Biography

So you want to know all about Stuart? Well, look no further.

So just who is this guy Stuart Townsend? Good question. A charming Don Juan? A super techie nerd? Psychotic murderer? With roles as diverse as his, the real Stuart Townsend may seem quite ellusive. Friends say that he is a funny, easy going, incredibly nice down to earth lad. He was born on December 15, 1972 outside of Dublin, Ireland, in a small town called Howth (hometown of the Romantic poet W.B. Yeats). Stuart's father, Peter, was a professional golfer, but thank God he didn't decide to follow in his dad's footsepts! In the early nineties, a girlfriend of his invited him to go with her to a drama workshop at Dublin's Gaiety School of Acting. He fell in love with acting and took up studies there until 1994.

Stuart appeared in arthouse student films, some live theater, until he landed a small role in the film Trojan Eddy in 1996. He wasn't a main player, but the role was enough to catch the attention of a London agent which led to a lead role in the 1997 british comedy Shooting Fish. He played an adorable shy guy/con man and was a definite scene stealer. He added charm to the light comedy (and in my opinion, his perfomance made the film memorable. But that's just my opinion:) The role was a turning point for Stuart, because for the past five years he has appeared in about eight films. He proved that he could hold his own as an actor by choosing unconventional roles and excelling with all of them. For example, he went from giving a chilling performance as a psychotic killer in the gory Resurrection Man, to a male gigolo in the French film Mauvaise Passe, to the ultimate Don Juan in About Adam, opposite Kate Hudson.

In the summer of 2000, he made a return to live theater at the Donmar Warehouse in London's West End. He played 'Val Xaxier' in the Tennessee Wiliam's play "Orpheus Descending," a role which brought much critical praise and acclaim. 2002 saw the release of his biggest project yet, Anne Rice's Queen of the Damned as the sexy Vampire Lestat and he will again hit the screens this summer in the upcoming thriller 'Trapped' (formerly 24 Hours) alongside his current flame (and the luckiest gal on the planet) Charlize Theron. Regarding Theron, Townsend says that he was supposed to go back to London after shooting on the film ended, but somehow he's just ended up staying on with her in Los Angeles.