Paul Bettany

Made films the shows talk about.

Wikidata Q242707: matched by corpus:resolve, told apart by the only person by that name on Wikidata.

Counted as actor. The films the hosts said they acted in, which the two lists below run through too: Gangster No. 1 (2000); A Beautiful Mind (2001); A Knight's Tale (2001); Master and Commander: The Far Side of the World (2003); Wimbledon (2004); Firewall (2006); The Da Vinci Code (2006); Iron Man (2008); Young Victoria (2009); Legion (2010); The Tourist (2010); Margin Call (2011); Priest (2011); The Avengers (2012); Transcendence (2014); Avengers: Age of Ultron (2015); Mortdecai (2015); Avengers: Infinity War (2018); Master and Commander. Count them as director (1 film) instead.

Draws on

What the speakers say they, or a film of theirs, drew on. Each is a speaker's account: “the maker said so” when they report the maker's own words, “the host's read” when the read is theirs.

The Avengers (2012): 2 lines, within their own work

  1. contrast (contrast) · through Avengers: Age of Ultron (2015), which they acted in: The Avengers ⇒ Avengers: Age of Ultron (the host's read). Age of Ultron opens with the team already together and Fury in hiding, so it is a sequel to five films rather than to Avengers.
    “Avengers 2 can't be a sequel to Avengers one. It has to be a sequel to 5 other moments.”
    Blank Check — Patreon · The Avengers · 1:39:42 · David Sims (0.50 sure it was them)
  2. lineage (lineage) · through Avengers: Infinity War (2018), which they acted in: The Avengers ⇒ Avengers: Infinity War (the host's read). The Hulk echoes Tony Stark's words from the first Avengers; the movie is full of callbacks.
    “echoing Tony Stark's words from the Avengers 2012”
    Blank Check — Patreon · Avengers: Infinity War with John Hodgman · 0:25:44 · unknown (0.30 sure it was them)

The Incredible Hulk (2008): 2 lines

  1. lineage (lineage) · through The Avengers (2012), which they acted in: The Incredible Hulk ⇒ The Avengers (the host's read). Avengers' line about Hulk 'breaking Harlem' is false: the Abomination did it.
    “That's the one thing they reference in Avengers, where he says, I kind of broke Harlem.”
    Blank Check — Patreon · The Incredible Hulk · 1:34:36 · Griffin or David (0.30 sure it was them)
  2. lineage (lineage) · through The Avengers (2012), which they acted in: The Incredible Hulk ⇒ The Avengers (the host's read). Ruffalo's first Hulk scene in a slum echoes this film's Rocinha opening, though otherwise the continuity is thrown out.
    “The only tale is that when the Mark Ruffalo hook was introduced, they find the little hot.”
    Blank Check — Patreon · The Incredible Hulk · 0:25:11 · Griffin or David (0.25 sure it was them)

Avengers: Age of Ultron (2015): 1 line, within their own work

  1. lineage (lineage) · through Avengers: Infinity War (2018), which they acted in: Avengers: Age of Ultron ⇒ Avengers: Infinity War (the host's read). The Hulkbuster armor pays off Banner being almost defeated by it before.
    “it's paying off the fact that he was, you know, almost defeated by this armor before.”
    Blank Check — Patreon · Avengers: Infinity War with John Hodgman · 2:00:15 · unknown (0.30 sure it was them)

Captain America: The Winter Soldier (2014): 1 line

  1. programming (programming) · through Avengers: Age of Ultron (2015), which they acted in: Captain America: The Winter Soldier ⇒ Avengers: Age of Ultron (the host's read). The post-credits scene sets up the twins and Strucker's experiments.
    “You know what they're setting up here, Benny.”
    Blank Check — Patreon · Captain America: The Winter Soldier · 2:12:03 · unknown (0.35 sure it was them)

Iron Man (2008): 1 line, within their own work

  1. industry (industry) · through The Avengers (2012), which they acted in: Iron Man ⇒ The Avengers (the host's read). The post-credits Nick Fury scene established the shared-universe model that changed Hollywood for a decade or more.
    “I mean, this has changed the next 10 years of Hollywood filmmaking.”
    Blank Check — Patreon · Iron Man · 2:13:16 · unknown (0.30 sure it was them)

Jack Kirby: 1 line

  1. lineage (lineage) · through Avengers: Infinity War (2018), which they acted in: Jack Kirby ⇒ Avengers: Infinity War (the host's read). Kirby's cosmic creations at Marvel, Galactus and the Silver Surfer, are the ancestors of this material.
    “he creates galactus and silver surf and all these parrots”
    Blank Check — Patreon · Avengers: Infinity War with John Hodgman · 1:56:25 · Griffin Newman (0.35 sure it was them)

Jim Starlin: 1 line

  1. lineage (lineage) · through Avengers: Infinity War (2018), which they acted in: Jim Starlin ⇒ Avengers: Infinity War (the host's read). The cosmic Thanos comics were mostly Starlin and mostly dudes talking on half asteroids.
    “Starlin stuff, mostly.”
    Blank Check — Patreon · Avengers: Infinity War with John Hodgman · 1:52:56 · David Sims (0.30 sure it was them)

Oliver Stone: 1 line

  1. lineage (lineage) · through Margin Call (2011), which they acted in: Oliver Stone ⇒ Margin Call (the maker said so: Brian speaking about his own writing). Oliver Stone is as big an influence on Brian's dialogue as anybody but Mamet.
    “Oliver Stone's big an influence on the way that I write dialogue as anybody but Mammoth.”
    The Big Picture · Top Five Gen X Director Debuts, the Fate of ‘Black Widow,’ and a Potential Oscars Disaster · 1:09:43 · Brian Koppelman (0.65 sure it was them)

RoboCop (2014): 1 line

  1. lineage (lineage) · through Iron Man (2008), which they acted in: RoboCop ⇒ Iron Man (the host's read). The Ironmonger voice and suit recall ED-209, and the finale is ED-209 versus RoboCop.
    “You know what the voice is? He's Ed 209.”
    Blank Check — Patreon · Iron Man · 1:53:20 · unknown (0.30 sure it was them)

Stan Lee: 1 line

  1. lineage (lineage) · through Iron Man (2008), which they acted in: Stan Lee ⇒ Iron Man (the maker said so: Stan Lee interviews). The film follows the first comic issue's origin; Lee wanted to make an industrialist war profiteer compelling to hippie kids.
    “here's like an industrialist, war profiteer, Laos, and make him like compelling to these, like, hippie kids.”
    Blank Check — Patreon · Iron Man · 0:27:36 · unknown (probably David) (0.40 sure it was them)

Star Wars: The Phantom Menace: 1 line

  1. lineage (lineage) · through The Avengers (2012), which they acted in: Star Wars: The Phantom Menace ⇒ The Avengers (the host's read). The Chitauri transport creature with troops jumping off recalls the Battle Droid transport.
    “it's like the thing in Phantom Menace, the, uh, Battle Droid Transport.”
    Blank Check — Patreon · The Avengers · 1:47:09 · unknown (0.30 sure it was them)

Titanic (1997): 1 line

  1. unmapped (shared-technology) · through Master and Commander: The Far Side of the World (2003), which they acted in: Titanic ⇒ Master and Commander: The Far Side of the World (the host's read). The film exists because James Cameron's Mexican Titanic tank, with a gimbal, was still usable for the ship set.
    “James Cameron had done the legwork to build out the system to be able to basically shoot this on a gimbal in a tank of a proper set.”
    Blank Check with Griffin & David · Master and Commander: The Far Side of the World with John Hodgman · 1:30:47 · David Sims (0.50 sure it was them)

Drawn on by

What the speakers say drew on them or a film of theirs, marked the same way.

Iron Man 3 (2013): 4 lines

  1. theme (theme) · through The Avengers (2012), which they acted in: The Avengers ⇒ Iron Man 3 (the host's read). Stark's arc across three Iron Man films peaks in Iron Man 3, and Avengers lays the track for its PTSD.
    “Iron Man 3 is all him being unable to cope with the psychological like trauma of this.”
    Blank Check — Patreon · The Avengers · 2:07:49 · David Sims (0.50 sure it was them)
  2. lineage (lineage) · through The Avengers (2012), which they acted in: The Avengers ⇒ Iron Man 3 (the host's read). Iron Man 3 works as a quasi-sequel to The Avengers because it deals with Tony's trauma of the portal and aliens.
    “Except it's it is a sort of quasi sequel to the Avengers in that it's dealing with the fact that he got sucked into a portal into space for a 2nd there.”
    Blank Check — Patreon · Iron Man 3 · 0:15:43 · unknown (0.30 sure it was them)
  3. lineage (lineage) · through Iron Man (2008), which they acted in: Iron Man ⇒ Iron Man 3 (the host's read). The Iron Man trilogy is closed into a circle by the flashback to the party and Becca Hall and Pierce.
    “as individualistic as this movie is, it actually like... It's bringing the 1st 2 complete.”
    Blank Check — Patreon · Iron Man 3 · 0:18:57 · unknown (0.30 sure it was them)
  4. theme (theme) · through Iron Man (2008), which they acted in: Iron Man ⇒ Iron Man 3 (the host's read). Iron Man 3 later parodies the Osama-type Mandarin expectation that Iron Man originally planned (Ten Rings leader, no magic).
    “And then Iron Man 3 wisely parodies that expectation.”
    Blank Check — Patreon · Iron Man · 1:25:03 · unknown (0.30 sure it was them)

Avengers: Infinity War (2018): 2 lines, within their own work

  1. lineage (lineage) · through The Avengers (2012), which they acted in: The Avengers ⇒ Avengers: Infinity War (the host's read). The Hulk echoes Tony Stark's words from the first Avengers; the movie is full of callbacks.
    “echoing Tony Stark's words from the Avengers 2012”
    Blank Check — Patreon · Avengers: Infinity War with John Hodgman · 0:25:44 · unknown (0.30 sure it was them)
  2. lineage (lineage) · through Avengers: Age of Ultron (2015), which they acted in: Avengers: Age of Ultron ⇒ Avengers: Infinity War (the host's read). The Hulkbuster armor pays off Banner being almost defeated by it before.
    “it's paying off the fact that he was, you know, almost defeated by this armor before.”
    Blank Check — Patreon · Avengers: Infinity War with John Hodgman · 2:00:15 · unknown (0.30 sure it was them)

Billions: 2 lines

  1. career (career) · through Margin Call (2011), which they acted in: Margin Call ⇒ Billions (the maker said so: Koppelman, Billions co-creator, on the show). Koppelman says Margin Call reaffirmed how he and Dave had thought about these people, and made a hedge-fund story make more sense than a bank story.
    “margin call may be reaffirmed that the way Dave and I thought about these people, as we'd met them, was pretty much like the way a lot of them are”
    The Rewatchables · ‘Margin Call’ With Bill Simmons, Ryen Russillo, and Brian Koppelman · 0:21:18 · Brian Koppelman (0.90 sure it was them)
  2. lineage (lineage) · through Margin Call (2011), which they acted in: Margin Call ⇒ Billions (the maker said so: Koppelman, Billions co-creator, on the show). Koppelman says the borrowed lesson is that Margin Call does not speak down to the viewer.
    “this movie doesn't speak down to the viewer”
    The Rewatchables · ‘Margin Call’ With Bill Simmons, Ryen Russillo, and Brian Koppelman · 0:21:59 · Brian Koppelman (0.90 sure it was them)

Thor: The Dark World (2013): 2 lines

  1. lineage (lineage) · through The Avengers (2012), which they acted in: The Avengers ⇒ Thor: The Dark World (the host's read). The Dark World is the correction to Joss Whedon cracking Loki: he becomes co-lead, Thor 1A to Loki 1B.
    “This is the correction to Joss Whedon cracking Loki, where they're like, we get it now.”
    Blank Check — Patreon · Thor: The Dark World · 0:20:47 · Griffin Newman (0.50 sure it was them)
  2. lineage (lineage) · through The Avengers (2012), which they acted in: The Avengers ⇒ Thor: The Dark World (the host's read). Avengers ends with the team scattering, which is why the Phase 2 sequels can stand alone.
    “And also, Joss Wheaton's like master stroke at the end of Avengers is like, we're not a team.”
    Blank Check — Patreon · Thor: The Dark World · 0:30:50 · David Sims (0.40 sure it was them)

Avengers: Age of Ultron (2015): 1 line, within their own work

  1. contrast (contrast) · through The Avengers (2012), which they acted in: The Avengers ⇒ Avengers: Age of Ultron (the host's read). Age of Ultron opens with the team already together and Fury in hiding, so it is a sequel to five films rather than to Avengers.
    “Avengers 2 can't be a sequel to Avengers one. It has to be a sequel to 5 other moments.”
    Blank Check — Patreon · The Avengers · 1:39:42 · David Sims (0.50 sure it was them)

Avengers: Endgame (2019): 1 line

  1. unmapped (continuity) · through Avengers: Infinity War (2018), which they acted in: Avengers: Infinity War ⇒ Avengers: Endgame (the host's read). Thor knowing where the reality stone is sets up a bad decision in Endgame.
    “that plays into Endgame, and a bad decision they make”
    Blank Check — Patreon · Avengers: Infinity War with John Hodgman · 1:03:46 · unknown (0.30 sure it was them)

Captain Marvel (2019): 1 line

  1. lineage (lineage) · through The Avengers (2012), which they acted in: The Avengers ⇒ Captain Marvel (the host's read). The Tesseract, the glowing box, was a MacGuffin in the first Avengers and in Infinity War.
    “you may remember the Tesseract from the 1st Avengers film, and then, of course, the most recent Avengers film, Avengers Infinity War”
    The Big Picture · ‘Captain Marvel’ Is a ’90s Nostalgia Play. Did It Work? | Exit Survey · 0:09:03 · Sean Fennessey (0.85 sure it was them)

Ghostface Killah: 1 line

  1. people (people) · through Iron Man (2008), which they acted in: Iron Man ⇒ Ghostface Killah (the host's read). Ghostface is the Wu-Tang member particularly obsessed with Iron Man, who is the avatar of many of his songs.
    “Iron Man is like the like his hero.”
    Blank Check — Patreon · Iron Man · 0:40:17 · unknown (0.30 sure it was them)

Guardians of the Galaxy (2014): 1 line

  1. programming (programming) · through The Avengers (2012), which they acted in: The Avengers ⇒ Guardians of the Galaxy (the host's read). Thanos' Chitauri subcontracting sets up the cosmic films; Guardians is next on their Marvel list.
    “We're gonna we're gonna cover Peter movie soon.”
    Blank Check — Patreon · The Avengers · 1:34:57 · David Sims (0.40 sure it was them)

Teen Titans Go! To the Movies (2018): 1 line

  1. craft (craft) · through Iron Man (2008), which they acted in: Iron Man ⇒ Teen Titans Go! To the Movies (the host's read). That film parodies the page-flipping Marvel logo, which opens Iron Man.
    “They, uh, they do a really good parody of that in, um, Teen Titans go the movies.”
    Blank Check — Patreon · Iron Man · 0:08:41 · unknown (0.30 sure it was them)

The Avengers (2012): 1 line, within their own work

  1. industry (industry) · through Iron Man (2008), which they acted in: Iron Man ⇒ The Avengers (the host's read). The post-credits Nick Fury scene established the shared-universe model that changed Hollywood for a decade or more.
    “I mean, this has changed the next 10 years of Hollywood filmmaking.”
    Blank Check — Patreon · Iron Man · 2:13:16 · unknown (0.30 sure it was them)

The Searchers (1956): 1 line

  1. lineage (loose remake) · through Priest (2011), which they acted in: Priest ⇒ The Searchers (the host's read). Priest is a loose remake of The Searchers.
    “It's a loose remake of the searchers.”
    Blank Check — Patreon · The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo with Fran Hoepfner (Ad-Free) · 1:29:58 · unknown (0.30 sure it was them)

Thor: Ragnarok (2017): 1 line

  1. theme (theme) · through The Avengers (2012), which they acted in: The Avengers ⇒ Thor: Ragnarok (the host's read). Ben's favorite Marvel movie; Hulk's journey into space follows from here.
    “Ragnarok is 100% Ben's favorite Marvel movie.”
    Blank Check — Patreon · The Avengers · 1:18:58 · David Sims (0.40 sure it was them)

modern superhero movies: 1 line

  1. lineage (lineage) · through Iron Man (2008), which they acted in: Iron Man ⇒ modern superhero movies (the host's read). Called the prototype format every later superhero film riffs on.
    “this is the prototype for the modern superhero movie.”
    Blank Check — Patreon · Iron Man · 0:09:11 · unknown (Griffin or David) (0.30 sure it was them)

What the speakers said they did

Directing (1) everyone in directing

Acting (22) everyone in acting

What was said about them, by kind

career (7)

  1. career (career-turn): Paul Bettany → Wimbledon. After this Oscar-nominated run, Bettany did Wimbledon, which they say killed his career; he drifted through paycheck villain roles.
    “no, yeah, after this, he did Wimbledon and it killed his career.”
    Blank Check with Griffin & David · Master and Commander: The Far Side of the World with John Hodgman · 0:52:32 · unknown (0.50 sure it was them)
  2. career (career-pattern): Paul Bettany → Mortdecai. Bettany then had three consecutive Johnny Depp's-best-friend roles: Mortdecai, Transcendence, and The Tourist.
    “And then he has 3 consecutive Johnny Depp's best friend performances.”
    Blank Check with Griffin & David · Master and Commander: The Far Side of the World with John Hodgman · 0:53:46 · unknown (0.50 sure it was them)
  3. career (career-turn): Paul Bettany → Iron Man. Bettany's revival came when Jon Favreau called to cast him as the voice of Jarvis, which also led to Vision.
    “Favreau called me and was like, no, Sweden.”
    Blank Check with Griffin & David · Master and Commander: The Far Side of the World with John Hodgman · 0:54:44 · unknown (0.30 sure it was them)
  4. career (career): Paul Bettany → Gangster No. 1. Bettany's first big role was playing the young Malcolm McDowell.
    “Young Malcolm McDowell in gangsta number one.”
    Blank Check — Patreon · Avengers: Infinity War with John Hodgman · 0:58:21 · unknown (0.35 sure it was them)
  5. career (career): Paul Bettany → A Beautiful Mind. The British indie breakout led to his run of roles starting with A Beautiful Mind.
    “that then leads to him on the, like, beautiful mind run.”
    Blank Check — Patreon · Avengers: Infinity War with John Hodgman · 0:58:36 · unknown (0.35 sure it was them)
  6. career (career): Paul Bettany → Master and Commander. Named as one of his great performances.
    “And of course, master and commander.”
    Blank Check — Patreon · Avengers: Infinity War with John Hodgman · 0:58:45 · unknown (0.30 sure it was them)
  7. career (career): Paul Bettany → Avengers: Age of Ultron. Wondering when Whedon decided to use Bettany for Ultron's voice.
    “when he put that where he's like, I have Paul Bettany.”
    Blank Check — Patreon · Avengers: Infinity War with John Hodgman · 1:19:29 · Griffin Newman (0.40 sure it was them)

contrast (1)

  1. contrast (contrast): Paul Bettany → Matthew McConaughey. Russillo says Margin Call has no off-the-bench cameo like McConaughey in Wolf, so Bettany gets Best That Guy.
    “not that one person who comes in for like, like McConaughey in Wolf of Wall Street.”
    The Rewatchables · ‘Margin Call’ With Bill Simmons, Ryen Russillo, and Brian Koppelman · 1:08:18 · Ryen Russillo (0.75 sure it was them)

lineage (1)

  1. lineage (marriage / origin): Paul Bettany → Jennifer Connelly. Bettany and Connelly met on A Beautiful Mind where his character is imaginary and shares no scenes with her; after 9/11 he called her and they married about six months later.
    “all I want to do is call Jennifer Collins.”
    Blank Check with Griffin & David · Master and Commander: The Far Side of the World with John Hodgman · 0:49:33 · David Sims (0.30 sure it was them)

people (1)

  1. people (performance-praise): Paul Bettany → Margin Call. Bettany is good in the small movie Margin Call, a recurring pattern of seventh-billed dramatic scenes nobody uses.
    “He's good in margin call.”
    Blank Check with Griffin & David · Master and Commander: The Far Side of the World with John Hodgman · 0:54:02 · unknown (0.40 sure it was them)

programming (1)

  1. programming (actor-pairing): Paul Bettany → A Beautiful Mind. Bettany and Crowe were already paired in A Beautiful Mind; Weir was initially resistant to casting Bettany because the combo might be too obvious.
    “Where is initially resistant to betany because of the beautiful mind thing?”
    Blank Check with Griffin & David · Master and Commander: The Far Side of the World with John Hodgman · 1:19:01 · unknown (0.40 sure it was them)

what-if (1)

  1. what-if (what-if): Paul Bettany → A Knight's Tale. The screenwriter wanted Bettany in the Heath Ledger role and wrote Chaucer for him instead.
    “He wanted to cast Paul Bettney in the film in the Heath Ledger role.”
    Blank Check — Patreon · Avengers: Infinity War with John Hodgman · 0:58:58 · unknown (0.35 sure it was them)

Fun items about them

  1. fun, about Paul Bettany: Griffin recalls pitching a Men's Journal profile of Paul Bettany before seeing the film and being told no, not that nerd (said by Hodgman, who wrote for Men's Journal).
    “And they said, no, not that nerd.”
    Blank Check with Griffin & David · Master and Commander: The Far Side of the World with John Hodgman · 0:48:55 · John Hodgman (0.80 sure it was them)
  2. fun, about Paul Bettany: Bettany refused the boot-camp costume T-shirt with his character's name so Maturin would feel apart from everyone; he trained in amputations and fish-cutting instead of sailing.
    “Betany refuses to do it.”
    Blank Check with Griffin & David · Master and Commander: The Far Side of the World with John Hodgman · 1:20:43 · David Sims (0.40 sure it was them)
  3. fun, about Paul Bettany: The shoulder slap on Eric Dale is Simmons's favorite bit.
    “My favorite part is the betany shoulder slap, though.”
    The Rewatchables · ‘Margin Call’ With Bill Simmons, Ryen Russillo, and Brian Koppelman · 0:37:52 · Bill Simmons (0.80 sure it was them)
  4. fun, about Paul Bettany: Best scene of his career on the balcony; Simmons and Koppelman both pick it for most rewatchable.
    “This is probably the best betting scene of his career is on a balcony.”
    The Rewatchables · ‘Margin Call’ With Bill Simmons, Ryen Russillo, and Brian Koppelman · 0:39:10 · Bill Simmons (0.50 sure it was them)
  5. fun, about Paul Bettany: Balcony speech: fear of falling is really fear that you might jump; then the money-left-after-taxes run with 76,520 on hookers.
    “isn't the fear of falling?”
    The Rewatchables · ‘Margin Call’ With Bill Simmons, Ryen Russillo, and Brian Koppelman · 0:39:15 · Bill Simmons (0.70 sure it was them)