Wes Bentley

**Wes Bentley**, born September 4, 1978, is an American actor who gained international fame for his roles in a number of renowned films. He is best remembered for his performance as Ricky Fitts in *American Beauty* (1999), a role that earned him a nomination for the BAFTA Award for Supporting Actor. He has also played prominent roles in *The Hunger Games* (2012), *Interstellar* (2014), *Mission: Impossible – Fallout*, and *Yellowstone*. His career hit a snag due to struggles with substance abuse, as documented in *My Big Break* (2009). However, he managed to rebuild his career, starring in the off-Broadway premiere of Venus in Fur by David Ives in 2010. In the lurid world of supernatural horror, Bentley made a solid mark playing roles in the FX anthology series *American Horror Story* starting in 2014, and received a Critics' Choice Television Award nomination in 2015. Bentley began to star in the Paramount Network original television series *Yellowstone* in 2018.\n\nBorn in Jonesboro, Arkansas, Bentley grew up in Little Rock, the third of four sons. He graduated from Sylvan Hills High School in Sherwood, Arkansas in 1996 and attended the Juilliard School's Drama Division soon after. However, he left the school after one year to pursue his acting career. Over his career, Bentley has starred in several films, including the Oscar-winning *American Beauty*, *The Four Feathers*, *P2*, and *Ghost Rider*. Off-stage, Bentley was married to actress Jennifer Quanz from 2001 to 2009. They divorced in 2009 reportedly due to his substance abuse. He married producer Jacqui Swedberg in 2010, and they have two children. Bentley's personal life has been dominated by his struggles with substance abuse, something he's opened up about in interviews. He began doing drugs shortly after his success with *American Beauty* and has since admitted to struggles with addiction and recovery.