TOBEY MAGUIRE has demonstrated a unique talent for finding the
subtle and unorthodox nature of the characters he plays. He has
emerged as one of the more solid and worthwhile actors in an
industry where many young performers fall prey to the lure of
true glitz over true grit.
Born June 27, 1975 in Santa Monica, California to a construction
worker father and secretary mother, Tobias Vincent Maguire was
raised predominately by his mother after his parents divorced
when he was almost two years old. Maguire and his mother led an
itinerant lifestyle, living with relatives all over the country.
Maguire's childhood ambition was to become a cook, but his mother,
once an aspiring actress herself, encouraged her son to go into
acting.
Following a sixth grade drama class, the young actor began
getting roles in commercials, which led to a starring role in
the short-lived 1992 sitcom "Great Scott!." In 1993, Maguire made
his film debut in "This Boy's Life," starring Robert DeNiro and
Leonardo DiCaprio. Following a small part in 1994's "S.F.W." and
a lead in the same year's largely unseen "Revenge of the Red
Baron," Maguire attracted favorable notice for his role in
Griffin Dunne's 1995 Oscar-nominated short film "The Duke of
Groove," in which he co-starred with Uma Thurman.
1997 proved to be Maguire's breakthrough year, as he worked with
two high-profile directors on two high-profile projects. The
first was Ang Lee's critically lauded adaptation of the Rick
Moody novel "The Ice Storm"; in a film filled with exceptional
performances, Maguire held his own and won acclaim for his
portrayal of the dutiful, discontented Paul Hood. His other
1997 film, Woody Allen's "Deconstructing Harry," received mixed
reviews, but Maguire's presence in an Allen film further
bolstered his career.
1998 was another good year for the actor, who had a lead role in
the critically acclaimed "Pleasantville" and a cameo appearance
as a bedraggled hitchhiker in Terry Gilliam's adaptation of
Hunter S. Thompson's "Fear and Loathing in Las Vegas."
Maguire was recently seen in a starring role in Lasse
Hallstrom's Academy Award®-winning "The Cider House Rules,"
based on John Irving's novel, with Michael Caine and Charlize
Theron. He also had leading roles in Ang Lee's "Ride with the
Devil" and the critically acclaimed "Wonder Boys" with Michael
Douglas and Frances McDormand.
In 2001, Maguire reached the highest point in his career to date
when he was cast as the web-spinning hero in Sam Riami's film
adaptation of the comic book classic "Spider-Man," which broke
box-office records when it was released in May 2002 and now
holds a spot in the top-grossing films in movie history.
![[Tobey Maguire]](tobey.jpg)