Ridley Scott’s new movie “All the Money in the World” follows the 1973 kidnapping of John Paul Getty III, the then-16-year-old grandson of billionaire oil magnate John Paul Getty.
While the elder Getty (played by Christopher Plummer, replacing Kevin Spacey) is seen in the film making plans for the Getty Villa on the Malibu coast to house his extensive art collection, the film does not reference the family’s more recent Hollywood connection.
Actor Balthazar Getty, best known for playing winery scion Tommy Walker on ABC’s mid-2000s drama “Brothers & Sisters,” is the son of John Paul Getty III. He also appeared in last summer’s Showtime revival of “Twin Peaks.”
Balthazar was born in January 1975, a little more than a year after his father was freed by members of the Calabrian Mafia, who held him captive in Italy for five months and even cut off his ear as they sought a multimillion-dollar ransom.
John Paul Getty III, who was just 18 when Balthazar was born, had married a German photographer named Gisela Martine Zacher, who was six years his senior. When his billionaire grandfather died in 1976, he left $500 to his son and nothing to his grandson, known as Paul — after disapproving of his marrying so young.
Paul did not have an easy time of it after surviving the kidnapping — and surgeries to restore his ear. In 1981, he suffered a drug-induced stroke that left him a quadriplegic and nearly blind, according to the L.A. Times. By that time, he was also addicted to drugs and alcohol.
Upon his father’s death in 2011 at age 54, Balthazar Getty said, “He taught us how to live our lives and overcome obstacles and extreme adversity, and we shall miss him dearly.”
Balthazar Getty got his start in acting at age 14, cast in the lead in a 1990 film adaptation of “The Lord of the Flies.” His film and TV credits also include “Natural Born Killers,” “Mr. Holland’s Opus,” “Lost Highway” and a season of “Alias.”
In more recent years, he has attempted to reinvent himself as a DJ.
In an interview last year, Balthazar Getty told London’s Evening Standard, “I’ve gotten more comfortable with who I am. Where I come from, being ‘a Getty.’ I don’t see it any more as something I have to run from, or prove to people that I’m not who they might perceive me to be. I’ve been able to own that and feel good about it.”
Meet the All-Star 'The Lion King' Cast Led by Beyoncé and Donald Glover (Photos)
Like Rafiki brandishing the newborn Simba on top of Pride Rock, Disney on Wednesday unveiled the full cast of Jon Favreau's live-action remake of their 1994 classic "The Lion King." The new version coming in 2019 boasts an impressive cast to replace the original's iconic voice actors. Let's meet them.
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Donald Glover as Simba
Oh, we just can't wait for Donald Glover to be King. Being Lando Calrissian isn't enough, he has to fill in for Matthew Broderick as Simba too.
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Beyonce as Nala
The Queen B is now the Queen of the Jungle, suggesting that the role of Nala is likely larger than in the original and might even include some new songs.
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James Earl Jones as Mufasa
Some casting is too perfect to touch. We're excited for the new cast, but there's no replacing James Earl Jones.
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Chiwetel Ejiofor as Scar
Jeremy Irons was perfectly menacing as Scar in the original, but Ejiofor doesn't usually get to play the villain. Be prepared!
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Alfre Woodard as Sarabi
Woodard, who plays Simba's mother Sarabi, starred with Ejiofor in "12 Years a Slave" and has recently worked on Marvel's "Captain America: Civil War" and "Luke Cage."
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John Oliver as Zazu
We love Oliver's neurotic lectures on "Last Week Tonight," so he's a smart pick for Zazu, the ever irritated guardian for Simba. Rowan Atkinson voiced Zazu in the original.
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John Kani as Rafiki
Like Rafiki, Kani is a veteran wise beyond his years. But new audiences will come to know him as King T'Chaka in "Black Panther."
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Seth Rogen and Billy Eichner as Pumbaa and Timon
It means no worries with these two voicing the beloved warthog and meerkat. Ernie Sabella and Nathan Lane voiced the characters in the original film.
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Florence Kasumba as Shenzi
Kasumba is best known for her work on "Emerald City" and will also be in "Black Panther." Whoopi Goldberg played hyena leader Shenzi in the original.
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Eric André as Azizi
André plays another one of the trio of hyenas, but this time with a new name, "Azizi." We can perfectly see his irreverent, screwball persona matching what Jim Cummings did with "Ed" or Cheech Marin did with Banzai.
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Keegan-Michael Key as Kamari
Another new hyena. Maybe the "Key & Peele" star can bust out his Obama Anger Translator voice when he's saying, "Who's the pig?"
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JD McCrary as Young Simba
McCrary actually appeared on an episode of "The Eric André Show," as well as Tyler Perry's show "The Paynes."
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Shahadi Wright Joseph as Young Nala
Wright Joseph made her breakout role as part of the cast of "Hairspray Live!" and was even on Broadway for the stage production of "The Lion King."
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Jon Favreau is directing the movie, which arrives on July 19, 2019
Like Rafiki brandishing the newborn Simba on top of Pride Rock, Disney on Wednesday unveiled the full cast of Jon Favreau's live-action remake of their 1994 classic "The Lion King." The new version coming in 2019 boasts an impressive cast to replace the original's iconic voice actors. Let's meet them.