In his muted, natural style there’s an effortless, steady air of charisma, strength and confidence; through meticulous execution of his mastery of subtlety emerges great depth sans over the top theatrics; from his consistency and strategic delivery, Clive Owen brings to both screen and stage a true dignified thespian who knows how to stamp his work with a distinguished mark. Without the extremes of over the top performances and drastic body changes or make-up, big-time superpowers or martyrdom of the highest magnitude, Owen preserves his exclusivity and remains amongst the most underrated stars of today’s accomplished actors.
While we are accustomed to seeing Owen appear in movies these days, the actor began his career by starring in theatre (mainly Shakespearean and A Day in the Death of Joe Egg) and TV shows (Chancer). Today, we see him go back to his roots.
In one of his latest endeavours, Owen makes his debut on Broadway in the Roundabout Theatre Company’s revival of Nobel Laureate playwright and director Harold Pinter’s abstract masterpiece Old Times, where we see the Royal Academy of Dramatic Art alumnus return to his theatrical roots and take centre stage once more, this time as one-third of an elusive romance-thriller triangle. In his signature suave and dapper style, but once again completely and artfully refined for the part, Owen plays a man caught in a love feud between two long-time female friends and former housemates, one of whom is Owen’s cold and icy wife and the other a more brassy extrovert.
For his current role on TV, Owen was awarded a nomination for Best Supporting Actor by the Golden Globe. In the period drama series, The Knick, set in 1900 New York City, Owen plays the chief surgeon of a Knickerbocker Hospital who, despite being highly talented and respected in the operating room, struggles with his drug addiction to cocaine and opium.
With a penchant for understated elegance and a deep appreciation for detail, Clive Owen represents the sophisticated heritage of Jaeger-LeCoultre fine watchmaking. For several years now, Owen has been a valued partner of the brand. Today, the actor expresses his affinity for Swiss watchmaking and Jaeger-LeCoultre through the Geophysic’s latest timepieces, True Second and Universal Time.
“The new Jaeger-LeCoultre Geophysic True Second watch is perfect with a tuxedo to complete a black tie look, and the Geophysic Universal Time suits perfectly my new way of life. From October, I will be based in New York as I perform on Broadway, in Old Times. My family stays in England and I always have to keep in mind the timezone difference. That is where a travel time watch comes in handy, such as the latest addition in Jaeger-LeCoultre’s Geophysic line. Absolutely no manipulation is need to know the time in any city of the world,” says Owen.
Be sure to check out the full story on the January 2016 issue of August Man Malaysia.