Personal details
- Birth Date: 1972-12-15
- Height: 5′ 11″ (1.80 m)
- Birth Location: Howth, County Dublin, Ireland
- Parents: Peter Townsend
- Professions: Actor, Director, Writer
Stuart Townsend, born in Howth, County Dublin in '72, didn’t exactly follow in his old man’s footsteps—Peter Townsend was a big deal on the golf course, but Stuart? He had his eyes on the stage. While most kids were probably mucking about, he was knee-deep in student films at the Gaiety School of Acting. Didn’t take him long to start popping up in Dublin’s theater scene, either—he did time in shows like John Crowley’s “True Lines” and Joe Dowling’s “Borstal Boy.” Not too shabby for a guy just starting out. By ’96, Stuart landed his first feature gig in “Trojan Eddie” alongside Richard Harris. It was a small part, but apparently, that’s all it took. Some agent in London spotted him, and suddenly he’s bouncing between film sets in England and Ireland. He did Michael Winterbottom’s “Wonderland,” worked with Kate Beckinsale in “Shooting Fish”—the guy was everywhere. The States started paying attention when three of his movies made the 2000 Sundance lineup, and his lead in “About Adam” definitely got people talking. Hollywood called, so he answered—he played the infamous Lestat in “Queen of the Damned” (yeah, the vampire one), and then took to the stage with Helen Mirren in “Orpheus Descending.” Not just an actor, though; in 2007, he wrote and directed “Battle In Seattle,” wrangling a cast with Woody Harrelson, Ray Liotta, Channing Tatum, and Charlize Theron (who, by the way, he dated from 2001 to 2009). Not bad for a guy from a small town on the Irish coast.
movies triviannTalk about a near-miss in Hollywood history—so, the dude who was supposed to play Aragorn in The Lord of the Rings: The Fellowship of the Ring? Yeah, that wasn’t originally Viggo Mortensen. The first guy, Stuart Townsend, actually started filming with the rest of the cast. He was on set, sword in hand, and everything for a whole four days. Then, boom. The filmmakers looked at the footage and realized, uhh, he just looked way too young next to everyone else. Like, this is supposed to be the rugged, battle-hardened king, not some fresh-faced college kid. Kinda awkward for everyone, honestly. So, they swapped him out for Viggo, and the rest is movie magic. Imagine being that close to such an iconic role, only for it to slip away after a couple days. Bet that stings. But hey, Viggo nailed it, so no hard feelings, right? Hollywood can be ruthless, man.
referencennSo, Queen of the Damned, right? It’s not just some Tom Cruise vampire sequel or whatever. The vibe’s totally different—think more goth, less 80s Hollywood. The story spins around Lestat, who’s basically this ancient vampire with major rockstar energy. Dude wakes up after napping for a century or two and, instead of blending in, decides to become, like, the world’s biggest rock musician. Wild move. His music basically calls out to every vampire alive (and even the dead ones, honestly) and it stirs up all sorts of drama in the vampire community. There’s this ancient queen, Akasha, who hears his music and, surprise, she’s not the nurturing type. She wants to take over the world with Lestat as her king. There’s a lot of blood, angst, immortal heartbreak, and wild concerts. It’s messy, loud, and totally over the top, but hey, that’s what makes it fun.
December 15, 1972
5′ 11″ (1.80 m)
Konidela Ram Charan
Howth, County Dublin, Ireland
Peter Townsend and Surekha
52 years old