhibiting personal life is clearly not something Rockwell would do. Sam, whose photo usually adorns only one girl (Leslie Bibb), as mentioned above, has never been married. And, as he himself admitted, this does not threaten him, because he definitely does not want children. For him, they are just a burden with which you need to go all your life. Agree, few girls will agree with such an ultimatum. However, Sam Rockwell and his girlfriend Leslie Bibb have been dating for several years, appearing together at parties and ceremonies. Perhaps, and hopefully, this friendship will grow into something more serious.