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Callum Keith RennieCanadian film and television actor originally from England
Date of Birth: 14.09.1960
Country:  Canada |
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Biography of Callum Keith Rennie
Callum Keith Rennie is a Canadian film and television actor originally from England. He gained international success with his role as Detective Stanley Raymond Kowalski in the TV series 'Due South'. Notable appearances include the series 'Battlestar Galactica' and 'Californication'. Rennie often portrays "bad guys" and his strong and diverse performances have earned him numerous awards.
Early Life
Callum Keith Rennie, the second of three sons in a Scottish family, was born in Sunderland, North East England. When he was four years old, his family immigrated to Canada, where Rennie grew up in affluent Edmonton, Alberta. He developed a friendship with Bruce McCulloch from the comedy group 'The Kids in the Hall' during his school years. Rennie dropped out of college and worked various jobs. After living briefly in Vancouver and Toronto, he chose to settle in Vancouver.
In his younger years, Rennie struggled with alcoholism but was able to turn his life around and pursue his acting career at the age of 33. Rennie has a passion for painting and admires abstract expressionist artists such as Jean-Michel Basquiat, Robert Motherwell, and Jackson Pollock. His tattoo on his right shoulder, featuring the logo of the 'Champion' spark plug company, pays homage to artist Stuart Davis.
Acting Career
Rennie's acting career began at the age of 25 when he worked at a student radio station at the University of Alberta. During this time, he performed on stage in a play based on Franz Kafka's novel 'Amerika' and received critical acclaim for his role in David Mamet's play 'American Buffalo' at an arts festival. Rennie honed his acting skills at the 'Bruhanski Acting Studio' in Vancouver.
His professional stage debut came in 1989 in Sally Clark's play 'Lost Souls and Missing Persons'. This role earned him a spot in the prestigious 'Shaw Festival' where he performed in plays such as 'Man and Superman' and 'Trelawny of the Wells'. Rennie made his big-screen debut in the independent Canadian film 'Purple Toast', released in 1993. He also had minor roles in TV series such as 'Highlander', 'Forever Knight', and 'The Outer Limits'.
Rennie gained recognition in Canada after appearing in the TV comedy 'Paris or Somewhere' and the TV thriller 'For Those Who Hunt the Wounded'. He was offered the role of Alex Krycek in the cult series 'The X-Files' but turned it down, not wanting to commit to long-term projects at that time. His career continued to flourish, and he gained critical acclaim for his portrayal of guitarist Billy Tallent in the dramedy 'Hard Core Logo' and Detective Stanley Raymond Kowalski in the third and fourth seasons of 'Due South', which aired in over 150 countries.
Rennie's role as the sex marathon runner Craig Zwiller in the fantasy comedy 'Last Night', directed by Don McKellar, earned him his first 'Genie' award, the highest film award in Canada. He solidified his position in the world of mainstream cinema with roles in David Cronenberg's thriller 'eXistenZ' and Christopher Nolan's thriller 'Memento', where he played the enforcer Dodd.
Rennie expanded his range with mature roles in dramas such as 'Falling Angels' and 'Flower and Garnet', breaking away from the portrayal of rebellious characters. He played the restrained Inspector Wood in the crime film 'Torso: The Evelyn Dick Story' and a dyslexic artist in the dramedy 'Wilby Wonderful'.
Rennie has appeared in numerous films, including 'The Butterfly Effect', 'The Five People You Meet in Heaven', 'Blade: Trinity', 'The Invisible', 'Normal', and 'The X-Files: I Want to Believe'. He earned another 'Genie' award, along with a 'Leo' award, for his role as Detective Brian Sullivan in the series 'Shattered', where this intelligent and tough detective suffers from a split personality disorder.
After starring in films such as 'L'extravagant voyage du jeune et prodigieux T.S. Spivet', 'October Gale', and 'Ride', Rennie was cast as Ray Steele, the stepfather of the main character in the erotic drama 'Fifty Shades of Grey', based on the popular novel.
Rennie is a part of the ensemble cast of upcoming films set to be released in 2015, including 'Born to be Blue', 'Wait Till Helen Comes', 'Into the Forest', and 'Hell in a Handbag'. In 2016, he can be seen in the adventure-fantasy film 'Warcraft' directed by Duncan Jones.
Personal Life
During his youth, Rennie was an avid climber and continues to engage in various sports activities to this day. He enjoys hockey but has an even greater passion for golf. Rennie splits his time between Vancouver and Los Angeles.
