Tobey Maguire - Actor

Photo courtesy of clearillusions

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.

Recommended Links:
Tobey Online | A Completely Unofficial Tobey Maguire Page

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