As part of the Dutton family, Wes Bentley has been part of the cast of the extremely successful series Yellowstone since season 1. The neo-western launched on the Paramount Network in the USA in 2018 and has since developed into a franchise with several spin-offs – a stable foundation for Bentley’s careerBut it wasn’t always like this.
Last year, the actor gave a very personal insight into his life in an interview with Men’s Health and talked about the dark phases of his time in Hollywood to speak. He had barely had his big breakthrough with American Beauty in 1999 when he found himself in a downward spiral full of drugs and debt.
Before Yellowstone: Wes Bentley had lost everything in the 2000s due to his addiction
Despite appearances in well-known films such as The Four Feathers, Ghost Rider and P2, the 2000s were not a good decade for Bentley. He himself describes this time as a big firethat destroyed his life.
I lost everything in the fire. I had no car, no clothes, no money – I had $400,000 in debt.
Paramount
Wes Bentley in Yellowstone
How could this happen? The early success with American Beauty had opened all doors for him in Hollywood, but also some abysses, open.
At some point I will be at Cocaine and heroin Hard drugs. Hard parties. You’re in clubs and after-parties, and first there’s cocaine, and then it turned into heroin.
At some point he became aware of the self-destructive route However, he was aware of the path he had chosen for his life and was looking for a way out.
This time was incredibly dark. I really done dangerous things. I went into town. I hung out with some really shady people. […] That was just me: Someone who wanted to go far. Be the guy who goes the farthest.Wes Bentley has made a strong comeback and starred in several major blockbusters
His wife Jacqui Swedberg was a great help on his journey to regain control. The two married in 2010 and now have two children. Bentley has been clean again for over a decadeHe has also brought his Hollywood career back on track in recent years.
Appearances in films such as The Hunger Games (2012), Interstellar (2014), Elliot the Dragon (2016) and Mission: Impossible 6 – Fallout (2018) have taken him step by step to his major role in Yellowstone Now this chapter is slowly but surely coming to an end. The finale of Yellowstone will be released in December. After that, all doors in Hollywood will be open to Bentley’s career again.