Paul Bettany admits watching his dad struggle with his sexuality helped him become a better dad

Actor Paul Bettany believes watching his dad struggle with his sexuality shaped his own approach to fatherhood.

Paul, 49, shares two children – Stellan, 17 and Agnès, nine – with actress Jennifer Connelly, 50. She is also the mother of 23-year-old Kai.

His father Thane Bettany separated from his mother Anne in 1993 after 25 years of marriage. He then had a relationship with a man, Andy Clark, which lasted until 2015, when Andy died.

Past: Actor Paul Bettany believes watching his dad struggle with his sexuality shaped his own approach to fatherhood

“What’s terrible about my dad is that in the end he went back to the closet, which was horrible to watch, really,” Paul recalls, speaking to People. “ And that is really a testament to the power of his Catholicism, which has kind of led him to a place of shame and inability to mourn his partner in a real way. ”

Andy died three months before Thane died at the age of 86.

Paul continued, “ I really want my kids, and I want everyone to genuinely live like the person they are, and as difficult as that is, it’s absolutely better than pretending to be something other than you. .

“ Having been through a thousand years of therapy, there is real power in knowing yourself … and I have so much to be thankful for. ”

Paul suffered a major loss when his younger brother Matthew died as a child. Matthew was eight, Paul was 16.

Loss: His father Thane Bettany separated from his mother Anne in 1993 after 25 years of marriage. He then had a relationship with a man, Andy Clark, which lasted until 2015, when Andy died. [Thane pictured in 2003]

Matthew fell from a roof, leaving Paul to turn around to drink, leaving school to walk the streets. He then went to drama school at 19, following in the footsteps of his parents, also both actors.

Paul stars in the upcoming WandaVision alongside Elizabeth Olsen.

Elizabeth, 31, and Paul, whose characters Wanda Maximoff (Scarlet Witch) and Vision enjoyed a brief, epic romance in the Marvel Cinematic Universe, have reprized their roles in the new Disney + series.

He sees the pair stumbled into a suburban 1950s town and finding out they were on a black and white sitcom and walking through the decades together.

Yay: Paul stars in upcoming WandaVision alongside Elizabeth Olsen

Discussing the filming of the show before the COVID-19 pandemic on Monday’s The One Show, she said: ‘It was probably too much fun to do.

‘Getting to film in front of a live studio audience, pretending to be on a Dick Van Dyke show but being a superhero character in the Marvel Cinematic Universe was a magical and joyful thing.

“We were so excited to do this together as a ensemble.

Cat: Discussing the filming of the show ahead of the COVID-19 pandemic on Monday The One Show, she said: ‘It was probably too fun to do’

While Paul is in New York City, Elizabeth is locked out just outside London, after filming on her latest film, Doctor Strange And The Multitude Of Madness, was suspended.

She is set to star in the Doctor Strange sequel alongside star Benedict Cumberbatch.

She said: ‘I’m fine I’m an employee here and we’re waiting to get back to work

Candid: While Paul is in New York, Elizabeth is on lockdown just outside London, after filming on her latest film, Doctor Strange And The Multitude Of Madness was suspended

“ I love England and will jump at any opportunity to be locked up here instead of LA. I love to walk and go out.

WandaVision, which releases on January 15, will see Kat Dennings return to play Darcy Lewis from Thor and Thor: The Dark World, and Randall Park returns as Agent Jimmy Woo from Ant-Man and The Wasp.

The cast also includes Kathryn Hahn as a friendly neighbor, as well as Teyonah Parris, playing an adult version of Monica Rambeau, who has previously been featured in Captain Marvel.

TV spin-off: Olsen and Bettany relaunch their MCU roles in studio’s first foray into television