A promising young actor noted for his worldly demeanor and an eye tic, Balthazar Getty exploded onto the scene as Ralph in Harry Hook’s 1990 remake of “Lord of the Flies.” The great-grandson of oil tycoon J Paul Getty, the then-13-year-old was attending Los Angeles’ Bel Air Prep when casting agents visited in search of young talent and discovered him.
His harrowing intensity as the cadet leader who refused to descend into the savagery of his shipwrecked schoolmates earned him raves and a host of follow-up opportunities.
Since “Flies,” he has grown up in the business, holding his own alongside Christian Slater, Kiefer Sutherland, Lou Diamond Phillips and Emilio Estevez in “Young Guns II” (1990), mentoring under the veteran but paternal Ben Johnson in “My Her s Have Always Been Cowboys” (1991) and working with the likes of Oliver Stone in 1994′s “Natural Born Killers” as a gas station attendant seduced and murdered by Juliette Lewis), Sylvester Stallone (as a cadet in “Judge Dredd” 1995) and Ridley Scott (as one of the students in “White Squall” 1996). “December” (1991), in which he was Wil Wheaton’s younger brother who wanted to enlist and fight in WWII, gave Getty his first chance to work almost entirely on a set while “Where the Day Takes You” (1992) afforded him the opportunity to expand his range as an actor by playing a street kid living on Hollywood Boulevard.
Balthazar Getty confirmed in a statement that he and his wife have separated following the release of photos of the “Brothers & Sisters” actor kissing a t*pless Sienna Miller in Italy on July 12.
“The breakdown of a marriage is a very difficult and painful experience especially when children are involved,” Getty says in the statement. “In light of the fact that many pictures have surfaced in print and on the Internet which has caused myself and my family great embarrassment, I felt it necessary to at least acknowledge publicly that yes indeed my wife and I have separated and I will not be commenting any further.”
Meanwhile, Miller is suing over the stories and pictures of her holiday with Getty, reports The Guardian. Claiming invasion of privacy, she is taking action over two articles that appeared in the News of The World. Miller’s legal representative, Mark Thomson, a partner at London law firm Carter-Ruck, confirmed that he had filed the papers.
Getty, 33, and Rosetta welcomed their fourth child in 2007.
Last week, a source told Usmagazine.com that “Sienna is not a homewrecker,” saying “it’s been over with [Getty] and his wife for some time. I believe he’ll be making an announcement shortly.”
Miller, 26, has been quietly dating Getty for “at least two months,” a source told People magazine.
Getty, who has a tattoo of his wife’s name on his chest, married Rosetta in May 2000.
“It’s humiliating,” a friend told People. “Rosetta left the country to protect the kids, and he continues to see Sienna publicly.”
Miller recently split with actor Rhys Ifans and once dated Jude Law.
