Wes Bentley

Hunky young actor Wes Bentley rose to fame in 1999 with his role as troubled teen Ricky Fitts in the critically acclaimed hit 'American Beauty,' which prompted a lot of swooning on the part of teenage girls whose parents let them see the randy Oscar-winning film. Bentley has since starred in a number of well-received films, and can currently be seen as the son of Satan in 'Ghost Rider,' causing major drama for stars Nicolas Cage and Eva Mendes.

Bentley was born in Jonesboro, Arkansas on September 4, 1978, one of four sons of a pair of United Methodist ministers. He was active in music and drama growing up, and found success on the stage while attending Sylvan Hills High School in Sherwood, Arkansas. In nearby Little Rock he appeared in productions as varied as 'Joseph and the Amazing Technicolor Dreamcoat' and 'La cage aux folles' before briefly attending the prestigious Juilliard School of Drama in New York City. The talented actor left the school to pursue work in features, first starring in the indie film 'Three Below Zero' (with future 'Grey's Anatomy' star Kate Walsh) and then in a small role in the Oprah Winfrey-starring Toni Morrison adaptation 'Beloved.' Ultimately it was 'American Beauty' that brought Bentley to the attention of America. As a drug-addled teen living under an oppressive, ex-military father (Chris Cooper), Bentley found emotional resonance with a character that easily could have descended into clich