Known as much for his rigorous career choices as for his talent
and chiseled good looks, BILLY CRUDUP has been straddling the
line between serious actor and "it" leading man for several
years.
Crudup was born in Manhasset, New York (a Long Island suburb) on
July 8, 1968, the middle child in a family of three boys. As a
youngster he lived in Texas and Florida, finding roles in school
pageants and developing funny impersonations to entertain family
and friends. He received his undergraduate degree from the
University of North Carolina (where he confirmed his interest in
acting), then went on to earn a Master of Fine Arts from the
Tisch School of the Arts at New York University in 1994. A year
later he'd already made a name for himself on Broadway, earning
the Outer Critics Circle Outstanding Newcomer Award and a Theater
World Award for his performance as an amorous tutor in Tom
Stoppard's "Arcadia."
Crudup's first big-screen acting gig was in the indie film
"Grind," which was shot in 1994, but ended up on the shelf for
three years. In 1996 he landed another, more lucrative role
opposite Brad Pitt, Dustin Hoffman, Jason Patric and Robert De
Niro in the Barry Levinson drama "Sleepers." That same year, he
had a brief appearance in Woody Allen's "Everyone Says I Love
You," which again had a brand-name cast, including Julia Roberts,
Drew Barrymore, Goldie Hawn and Natalie Portman. The following
year, he was seen as the rakish older brother in "Inventing the
Abbotts."
In 1998, he played Woody Harrelson's younger brother in the
critically maligned "The Hi-Lo Country," but won kudos with his
lead role in the Steve Prefontaine biopic "Without Limits," which
showcased his ability to completely transform himself for a role.
The following year, Crudup played a nomadic soul named 'Fuckhead'
in the art-house favorite "Jesus' Son." In 2000, with two major
films in release, Crudup's already bustling movie career reached a
fever pitch. He first hit the festival circuit in Keith Gordon's
"Waking the Dead," the tale of an up-and-coming politician who is
haunted by the death of his young wife. Next, he starred as the
semi-fictional '70s rocker Russell Hammond in Cameron Crowe's
much-lauded "Almost Famous."
His most recent film appearances were in the 2001 features
"Charlotte Gray," a World War II drama opposite Cate Blanchett and
"World Traveler."
Crudup lives in New York and returns regularly to the stage--in
fact, it was during the 1996 Broadway run of "Bus Stop" that he
began his romance with longtime girlfriend Mary-Louise Parker. He
seems to prefer quiet anonymity to the pomp and circumstance of
the movie star lifestyle, but his ever-growing popularity
guarantees that he won't be able to avoid the spotlight
altogether.
![[Billy Crudup]](billy.jpg)