Ryan Phillippe

In the Beginning

Ryan Phillippe was born on September 10, 1974, in New Castle, Delaware. His mother ran a daycare in the home, and his father was a chemist. Phillippe has three sisters, and attended New Castle Baptist Academy with them, where he excelled in athletics like basketball, soccer and tae kwon do. After high school, he attended a Modeling and Talent agency in Wilmington, Delaware.

Career Accomplishments

The early '90s held small success for Phillippe, as he made appearances in several TV shows like “One Life to Live”, “Matlock”, and “Due South”. He had small parts in a couple of films along the way, but his first big role came in 1997, when he was cast as a leading role in the horror film, “I Know What You Did Last Summer”. His role in the film invited the attention of higher-profile films. He starred in “54”, “Cruel Intentions” “The Way of the Gun”, “Gosford Park”, and “Crash” in the late '90s and early 2000s. His career hit new heights for him personally when he starred in the war film “Flags of Our Fathers”, which was directed by Clint Eastwood. Phillippe noted that the film meant a lot to him, as both his grandfathers fought in World War II. Critics claim that the role was Phillippe's best performance ever. The years following would see Phillipe's involvement in several other films, acting and filming, the most successful being “The Lincoln Lawyer”, which he filmed and starred in, alongside Matthew McConaughey. “Revenge for Jolly!”, and “Setup” were other relatively successful movies that Phillippe filmed. Since 2012, Phillippe has turned his attention to directing and producing, and has been working with critically acclaimed TV shows like “Damages”.

Most Known For

Phillippe is most well known for his success as a heart-throb in teen-driven movies like “I Know What You Did Last Summer”, “Cruel Intentions” and “54”. Critics rave over his performance in “Flags of Our Fathers”, and call it his best performance ever. In his later years, he's more notable in his efforts toward filming than he is acting, and “The Lincoln Lawyer” granted him plenty of positive attention in that right.

Where Is He Now

Phillippe continues his involvement with the TV Show “Secrets and Lies” as the role of Ben Crawford, and continues to fine-tune his filming career alongside his acting.