Wes Bentley was poised for stardom. After 1999’s “American Beauty,” which won the Oscar for Best Picture and earned Bentley a BAFTA nomination, he could have been one of the biggest stars of the 2000s and beyond. Unfortunately, a struggle with substance abuse derailed his career and led to the collapse of his first marriage.
Decades later, his life looks completely different. The actor is sober, happily married, and a proud father. He’s also managed to turn his career around. “There are many things that I regret, but I’m just so happy with my life,” he told The New York Times in 2023. After stints on “American Horror Story” and supporting roles in “The Hunger Games” and “Interstellar,” Bentley made a big comeback, starring in all five seasons of “Yellowstone.” His character, Jamie Dutton, faced his own struggles. Like many cast members, Bentley’s personal tragedies helped him explore his character’s sadness.
Drug addiction derailed Bentley’s career and life
Before recovery, addiction had taken over Wes Bentley’s life. “I lost everything in the fire,” he told Men’s Health, calling his drug addiction “the fire.” “I had no car, I had no clothes, I had no money – I was $400,000 in debt.” His substance problems began after “American Beauty” catapulted him to stardom. He went from not being able to afford fast food to unintentionally commanding the attention of any room he entered. “I wanted fame, but I thought it would be incremental, and I became afraid of the overnight-sensation thing,” he told the The New York Times.
With his new lifestyle came lots of partying. And Bentley quickly became addicted to cocaine, which led to heroin use. His addiction impacted his acting career, as he prioritized heroin over reading new scripts.
Bentley didn’t get serious about sobriety until his substance use nearly killed him, after he drank an entire bottle of scotch alone. “It was after that I told a friend for the first time: ‘I’m a drug addict, and an alcoholic, and I need help,'” he said (via the New York Times). He then entered rehab and began the process of turning his life around.
Bentley skipped Heath Ledger’s memorial service
Wes Bentley and Heath Ledger formed a friendship while filming the 2002 film “The Four Feathers,” and they remained very close after. “He even begged me to get sober in an email,” Bentley told Men’s Health. Although he didn’t take Ledger’s advice at the time, he often thinks back to it and to Ledger’s kindness. “He didn’t care what I was, or what I was like, the stupid things I was doing. He just wanted me to be better,” he reflected.
Ledger, known for “Brokeback Mountain” and “The Dark Knight,” sadly died of a drug overdose in 2008. Bentley was high when he heard the news and told Men’s Health that he didn’t believe it at first. Eventually, Bentley had to accept the reality that his friend was gone. He wanted to attend Ledger’s memorial service but couldn’t because he was still using. “I was really messed up, and I felt like that wasn’t right. So I got out of the cab on the way to it,” he said. Though he’ll always regret missing the service, he believes Ledger would have understood.
Bringing work home with him
After getting sober and building back his acting career, Wes Bentley regained stardom with his role as Jamie Dutton on Paramount’s hit series “Yellowstone. However, the role was challenging for Bentley even when the cameras weren’t rolling. Bentley told the New York Times that he struggles to shake off the negative emotions of his character, Jamie. Even though he’s happy in his personal life, he often carries the sadness of the role with him after work.
Fortunately, Bentley’s wife, Jacqui Swedberg, lets the actor know when he’s bringing his character’s emotions home with him. “Thank God she’s there to help me keep that out of my real life,” he told Men’s Health. After five seasons on the show, Bentley said he found it harder to separate himself from Jamie than from other roles he’s played.
Bentley and Jennifer Quanz divorced in 2009
Wes Bentley’s marriage to Jacqui Swedberg is actually his second. He previously married aspiring actress Jennifer Quanz in 2001. They were together during the worst of Bentley’s addiction issues, which reportedly fractured their relationship. He was often absent as he tried to hide his drug use from his wife. Bentley and Quanz separated in 2006 and began living apart due to Bentley’s constant drug use.
The “Yellowstone” star filed for divorce in 2009 due to irreconcilable differences. He petitioned the courts to deny spousal support as well. This could have been because Bentley was already suffering from tremendous financial problems. He and Quanz reportedly amassed over $200,000 in credit card debt, and Bentley was sued by American Express for over $90,000 in unpaid charges.
Bentley turned down the role of a lifetime
After starring in “American Beauty,” Wes Bentley made some mistakes when deciding what to do next. “I didn’t want to be a teen heartthrob. I didn’t want to be a sex symbol. I never wanted to be an action star,” he told Men’s Health. He saw himself as more of an indie actor, which led him to turn down the role of Peter Parker in the 2002 “Spider-Man.” “I didn’t want to do it, because at the time, comic-book movies weren’t appealing. They were not cool,” he said. This turned out to be a huge missed opportunity as “Spider-Man” became a hit trilogy, which launched Tobey Maguire’s star to a new level.
For most of the 2000s, Bentley lost his love for acting. Once he got sober, he returned with a renewed focus to make up for opportunities he missed when he was younger. “I want to earn more work because I’m doing good work,” he told The New York Times in 2010 when he was just starting to make a post-addiction comeback. Although it took time, Bentley has made huge strides in his career and personal life.