Cary Elwes

Born Oct. 26, 1962, in London, the son of portrait painter Dominic Elwes and interior designer Tessa Kennedy, actor Cary Elwes has always loved history -- a passion reflected in the many historical dramas he's appeared in, from his feature film debut in Another Country (1984) to the 2005 TV biopic Pope John Paul II.

Moving to the United States to attend college in the early 1980s, Elwes eventually abandoned his studies to pursue acting full time. It wasn't long before he began to land roles in films on both sides of the Atlantic, but his international breakthrough didn't come until 1987, when he was cast as the swashbuckling romantic lead in The Princess Bride.

Since then, Elwes has moved easily from comedy to drama and from supporting roles to star turns in movies such as Hot Shots!, The Crush, Cradle Will Rock, Shadow of the Vampire, Ella Enchanted and Saw (2004).

Filmography