Steven Dorff: biography, personal life, roles and films, photos

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

Stephen Dorff is an American actor and producer. Best known for his role as the main villain in the film "Blade" and work in the drama "Somewhere", which received the "Golden Lion" at the Venice Film Festival. And also participated in the dramas "The Power of Personality" and "The Fifth of the Quartet." In winter 2019, the third season of True Detective starring Dorff will be released.

Childhood and youth

Stephen Dorff was born July 29, 1973 in Atlanta,Georgia. The father of the future actor is a composer and film producer, so Stephen began to build a career in the world of show business from childhood. As a child, he moved with his family to Los Angeles, the capital of the American film industry.

From a young age, the actor began acting in commercials. He attended seven different private schools and was expelled from five of them.

Career start

In the late eighties, Stephen Dorff seriously took up acting career. He startedpass auditions, and at first he managed to get only episodic roles. A few years later, he had guest appearances on the popular comedy series Married with Children and Roseanne.

And also the young actor appeared in several TV movies. Dorff's first major feature film was the 1987 horror film Gates, in which he played a teenager who discovers a mysterious pit in his backyard that turns out to be a portal to hell. The picture was barely able to return the funds spent on its production at the end of the rental, but later gained cult status and received a sequel, in which Stephen was no longer involved.

First successes

The big breakthrough in the filmography of Stephen Dorff was the drama "The Power of Personality" directed by David Avildsen, director of the legendary sports drama "Rocky". The actor played the role of a white teenager living in South Africa during the era of racial segregation. After the death of his mother, he is forced to attend school with African children with whom he has a conflict. The picture failed at the box office and received mixed reviews from critics, but it was still a big step forward for Dorff as he starred in a major Hollywood production and made a name for himself.

The following year, Steven appeared in the thriller Doomsday alongside fellow rising stars Emilio Estevez, Jeremy Piven and Cuba Gooding Jr. The picture performed poorly at the box office and received mixed reviews.reviews from critics who praised the technical performance, but scolded the film's plot.

In 1994, Stephen Dorff starred in the biographical musical drama Fifth in Quartet, playing Stuart Sutcliffe, the first bass player of the legendary Liverpool band The Beatles. The picture received negative ratings from the team members, but performed well financially by the standards of limited rental.

A year later, Stephen Dorff appeared in the lead role in the black comedy "Japanese Policeman", where Reese Witherspoon became his on-screen partner. The film received negative reviews from critics and performed poorly at the box office. And also in 1995, the Franco-British thriller "Innocent Lies" with Stephen in the title role was released.

In 1996, Stephen Dorff made a big name for himself as a serious actor with a wide range. He played the role of famous transgender actress Candy Darling in the biographical drama I Shot Andy Warhol. The film received positive reviews from critics and earned an Independent Spirit Award nomination for best film of the year.

In the same year, the fantastic comedy by Stuart Gordon "Space Truckers" was released, where Stephen appeared in the title role along with the legendary Hollywood actor Dennis Hopper. The film's budget was twenty-five million dollars, while at the box office she was able to earn a little more than a million. The percentage of positive reviews according to the world famous portal Rotten Tomatoes was only eightpercent.

In 1997, the actor claimed the role of Jack Dawson in James Cameron's blockbuster "Titanic", but, in his own words, he himself refused to further fight for the role, as he did not want to be remembered only for this project.

International popularity

The real world fame came to Stephen Dorff after appearing in the horror action movie based on the Marvel comics "Blade". The picture by Stephen Norrington told about the fearless vampire hunter, whose role was played by Wesley Snipes. Stephen portrayed the main villain on the screen. Compared to the character presented in the comics, the hero has become much younger.

The film grossed more than one hundred and thirty million dollars at the box office and marked the beginning of a series of films. The role of the vampire Deacon Frost for Stephen Dorff has become a calling card and the peak of his career for many years.

Failed Projects

Unfortunately, the actor was not able to build on the success and in subsequent years lost his former fame after a series of unsuccessful projects. He has appeared in the thriller Crazy Cecil B., the crime drama The Wild Bunch, and the horror film Fear.com. All three films were box office failures and were not popular with professional critics.

Relatively successful for Dorff's project of this period is only the action movie "The Expendables", which was able to earn fifteen million dollars at the box office. In 2005 Stephen played one ofstarring in the film adaptation of the computer game "Alone in the Dark" directed by Uwe Boll, which is considered one of the worst films in history.

Return to the top

The following year, the actor appeared in one of the roles in Oliver Stone's massive drama World Trade Center, which tells about the terrible events of September 11, 2001. The film grossed over $160 million worldwide and received generally positive reviews from critics, becoming Dorff's first successful project in several years.

Two years later, The Outlaw was released starring Stephen Dorff and Val Kilmer. Immediately after the premiere, the picture received negative reviews from critics and failed at the box office, despite a very modest production budget of two and a half million dollars. But over the years, the crime drama has earned the love of the audience and today has quite high ratings on the most popular movie sites in the world, including IMDB and Kinopoisk.

In 2010, Stephen Dorff starred in Sofia Coppola's drama Somewhere. The film, unexpectedly for many, received the main prize "Golden Lion" at the end of the Venice Film Festival. A year later, the actor appeared in the massive fantasy blockbuster directed by Tarsem Singh, Gods Wars: Immortals. The picture performed well at the box office and collected more than two hundred and twenty million dollars. In 2012, Steven appeared in a small role in the crime drama Frozen.

Recent roles

BIn 2017, Stephen Dorff starred in the eighth installment of the world-famous horror franchise The Texas Chainsaw Massacre. Chronologically, the picture is a prequel to the very first film in the series. In the same year, the actor appeared in another horror film called "Circles of the Devil".

In 2017, Stephen also made his debut as a screenwriter, starring in the musical drama "Wheeler" from his own script. The film received mixed reviews from critics.

Steven Dorff soon joined the main cast of Star, from the makers of the TV hit Empire. The actor appeared in the second season of the project, after which his character was withdrawn by the scriptwriters from the musical drama.

Future projects

Stephen's most high-profile future project is the third season of HBO's hit anthology series True Detective. He will play the title role alongside Oscar-winning Best Supporting Actor Mahershala Ali. The premiere is scheduled for January 2019.

Private life

Steven Dorff's personal life has been the subject of intense media attention for many years. At various times, he was credited with novels with partners on the set, including famous Hollywood actresses Reese Witherspoon and Alicia Silverstone. The actor is still not married, he has no children. In his own words, because of the wild lifestyle in his youth, Stephenwas sure that he would become a father before the age of thirty.

At the moment, Dorff still hasn't settled down. He can often be seen at public events in the company of famous models, many of whom are almost half the age of the actor. The media often publish photos of Stephen Dorff with a new passion.

Apparently, the man does not worry that he could not fully realize his potential, because he was considered one of the most promising actors in the nineties. He enjoys life, often resting in Saint-Tropez and other Mediterranean resorts. As Dorff himself says, he loves money and he is not ashamed of it.