- Max Minghella
-
Max Minghella 
Minghella at the opera, 25 September 2006Born Max Giorgio Choa Minghella
16 September 1985
Hampstead, London, EnglandOccupation Actor Years active 2005–present Max Giorgio Choa Minghella (born 16 September 1985) is an English actor. The son of film director Anthony Minghella, he has appeared in several dramatic American films, making his feature film debut in 2005's Bee Season and starring in 2006's Art School Confidential. He also appears as Divya Narendra in 2010's The Social Network.
Contents
Personal life
Minghella was born in Hampstead, London, the son of Academy Award-winning director Anthony Minghella and dancer/choreographer Carolyn Choa. His father was of Italian descent and his mother, a native of Hong Kong, is of Chinese and Scottish ancestry.[1][2] Minghella spent time on his father's film sets while growing up, of which he has "fond memories", and has said that he felt "no pressure" by his father to succeed in the entertainment industry.[3]
Minghella was educated at two independent schools: at St Anthony's Preparatory School and University College School in Hampstead. He then attended Columbia University, which he considered his "first priority", as part of the class of 2009. He typically worked on films only during his summer break. Minghella said that he felt like "an English boy at an American school", kept to himself, and that most students at Columbia had "no idea" that he was an actor.[1]
Career
Minghella was inspired to become an actor during his late teenage years, after seeing a production of the play This is Our Youth at London's West End; he subsequently dropped out of the University College School to pursue an acting career, and attended the National Youth Theatre.[4] Minghella did not always want to become an actor. He said "I thought it was sort of embarrassing to say you wanted to be an actor—it was, like, uncool. And growing up I was massively concerned with seeming cool. I thought up until about age 16 that I was going to be a music video director."[5]
Although Minghella had a minor, uncredited appearance as an extra in his father's film, Cold Mountain,[6] his first professional role was in Bee Season, playing the son of a dysfunctional Jewish American family. The film was released in November 2005 to mostly mixed reviews and low box office, grossing only $1 million in its limited release,[7][8] although critics remarked that Minghella was "a talented young actor to watch, delivering a strong performance".[9]
Minghella followed with the political thriller Syriana, which was also released in November 2005, playing the son of George Clooney's CIA agent character. In 2006, he starred in the Daniel Clowes adaptation Art School Confidential, a quirky comedy directed by Terry Zwigoff and co-starring Sophia Myles and John Malkovich. Minghella got the part after meeting Zwigoff when he visited the set of Bee Season.[1]
His film Elvis and Anabelle premiered at the South by Southwest film festival on 10 March 2007. It's a dark romantic drama in which he plays a mortician's son; the film co-stars Blake Lively and Mary Steenburgen. Minghella has described it as "a really sweet film".[1] Minghella was to play Art Bechstein in the film version of writer Michael Chabon's novel, The Mysteries of Pittsburgh, but eventually dropped out of the project due to his university schedule.[10]
The trade press in 2007 reported Minghella was cast in Beeban Kidron's Hippie Hippie Shake, a film about writer Richard Neville set in 1960s London, in that time.[11]
In March 2008, it was announced that Minghella would star opposite Rachel Weisz in Alejandro Amenábar's second English-language film entitled Agora.[12] The film is set in fourth century Egypt and revolves around Weisz' character Hypatia of Alexandria. Later in 2008, Minghella was seen in two theatrical releases; How to Lose Friends & Alienate People starring Simon Pegg in which Minghella plays a pompous film director, and a segment of the dark comedy Brief Interviews with Hideous Men.[13]
In David Fincher's The Social Network, the 2010 film about the origins of Facebook,[14] he plays Divya Narenda, one of the Harvard upperclassmen who sues Mark Zuckerberg for stealing the idea behind Facebook.
In June 2010, Minghella was cast in the Russian science-fiction film The Darkest Hour.[15]
Filmography
Year Film Role Notes 1997 Toy Boys Danny Short 1998 Let The Good Times Roll Boy with dog Short 2005 Bee Season Aaron Naumann Syriana Robby Barnes 2006 Art School Confidential Jerome Platz 2007 Elvis and Anabelle Elvis 2008 How to Lose Friends & Alienate People Vincent Lepak 2009 Brief Interviews with Hideous Men Kevin / Subject #28 Agora Davus 2010 Hippie Hippie Shake Martin Sharp Awaiting release The Social Network Divya Narendra 2011 The Ides of March Ben Harper The Darkest Hour Ben References
- ^ a b c d Roman, Julian (8 May 2006). "Max Minghella Talks Art School Confidential". MovieWeb. Archived from the original on 27 November 2009. http://www.webcitation.org/5ladvn6Ui. Retrieved 27 November 2009.
- ^ Sowden, Dora (23 June 1989). "COMPANY WOMAN". The Jerusalem Post. http://pqasb.pqarchiver.com/jpost/access/99167946.html?dids=99167946:99167946&FMT=ABS&FMTS=ABS:FT&date=Jun+23%2C+1989&author=Dora+Sowden&pub=Jerusalem+Post&desc=COMPANY+WOMAN&pqatl=google. Retrieved 9 June 2010. "A dancer of Scottish and Chinese origin, Carolyn Choa, also born in Hong Kong"
- ^ Pearlman, Cindy. "Film director's son makes his own busy career". Chicago Sun-Times. http://www.suntimes.com/output/pearlman/sho-sunday-fiveq30.html. Retrieved 30 April 2006.[dead link]
- ^ Ghorbani, Liza (14 May 2006). "The Talented History Student". The New York Times. http://www.nytimes.com/2006/05/14/fashion/sundaystyles/14NITE.html?_r=3&oref=slogin. Retrieved 27 November 2009.
- ^ Cerula, Erica. "The Social Network's Max Minghella". Details (United States: Condé Nast Publications) (October 2010). Archived from the original on 19 February 2011. http://www.webcitation.org/5wcFaOcRf. Retrieved 19 February 2011.
- ^ Petruzzi, Elissa (20 November 2005). "The Max Factor". USA Weekend. Archived from the original on 27 November 2009. http://www.webcitation.org/5lagqkjHx. Retrieved 27 November 2009.
- ^ "Bee Season". The Numbers. http://www.the-numbers.com/movies/2005/BSESN.php. Retrieved 27 November 2009.
- ^ "Bee Season (2005)". Rotten Tomatoes. http://www.rottentomatoes.com/m/bee_season/. Retrieved 27 November 2009.
- ^ Douglas, Edward. "Bee Season Movie Review". ComingSoon.net. Archived from the original on 27 November 2009. http://www.webcitation.org/5lafDQaEt. Retrieved 27 November 2009.
- ^ "Interview with Rawson Marshall Thurber". Pajiba. 5 July 2006. Archived from the original on 27 November 2009. http://www.webcitation.org/5lafg2cBz. Retrieved 27 November 2009.
- ^ Dawtrey, Adam (2 May 2007). "'Hippie' grooves for Universal". Variety. Archived from the original on 27 November 2009. http://www.webcitation.org/5laipALXg. Retrieved 27 November 2009.
- ^ Max Minghella Prepares for Earth's 'Darkest Hour'
- ^ McLovin/Red Mist Becomes Evil Ed in 'Fright Night' Redo!!
- ^ Rich, Katey (20 October 2009). "New Social Network Cast Announced on Facebook, Of Course". Cinema Blend. Archived from the original on 27 November 2009. http://www.webcitation.org/5laiTXOcQ. Retrieved 27 November 2009.
- ^ Home Max Minghella Set for The Darkest Hour
External links
Categories:- 1985 births
- British actors of Chinese descent
- English film actors
- English people of Chinese descent
- English people of Italian descent
- English people of Scottish descent
- Italian British actors
- British actors of Hong Kong descent
- Living people
- Old Gowers
- People from Hampstead
Wikimedia Foundation. 2010.
