Editing Cary Elwes

{{short description|English actor (born 1962)}}
{{Use dmy dates|date=August 2022}}
{{Use British English|date=June 2012}}
{{Infobox person
| name               = Cary Elwes
| image              = Cary Elwes Photo Op GalaxyCon Richmond 2025 (cropped).jpg
| caption            = Elwes at [[GalaxyCon]] Richmond in 2025
| birth_name         = Ivan Simon Cary Elwes
| birth_date         = {{Birth date and age|df=yes|1962|10|26}}
| birth_place        = [[Westminster]], [[London]], England
| occupation         = Actor
| years_active       = 1979–present
| alma_mater         = [[Sarah Lawrence College]]
| spouse             = {{marriage|Lisa Marie Kurbikoff|2000}}
| children           = 1
| parents            = [[Dominick Elwes]] <br />[[Tessa Kennedy]]
| relatives          = [[Cassian Elwes]] (brother)<br /> [[Damian Elwes]] (brother)
}}

'''Ivan Simon Cary Elwes''' ({{IPAc-en|ˈ|ɛ|l|w|ɪ|s}}; born 26 October 1962)<ref>{{cite news|url=http://www.upi.com/Odd_News/2008/10/26/The_almanac/UPI-34121225006200|title=The Almanac|publisher=United Press Interntational|date=26 October 2008|access-date=29 July 2012}}</ref><ref>{{cite journal|title=World Almanac|journal=[[Kent County Daily Times]]|date=26 October 2010|quote=Today's Birthdays: Cary Elwes}}</ref> is an English actor. He starred as Westley in ''[[The Princess Bride (film)|The Princess Bride]]'' (1987),<ref>{{Cite news |last=Freeman |first=Hadley |date=4 February 2015 |title=Cary Elwes on The Princess Bride: 'I know what my epitaph will be' |url=https://www.theguardian.com/film/2015/feb/04/cary-elwes-princess-bride-interview |access-date=25 May 2024 |newspaper=The Guardian |issn=0261-3077}}</ref> and also had lead roles in films such as ''[[Robin Hood: Men in Tights]]'' (1993) and the [[Saw (franchise)|''Saw'' series]].<ref>{{Cite magazine |last=Otterson |first=Joe |date=30 May 2019 |title='Marvelous Mrs. Maisel' Season 3 Adds Cary Elwes, Stephanie Hsu (EXCLUSIVE) |url=https://variety.com/2019/tv/news/marvelous-mrs-maisel-season-3-cary-elwes-stephanie-hsu-1203229363/ |access-date=25 May 2024 |magazine=Variety}}</ref> The accolades he has received include nominations for a [[Screen Actors Guild Awards|Screen Actors Guild Award]] and two [[Satellite Awards]]. Elwes' other performances in films include ''[[Glory (1989 film)|Glory]]'' (1989), ''[[Days of Thunder]]'' (1990), ''[[Hot Shots!]]'' (1991), ''[[Bram Stoker's Dracula (1992 film)|Bram Stoker's Dracula]]'' (1992), ''[[Twister (1996 film)|Twister]]'' (1996), ''[[Kiss the Girls (1997 film)|Kiss the Girls]]'' (1997), ''[[Liar Liar]]'' (1997), ''[[Shadow of the Vampire]]'' (2000), ''[[The Cat's Meow]]'' (2001), ''[[Ella Enchanted (film)|Ella Enchanted]]'' (2004), ''[[Pope John Paul II (miniseries)|Pope John Paul II]]'' (2005), ''[[No Strings Attached (2011 film)|No Strings Attached]]'' (2011), ''[[Burning at Both Ends (film)|Burning at Both Ends]]'' (2022),<ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.boxofficemojo.com/people/chart/?id=caryelwes.htm|title=Cary Elwes Movie Box Office Results|publisher=[[Box Office Mojo]]|access-date=27 September 2011}}</ref> ''[[BlackBerry (film)|BlackBerry]]'' (2023), ''[[Mission: Impossible – Dead Reckoning Part One]]'' (2023), and ''[[Mission: Impossible – The Final Reckoning]]'' (2025).

Elwes has appeared on television in a number of series including ''[[The X-Files]]'', ''[[Seinfeld]]'', ''[[From the Earth to the Moon (miniseries)|From the Earth to the Moon]]'', ''[[Psych]]'', and ''[[Life in Pieces]]''. In 2019, he appeared in the [[Netflix]] drama series ''[[Stranger Things (season 3)|Stranger Things]]'', the [[Amazon Prime Video|Amazon Prime]] comedy series ''[[The Marvelous Mrs. Maisel]]'', and in 2024, he appeared in the [[Paramount+]] comedy series ''[[Knuckles (TV series)|Knuckles]]''.<ref>{{cite news|url=https://www.nytimes.com/2019/07/02/arts/television/stranger-things-netflix-cary-elwes.html |archive-url=https://ghostarchive.org/archive/20220101/https://www.nytimes.com/2019/07/02/arts/television/stranger-things-netflix-cary-elwes.html |archive-date=1 January 2022 |url-access=limited|title='Stranger Things': Cary Elwes Lives It Up As a Shady Mayor|first=Brian|last=Tallerico|date=2 July 2019|access-date=13 December 2019|newspaper=[[The New York Times]]}}{{cbignore}}</ref><ref>{{cite magazine|url= https://variety.com/2019/tv/news/marvelous-mrs-maisel-season-3-cary-elwes-stephanie-hsu-1203229363/|first=Joe|last=Otterson| title='Marvelous Mrs. Maisel' Season 3 Adds Cary Elwes, Stephanie Hsu (EXCLUSIVE)|magazine=[[Variety (magazine)|Variety]]|date=30 May 2019|access-date=13 December 2019}}</ref> Elwes has written a [[memoir]] of his time working on ''The Princess Bride'' called ''As You Wish'', which was published in 2014.<ref>{{Cite web |date=12 October 2014 |title='As You Wish': Take A Peek At The Making Of 'The Princess Bride' |url=https://www.npr.org/2014/10/12/354643052/as-you-wish-take-a-peek-at-the-making-of-the-princess-bride |access-date=24 May 2024 |publisher=NPR}}</ref>

== Early life and education ==
[[File:Arms_of_Elwes.svg|thumb|164x164px|The arms of the Elwes family<ref name="Burke">{{cite book |last1=Burke |first1=John |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=LKIKAAAAYAAJ&q=elwes&pg=PA182 |title=A Genealogical and Heraldic History of the Extinct and Dormant Baronetcies of England, Ireland, and Scotland |last2=Burke |first2=Sir Bernard |date=1844 |publisher=John Russell Smith |page=182 |accessdate=17 October 2018}}</ref>]]
Elwes was born on 26 October 1962 in [[Westminster|Westminster, London]]. He is the youngest of three sons of portrait painter [[Dominick Elwes]]<ref name="People1995">{{cite magazine|url=http://www.people.com/people/archive/article/0,,20105004,00.html |title=A Hero to the Hilt |last=Cerio |first=Gregory |volume=43 |magazine=[[People (magazine)|People]] |date=6 February 1995 |access-date=26 September 2011 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20110330190839/http://www.people.com/people/archive/article/0,,20105004,00.html |archive-date=30 March 2011 |url-status=live |issue=5 }}</ref> and [[Tessa Kennedy]], an interior designer and socialite. Cary is the brother of artist [[Damian Elwes]]<ref name="Chicago1990"/> and film producers [[Cassian Elwes]] and Milica Kastner. Cary's stepfather, [[Elliott Kastner]], was an American film producer and the first American to set up independent film production in the United Kingdom.<ref name="People1995"/> Cary's paternal grandfather was the portrait painter [[Simon Elwes]],<ref name="Chicago1990">{{cite news|first=Jae-Ha|last=Kim|title=British actor takes turn as American in 'Glory'|page=25|newspaper=[[Chicago Sun-Times]]|date=12 January 1990}}</ref> whose own father was the diplomat and tenor [[Gervase Elwes]] (1866–1921).<ref>{{cite book|title=Loose Canon: A Portrait of Brian Brindley|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=At3vy0eh2LUC&q=Gervase+Elwes+Simon&pg=PA134|last=Thompson|first=Damian|author-link=Damian Thompson|page=134|publisher=[[Continuum International Publishing Group|Continuum]]|isbn=0-8264-7418-7|date=22 June 2004}}</ref>

One of Cary Elwes' relatives is [[John Elwes (politician)|John Elwes]], a [[British people|British]] miser who was the inspiration for [[Ebenezer Scrooge]] in ''[[A Christmas Carol]]'' (1843), having been referenced by [[Charles Dickens]] himself in chapter six of his last completed novel, ''[[Our Mutual Friend]]''.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.literaturepage.com/read/dickens-our-mutual-friend-577.html|first=Michael| last=Moncur|publisher=The Literature Page|title=Charles Dickens: Our Mutual Friend}}</ref><ref>{{cite news|url=https://www.telegraph.co.uk/only-in-britain/man-who-inspired-ebenezer-scrooge/|title=John Elwes: scrimper who inspired Ebenezer Scrooge|first=Norman|last=Miller|date=20 September 2016|newspaper=[[The Daily Telegraph]]}}</ref> Elwes himself played five roles in the [[A Christmas Carol (2009 film)|2009 film adaptation]] of ''A Christmas Carol''. Through his maternal grandfather, Elwes is also related to [[Alexander Kennedy|Sir Alexander William "Blackie" Kennedy]], one of the first photographers to document the archaeological site of [[Petra]] following the collapse of the [[Ottoman Empire]].<ref>{{cite web| url=http://www.genealogy.com/forum/surnames/topics/kennedy/658/|title=Sir Alexander Blackie William| publisher= Genealogy.com}}</ref>

Elwes was brought up as a [[Catholic Church|Catholic]] and was an [[altar boy]] at [[Westminster Cathedral]].<ref>{{cite news|last=Guthrie |first=Marisa |url=http://www.nydailynews.com/archives/entertainment/2005/12/04/2005-12-04_the_spirit_moved_him.html |title=The spirit moved him |newspaper=[[New York Daily News]] |quote=Elwes, who grew up a Catholic... |date=4 December 2005 |access-date=13 September 2010 |archive-url=https://archive.today/20240525122450/https://www.webcitation.org/61zzNYuVF?url=http://articles.nydailynews.com/2005-12-04/entertainment/18305424_1_vatican-residence-pope-john-paul-ii-papal |archive-date=25 May 2024 |url-status=live }}</ref> His paternal relatives include such [[clerics]] as [[Dudley Charles Cary-Elwes]] (1868–1932), the [[Roman Catholic Diocese of Northampton|Bishop of Northampton]], and Abbot [[Columba Cary-Elwes]] ([[Ampleforth Abbey]], [[Saint Louis Abbey]]). He discussed this in an interview while he was filming the 2005 [[CBS]] television film ''[[Pope John Paul II (miniseries)|Pope John Paul II]]'', in which he played the young priest [[Karol Wojtyła]].<ref>{{Cite news |last=Stanley |first=Alessandra |date=1 December 2005 |title=A Monumental Man of God: Two Takes on the Life of John Paul II |url=https://www.nytimes.com/2005/12/01/arts/television/a-monumental-man-of-god-two-takes-on-the-life-of-john-paul-ii.html |access-date=11 June 2024 |newspaper=The New York Times |issn=0362-4331}}</ref>

There are two Pubs carrying the Elwes Arms name in England. One is at Billing village near Northampton and the other is in Nottingham England. The original Family Elwes estates were separated between the Protestant side of the Elwes family at Colesbourne in Gloucestershire England (Henry Elwes Lord Lt of Gloucestershire) and Roxby and Elsham estates in Lincolnshire (Inherited by Gervase and Robert Elwes from Capt Elwes Vice Lord Lt of Humberside). Carey Elwes played in A Castle for Christmas alongside Brook Shields a film released in 2021: it was his chance to act in the shoes (and kilt) of his ancestors being in fact a real English gentleman from a noble family. His English relative Robert Elwes Esq commented "Carey Elwes father, Dominick Elwes, was also an entertainer and his mother Tessa Kennedy is a truly charming American lady so their son is not just an actor but naturally an English Gentleman of noble birth".

Elwes's parents divorced when he was four years old. In 1975, when Elwes was 13, his father died by suicide.<ref>{{cite news|url=https://www.telegraph.co.uk/finance/property/4810656/Inside-story-Stewarts-Grove.html|title=Inside story: Stewart's Grove|first=Roger|last=Wilkes|date=9 September 2000|newspaper=The Daily Telegraph}}</ref> He was educated at [[Harrow School]],<ref name="Chicago1990"/> and the [[London Academy of Music and Dramatic Art]].<ref name="StraitsTimes">{{cite journal|title=Dr Gordon is back in Saw – Cary Elwes's character from the first Saw film is back by popular demand|journal=[[The Straits Times]]|date=5 January 2011}}</ref> In 1981, he moved to the United States to study acting at [[Sarah Lawrence College]] in [[Bronxville, New York]].<ref name="Chronicle1993">{{cite journal|title=The 'Robin' Who Has Sherwood Forest Chuckling|last=Tam Jr|first=Henry|journal=[[San Francisco Chronicle]]|page=C6|date=13 August 1993}}</ref> While living there, Elwes studied acting at both the [[Actors Studio]]<ref name="Chronicle1993"/> and the [[Lee Strasberg Theatre and Film Institute]] under the tutelage of [[Al Pacino]]'s mentor, Charlie Laughton (not to be confused with English actor [[Charles Laughton]]).<ref name="StraitsTimes"/> As a teenager, he also worked as a production assistant on the films ''[[Absolution (1978 film)|Absolution]]'', ''[[Octopussy]]'', and ''[[Superman (1978 film)|Superman]]'', where he was assigned to [[Marlon Brando]]. When Elwes introduced himself to the actor, Brando insisted on calling him "Rocky" after [[Rocky Marciano]].<ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Q2yqE_QYanU|title=Mark & Brian w/Cary Elwes on Marlon Brando|via=[[YouTube]]|date=8 May 2008|access-date=23 June 2013}}</ref>

== Career ==
=== 1984–1999 ===
[[File:Fantasy Worlds of Myth and Magic, EMP, Seattle - The Princess Bride (10562104496).jpg|thumb|right|Props from the film ''[[The Princess Bride (film)|The Princess Bride]]'' (1987)]]
Elwes made his acting debut in 1984 in [[Marek Kanievska]]'s film ''[[Another Country (1984 film)|Another Country]]'', which was loosely based on the English [[boarding school]] exploits of British spies [[Guy Burgess|Burgess]], [[Kim Philby|Philby]] and [[Donald Maclean (spy)|MacLean]]. He played James Harcourt, a gay student.<ref name="Chicago1990"/> He then played [[Guilford Dudley]] in the British historical drama film ''[[Lady Jane (1986 film)|Lady Jane]]'', opposite [[Helena Bonham Carter]]. He was cast as stable-boy-turned-swashbuckler Westley in [[Rob Reiner]]'s fantasy-comedy ''[[The Princess Bride (film)|The Princess Bride]]'' (1987), which was based on the [[The Princess Bride (novel)|novel of the same name]] by [[William Goldman]]. It was a modest box office success,<ref name="Bride">{{cite news|title='The Princess Bride' Turns 20|newspaper=[[The Palm Beach Post]]|page=6J|last=Gray Streeter|first=Leslie|date=9 December 2007|quote=[w]as a modest hit. But it became a raging cult classic after being released on video and shown on cable.}}</ref> but received critical acclaim. As a result of years of reviews, it earned a score of 97% on the review aggregation website [[Rotten Tomatoes]].<ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.rottentomatoes.com/m/princess_bride|title=The Princess Bride (1987)|publisher=[[Rotten Tomatoes]]|access-date=3 November 2014}}</ref> Since being released on home video and television, the film has become a [[cult film|cult classic]].<ref name="Bride"/>

{{Blockquote|Initially the studio didn't know how to market it. Was it an adventure? A fantasy? A comedy? A romance? A kids' movie? In the end they sold it as a kids' movie and it largely had to rely on word of mouth ... people tell me they still have their [[VHS]] copy that has been passed down from one generation to the next.|Interview from the film's DVD release in 2001<ref>{{cite news |title='Bride' basks in glow of video|work=[[Houston Chronicle]] |last=Westbrook|first=Bruce|date=6 September 2001}}</ref>}}

Elwes continued to work steadily, varying between dramatic roles, such as in the [[Academy Awards|Oscar]]-winning ''[[Glory (1989 film)|Glory]]'' (1989) and comedic roles, as in ''[[Hot Shots!]]'' (1991). He played a rival driver to Tom Cruise in ''[[Days of Thunder]]'' (1990). In 1993, he starred as [[Robin Hood]] in [[Mel Brooks]]'s comedy ''[[Robin Hood: Men in Tights]]''. Elwes then appeared in supporting roles in such films as [[Francis Ford Coppola]]'s adaptation of ''[[Bram Stoker's Dracula (1992 film)|Bram Stoker's Dracula]]'' (1992), ''[[The Crush (1993 film)|The Crush]]'' (1993), ''[[The Jungle Book (1994 film)|The Jungle Book]]'' (1994), ''[[Twister (1996 film)|Twister]]'' (1996), ''[[Liar Liar]]'' (1997), and ''[[Kiss the Girls (1997 film)|Kiss the Girls]]''. In 1999, he portrayed famed theatre and film producer [[John Houseman]] for [[Tim Robbins]] in his ensemble film based on [[Orson Welles]]'s musical, ''[[Cradle Will Rock]]''. Following that, he travelled to [[Luxembourg]] to work with [[John Malkovich]] and [[Willem Dafoe]] in ''[[Shadow of the Vampire]]''.

Elwes made his first television appearance in 1996 as David Lookner on ''[[Seinfeld]]''. Two years later he played astronaut [[Michael Collins (astronaut)|Michael Collins]] in the [[Golden Globe Award]]-winning [[HBO]] [[miniseries]] ''[[From the Earth to the Moon (miniseries)|From the Earth To the Moon]]''. The following year Elwes was nominated for a [[Golden Satellite Award]] for Best Performance by an Actor in a Mini-Series or Motion Picture Made for Television for his portrayal of Colonel [[James G. Burton|James Burton]] in ''[[The Pentagon Wars]]'' directed by [[Richard Benjamin]]. In 1999, he guest starred as Dr. John York in an episode of the television series ''[[The Outer Limits (1995 TV series)|The Outer Limits]]''.

=== 2000–2009 ===
[[File:Cary Elwes Collectormania 2010.jpg|thumb|left|160px|Elwes in 2010]]
In 2001, he co-starred in [[Peter Bogdanovich]]'s ensemble film ''[[The Cat's Meow]]'' portraying film mogul [[Thomas H. Ince|Thomas Ince]], who died mysteriously while vacationing with [[William Randolph Hearst]] on his [[yacht]]. Shortly afterward Elwes received another [[Golden Satellite Award]] nomination for his work on the ensemble NBC Television film ''[[Uprising (2001 film)|Uprising]]'' opposite [[Jon Voight]] directed by [[Jon Avnet]]. Elwes had a recurring role in the final season (from 2001 to 2002) of [[Chris Carter (screenwriter)|Chris Carter]]'s hit series ''[[The X-Files]]'' as [[FBI Assistant Director]] [[Brad Follmer]]. In 2003 Elwes portrayed [[Kerry Max Cook]] in the [[off-Broadway]] play ''[[The Exonerated (play)|The Exonerated]]'' in New York, directed by [[Bob Balaban]] (18–23 March 2003).<ref>{{cite web |url=http://www.playbill.com/news/article/78481-Cary-Elwes-and-Brooke-Shields-Join-Off-Broadways-Exonerated-March-18-23 |title=Cary Elwes and Brooke Shields Join Off-Broadway's ''Exonerated'', 18–23 March |last=Hernandez |first=Ernio |work=Playbill.com |date=18 March 2003 |access-date=27 September 2011 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20100629082056/http://www.playbill.com/news/article/78481-Cary-Elwes-and-Brooke-Shields-Join-Off-Broadways-Exonerated-March-18-23 |archive-date=29 June 2010 |url-status=dead }}</ref>

In 2004, Elwes starred in the [[Horror film|horror]]–[[Thriller film|thriller]] ''[[Saw (2004 film)|Saw]]'' which, at a budget of a little over $1 million, grossed over $100 million worldwide.<ref name="SawBOM">{{cite web|url=https://www.boxofficemojo.com/movies/?id=saw.htm|title=Saw (2004) |publisher=[[Box Office Mojo]]|access-date=16 August 2011}}</ref> The same year he appeared in ''[[Ella Enchanted (film)|Ella Enchanted]]'', this time as the villain, not the hero. Also in 2004, he portrayed serial killer [[Ted Bundy]] in the [[A&E (TV channel)|A&E Network]] film ''The Riverman'', which became one of the highest rated original films in the network's history and garnered a prestigious [[Banff World Media Festival|BANFF Rockie Award]] nomination. The following year, Elwes played the young [[Pope John Paul II|Karol Wojtyła]] in the [[CBS]] television film ''[[Pope John Paul II (miniseries)|Pope John Paul II]]''. The TV film was highly successful not only in North America but also in Europe, where it broke box office records in the late Pope's native [[Poland]] and became the first film ever to break $1 million in three days.<ref>{{cite news |title=Pope Picture Breaks Box Office Records|url=http://www.contactmusic.com/new/xmlfeed.nsf/mndwebpages/pope%20picture%20breaks%20box%20office%20records%20in%20poland_09_03_2006|publisher=contactmusic.com|date=3 September 2006}}</ref> He made an uncredited appearance as [[Samuel Adams Green|Sam Green]], the man who introduced [[Andy Warhol]] to [[Edie Sedgwick]], in the 2006 film ''[[Factory Girl (2006 film)|Factory Girl]]''. In 2007, he appeared in [[Garry Marshall]]'s ''[[Georgia Rule]]'' opposite [[Jane Fonda]].

In 2007, he made a guest appearance on the ''[[Law & Order: Special Victims Unit]]'' episode "[[Law & Order: Special Victims Unit (season 8)#ep14|Dependent]]" as a [[Mafia]] lawyer. In 2009, he played the role of [[Pierre Despereaux]], an international art thief, in the fourth-season premiere of ''[[Psych]]''.<ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.dreadcentral.com/news/35164/first-two-teaser-clips-psych-9 |title=First Two Teaser Clips Psych: 9 |work=DreadCentral |publisher=[[CraveOnline]] |date=2 January 2010 |access-date=26 September 2011 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20121102224255/http://www.dreadcentral.com/news/35164/first-two-teaser-clips-psych-9 |archive-date=2 November 2012 |url-status=live }}</ref> Also in 2009 Elwes joined the cast of [[Robert Zemeckis]]'s [[motion capture]] adaptation of [[Charles Dickens]]' ''[[A Christmas Carol (2009 film)|A Christmas Carol]]'' portraying five roles. That same year he was chosen by [[Steven Spielberg]] to appear in his motion capture adaptation of Belgian artist [[Hergé]]'s popular comic strip ''[[The Adventures of Tintin: The Secret of the Unicorn]]''.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.digitalspy.com/movies/news/a347079/the-adventures-of-tintin-premieres-in-london-pictures.html#~p5ZywC1hHstyq3|title='The Adventures of Tintin' premieres in London – Pictures|work=Digital Spy|date=23 October 2011}}</ref>
Elwes's [[voice-over]] work includes the narrator in [[James Patterson]]'s [[audiobook]] ''[[The Jester (novel)|The Jester]]'',<ref>{{cite book|title=The Jester|last1=Paterson|first1=James|author-link=James Patterson|last2=Gross|first2=Andrew|author-link2=Andrew Gross|isbn=1-58621-535-3|publisher=[[Hachette Audio]]| edition=Abridged|date=1 March 2003}}</ref> as well as characters in film and [[television animation]]s such as ''[[Quest for Camelot]]'', ''[[Pinky and The Brain]]'', ''[[Batman Beyond]]'', and the English versions of the [[Studio Ghibli]] films, ''[[Porco Rosso]]'', ''[[Whisper of the Heart (film)|Whisper of the Heart]]'' and ''[[The Cat Returns]]''. For the 2004 video game ''[[The Bard's Tale (2004)|The Bard's Tale]]'', he served as screenwriter, improviser, and voice actor of the main character The Bard. In 2009, Elwes reunited with [[Jason Alexander]] for the [[Indian film]], ''[[Delhi Safari]]''.<ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.bollywoodhungama.com/award/filmfare-award/2011-2/ |title=Delhi Safari to feature voice over by Vanessa Williams and Jason Alexander |work=[[Bollywood Hungama]] |date=30 May 2011 |access-date=26 September 2011 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20110904200314/http://www.bollywoodhungama.com/news/2011/05/30/15833/index.html |archive-date=4 September 2011 |url-status=live }}</ref> The following year Elwes portrayed the part of Gremlin Gus in Disney's video game, ''[[Epic Mickey 2: The Power of Two]]''. In 2014, he appeared in ''[[Cosmos: A Spacetime Odyssey]]'' as the voice of scientists [[Edmond Halley]] and [[Robert Hooke]].

=== 2010–present ===
[[File:Cary Elwes by Gage Skidmore.jpg|thumb|left|Elwes at [[Comic-Con]] in 2013]]
In 2010, he returned to the ''Saw'' franchise in ''[[Saw 3D]]'' (2010), the seventh film in the series, as Dr. [[Lawrence Gordon (character)|Lawrence Gordon]].<ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.bloody-disgusting.com/news/19954/ |title=Cary Elwes Confirmed for 'Saw 3D', Full Synopsis and Cast |work=[[Bloody Disgusting]] |date=25 April 2010 |access-date=25 April 2010 |archive-date=26 April 2010 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20100426192519/http://www.bloody-disgusting.com/news/19954 |url-status=live }}</ref> In 2010, he returned to ''[[Psych]]'', reprising his role in the second half of the [[Psych (season 5)|fifth season]], again in the show's [[Psych (season 6)|sixth season]], and again in the show's [[Psych (season 8)|eighth season]] premiere.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.tvline.com/2011/07/psych-spoiler-video-season-6-james-roday-dule-hill |title=Psych First Look: The Season 6 Scene Everyone Will Be Talking About! Plus, Musical Update! |last=Slezak |first=Michael |work=TVLine |date=21 July 2011 |access-date=27 September 2011 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20110923042810/http://www.tvline.com/2011/07/psych-spoiler-video-season-6-james-roday-dule-hill/ |archive-date=23 September 2011 |url-status=live }}</ref> In 2014, Elwes played Hugh Ashmeade, Director of the [[CIA]], in the second season of the BYUtv series ''[[Granite Flats]]''. In 2011, he was selected by [[Ivan Reitman]] to star alongside [[Natalie Portman]] in ''[[No Strings Attached (2011 film)|No Strings Attached]]''. That same year, Elwes and [[Garry Marshall]] teamed up again in the ensemble romantic comedy ''[[New Year's Eve (2011 film)|New Year's Eve]]'' opposite [[Robert de Niro]] and [[Halle Berry]].

In 2012, Elwes starred in the independent drama ''[[The Citizen (film)|The Citizen]]''.<ref>{{cite web| url= https://variety.com/2011/film/news/4-thesps-apply-for-the-citizen-1118039848/ |title=4 thesps apply for 'The Citizen' |last=Sneider |first=Jeff |work=[[Variety (magazine)|Variety]] |date=13 July 2011 |access-date=26 September 2011 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20110820004206/http://www.variety.com/article/VR1118039848 |archive-date=20 August 2011 |url-status=live }}</ref> and the following year Elwes joined [[Selena Gomez]] for the comedy ensemble, ''[[Behaving Badly (film)|Behaving Badly]]'' directed by Tim Garrick. In 2015, he completed ''[[Sugar Mountain (film)|Sugar Mountain]]'' directed by Richard Gray; the drama ''[[We Don't Belong Here (film)|We Don't Belong Here]]'', opposite [[Anton Yelchin]] and [[Catherine Keener]] directed by Peer Pedersen, and ''[[Being Charlie]]'' which reunited Elwes with director [[Rob Reiner]] after 28 years and premiered at the [[Toronto International Film Festival]]. In 2016, Elwes starred opposite [[Penelope Cruz]] in [[Fernando Trueba]]'s Spanish-language period pic ''[[The Queen of Spain]]'', a sequel to Trueba's 1998 drama ''[[The Girl of Your Dreams]]''. This also re-united Elwes with his ''[[The Princess Bride (film)|Princess Bride]]'' co-star, [[Mandy Patinkin]].<ref>{{cite web |url=https://variety.com/2016/film/news/cary-elwes-penelope-cruz-queen-of-spain-1201723141/ |title=Cary Elwes Starring in Penelope Cruz's 'Queen of Spain' (EXCLUSIVE) |author=Dave McNary |date=4 March 2016 |website=[[Variety (magazine)|Variety]] |access-date=18 April 2016 }}</ref>
[[File:Cary Elwes by Gage Skidmore 2.jpg|thumb|right|Elwes at the Phoenix [[Comicon]] in 2014]]

In October 2014 Touchstone ([[Simon & Schuster]]) published Elwes's memoir of the making of ''[[The Princess Bride (film)|The Princess Bride]]'', entitled ''As You Wish: Inconceivable Tales from the Making of The Princess Bride'', which he co-wrote with Joe Layden. The book featured never-before-told stories, exclusive behind-the-scenes photographs, and interviews with co-stars [[Robin Wright]], [[Wallace Shawn]], [[Billy Crystal]], [[Christopher Guest]], [[Fred Savage]] and [[Mandy Patinkin]], as well as screenwriter [[William Goldman]], producer [[Norman Lear]], and director [[Rob Reiner]]. The book debuted on [[The New York Times Best Seller list|''The New York Times'' Best Seller list]].<ref>{{cite news|url=https://www.nytimes.com/best-sellers-books/2014-11-02/hardcover-nonfiction/list.html|title=As You Wish: Inconceivable Tales from the Making of The Princess Bride|work=[[The New York Times]]|date=2 November 2014|access-date=18 November 2014}}</ref><ref>{{cite web|url= http://www.geekwithcurves.com/2014/06/cary-elwes-wrote-book-about-princess.html|title=Cary Elwes wrote book about the making of the film, ''The Princess Bride''|publisher= geekwithcurves.com|date=June 2014|access-date=18 November 2014}}</ref>

In 2014, Elwes co-wrote the screenplay for a film entitled ''[[Elvis & Nixon]]'', about the pair's famous meeting at the [[White House]] in 1970.<ref name="thewrap.com">{{cite news |last1=Reilly |first1=Travis |date=16 January 2015 |title=Colin Hanks, Johnny Knoxville, Alex Pettyfer Added to 'Elvis & Nixon' |work=[[TheWrap]] |url=https://www.thewrap.com/colin-hanks-johnny-knoxville-alex-pettyfer-added-to-elvis-nixon/ |access-date=27 December 2017}}</ref> The film starred [[Michael Shannon]] and [[Kevin Spacey]]; it was bought by [[Amazon (company)|Amazon]] as their first theatrical feature and released on 22 April 2016.<ref>{{cite web|url=https://variety.com/2015/film/news/amazon-elvis-nixon-kevin-spacey-1201500537/|date=23 June 2015|title='Elvis & Nixon' Starring Kevin Spacey Sold to Amazon|first=Ramin|last=Setoodeh|work=[[Variety (magazine)|Variety]]}}</ref> In May 2015, Elwes was cast as Arthur Davenport, a shrewd and eccentric world-class collector of illegal art and antiquities in [[Crackle (company)|Crackle]]'s first streaming network series drama, ''[[The Art of More]]'', which explored the cutthroat world of premium auction houses. The series debuted on 19 November and was picked up for a second season.<ref>{{cite web|url=https://deadline.com/2015/05/cary-elwes-cast-the-art-of-more-drama-series-crackle-1201420939/|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20150507191809/http://deadline.com/2015/05/cary-elwes-cast-the-art-of-more-drama-series-crackle-1201420939/|url-status=dead|archive-date=7 May 2015|title=Cary Elwes Joins 'The Art of More' Drama Series on Crackle|first=Denise|last=Petski|work=[[Deadline Hollywood]]|date=5 May 2015}}</ref>

In April 2018 Elwes portrayed Larry Kline, mayor of Hawkins, for the third season of the [[Netflix]] series ''[[Stranger Things]]'', which premiered in July 2019.<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://media.netflix.com/en/press-releases/stranger-things-s3-casting-announcement|title=Stranger Things S3 Casting Announcement|work=[[Netflix]]|language=en|access-date=27 April 2018}}</ref> He was nominated along with the cast for the [[Screen Actors Guild Award for Outstanding Performance by an Ensemble in a Drama Series]]. In May 2019, he joined the third season of the [[Amazon Studios|Amazon]] series ''[[The Marvelous Mrs. Maisel]]'' as Gavin Hawk.<ref>{{cite news|url=https://www.vanityfair.com/hollywood/2019/05/cary-elwes-marvelous-mrs-maisel-season-3|title=Cary Elwes and His Smoldering Eyes Are Joining Marvelous Mrs. Maisel Season 3|first=Kevin|last=Fitzpatrick|date=31 May 2019|access-date=13 December 2019|work=[[Vanity Fair (magazine)|Vanity Fair]]}}</ref>

== Personal life ==
Elwes met photographer Lisa Marie Kurbikoff in 1991 at a [[Cook-off#Chili cook-off|chili cook-off]] in [[Malibu, California]]; they were engaged in 1997.<ref name="Marriage">{{Cite news |date=3 May 2007 |title=Celebrities – DeGeneres 'Bedding' Talk-Show Guests |work=[[Watertown Daily Times]] |page=D2 |quote=Elwes and Lisa Marie (''née'' Kurbikoff) met in 1991 at a Malibu chili cook-off. They were engaged in 1997 and tied the knot three years later.}}</ref> They married in 2000 and have one daughter.<ref>{{Cite web |last1=Silverman |first1=Stephen M. |last2=Jordan |first2=Julie |date=27 April 2007 |title=Cary Elwes, Wife Welcome a Girl |url=http://www.people.com/people/article/0,,20037158,00.html |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20111107065256/http://www.people.com/people/article/0,,20037158,00.html |archive-date=7 November 2011 |access-date=26 September 2011 |website=[[People (magazine)|People]]}}</ref> Elwes and his family lost their home in the [[Palisades Fire]] during the [[January 2025 Southern California wildfires]], but evacuated safely.<ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.hollywoodreporter.com/news/local-news/cary-elwes-malibu-home-lost-palisades-fire-wildfires-1236104921/|title=Cary Elwes Shares Update That He Lost Malibu Home After Documenting His Evacuation|website=[[The Hollywood Reporter]]|date=January 8, 2025|access-date=January 9, 2025}}</ref>

In March 2021, Elwes posted on his social media accounts that his younger half-sister Milica had died after battling Stage 4 cancer for more than a year.<ref>{{Cite Instagram |postid=CMb2XUTAS2n |user=caryelwes |title=My dear sweet Milica. I dislike having to write this about you as it puts the finality on something I have been dreading to accept, which is that you are gone. What can I share about my extraordinary sister in this short space? First and foremost, she had an enormous capacity to care for others over herself. A rare quality of inclusion which makes this loss even more insurmountable. Even whilst suffering she would not want to talk about her day, but about yours. And that conversation would usually end with a few good laughs. In fact, having a good laugh was really important to Mil and that laugh was totally infectious. She was able to laugh as much at death as she was at life. Truly a force to contend with. A candle that burned ever so brightly. I would watch people who met her for the first time and stand back trying to not to smile as I watched them realize this woman was completely without pretense. No filter at all. But in a good way. Looking for the good in people and then making sure to make friends with them. I have met many of the Angels who have surrounded her from the start of their friendship and never left her at the end. To all of you, too many to mention here, I thank you from my completely shattered heart. And to all of you who have shared your outpouring of support to me and my family at this difficult time, we are truly grateful. My North Star will forever twinkle tears in memory of you, Milica. God speed, sweet angel 💔😥🙏 |first=Cary |last=Elwes |date=2021-03-15}}</ref>

Elwes is known for his feud with [[Republican Party (United States)|Republican]] Texas Senator and ''Princess Bride'' fan [[Ted Cruz]].<ref>{{Cite news |last=Puente |first=Maria |title=Ted Cruz and Cary Elwes in Twitter spat over 'Princess Bride.' Again. |url=https://www.usatoday.com/story/entertainment/celebrities/2021/02/03/ted-cruz-and-cary-elwes-twitter-spat-over-princess-bride-again/4381215001/ |access-date=2021-04-12 |work=[[USA Today]] |language=en-US}}</ref><ref>{{Cite news |date=2021-02-04 |title=Ted Cruz and actor Cary Elwes Twitter feud over 'Princess Bride' |url=https://abc13.com/10311285/ |access-date=2021-04-12 |work=ABC13 Houston |language=en}}</ref> According to the ''[[Hollywood Reporter]]'', Elwes initiated the 2020 fundraiser that re-united many ''Princess Bride'' cast members to support Joe Biden in the battleground state of Wisconsin.<ref name="AP0913">{{Cite news |last=Strauss |first=Jackie |date=17 September 2020 |title=How Wisconsin Democrats Used Hollywood Reunions to Make a "Critical Difference" in the 2020 Election |url=https://www.hollywoodreporter.com/news/how-a-grassroots-effort-in-wisconsin-sparked-hollywoods-2020-reunion-movement |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20200915220631/https://madison.com/wsj/news/local/govt-and-politics/stars-reunite-for-princess-bride-wisconsin-democratic-fundraiser/article_02335c4d-7eb0-52a8-ae47-b1c438c2f396.html |archive-date=15 September 2020 |access-date=15 September 2020 |work=[[The Hollywood Reporter]] |quote=Elwes organized the Princess Bride reunion event with the original cast of the 1987 classic film in mid-September that went on to raise $4.25 million dollars.}}</ref><ref>{{Cite news |last=Goldman |first=David |date=6 September 2020 |title='The Princess Bride' cast is reuniting and Ted Cruz is livid about why |url=https://www.cnn.com/2020/09/06/media/princess-bride-reunion-trnd/index.html |access-date=2021-04-12 |work=CNN}}</ref> The [[Princess Bride Reunion|''Princess Bride'' Reunion]] raised more than $4 million for [[Democratic Party of Wisconsin|Wisconsin Democrats]].<ref name="jso917">{{Cite web |last=Spicuzza |first=Mary |date=17 September 2020 |title='A fundraiser of unusual size': Princess Bride reunion raises $4.25 million for Wisconsin Democrats |url=https://www.jsonline.com/story/news/politics/elections/2020/09/17/princess-bride-reunion-raises-4-25-million-wisconsin-democrats/5793750002/ |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20201024130937/https://www.jsonline.com/story/news/politics/elections/2020/09/17/princess-bride-reunion-raises-4-25-million-wisconsin-democrats/5793750002/ |archive-date=24 October 2020 |access-date=18 September 2020 |website=Milwaukee Journal Sentinel |quote=Elwes also played a key role in organizing the fundraiser.}}</ref>

=== ''Saw'' lawsuit ===
In August 2005, Elwes filed a lawsuit against [[Evolution Entertainment]], his management firm and producer of ''[[Saw (2004 film)|Saw]]''. Elwes said he was promised a minimum of 1% of the producers' net profits and did not receive the full amount.<ref name="Cary">{{Cite news |last=Mitchell |first=Peter |date=20 August 2005 |title=Not everyone happy with their cut from Saw |url=http://www.theage.com.au/news/film/not-everyone-happy-with-their-cut-from-saw/2005/08/20/1124435169494.html |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20121107064640/http://www.theage.com.au/news/film/not-everyone-happy-with-their-cut-from-saw/2005/08/20/1124435169494.html |archive-date=7 November 2012 |access-date=26 September 2011 |work=[[The Age]] |agency=[[Association of American Publishers|AAP]]}}</ref> The case was [[legal settlement|settled out of court]]. Elwes returned to the series in 2010 reprising his role in ''[[Saw 3D]]''.<ref>{{Cite web |last=Gingold |first=Michael |date=25 April 2010 |title="Saw VII" Synopsis and Cast Revealed – Including Cary Elwes! |url=http://www.fangoria.com/index.php?id=641:saw-vii-synopsis-and-cast-revealedincluding-cary-elwes&option=com_content&catid=1:latest-news&Itemid=167 |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20120614095114/http://www.fangoria.com/index.php?id=641:saw-vii-synopsis-and-cast-revealedincluding-cary-elwes&option=com_content&catid=1:latest-news&Itemid=167 |archive-date=14 June 2012 |access-date=26 September 2011 |website=[[Fangoria]]}}</ref>

== Filmography ==
{{Main|Cary Elwes filmography}}

== Awards and honors ==
{| class="wikitable unsortable"
|-
! Year
! Association
! Category
! Project
! Result
! Ref.
|-
|1998 || [[Blockbuster Entertainment Awards]] || Best Supporting Actor || ''[[Kiss the Girls (1997 film)|Kiss the Girls]]'' || {{nom}} ||
|-
|1999
| rowspan="2" |[[Satellite Awards]]
|[[Satellite Award for Best Actor – Miniseries or Television Film|Best Actor – Miniseries or Television Film]]
|''[[The Pentagon Wars]]''
|{{Nominated}}
|
|-
|2002
|[[Satellite Award for Best Supporting Actor – Series, Miniseries or Television Film|Best Supporting Actor – Series, Miniseries or Television Film]]
|''[[Uprising (2001 film)|Uprising]]''
|{{Nominated}}
|
|-
|2005 || [[MTV Movie Award]] || [[MTV Movie Award for Best Frightened Performance|Best Frightened Performance]] || ''[[Saw (2004 film)|Saw]]'' || {{nom}}
|-
|2020 || [[Screen Actors Guild Award]] || [[Screen Actors Guild Award for Outstanding Performance by an Ensemble in a Drama Series|Outstanding Ensemble in a Drama Series]] || ''[[Stranger Things (TV series)|Stranger Things]]'' || {{nom}} || <ref>{{cite web|url= https://www.sagawards.org/awards/nominees-and-recipients/26th-annual-screen-actors-guild-awards|title= The 26th Annual Screen Actors Guild Awards|website= [[Screen Actors Guild Awards]]|accessdate= June 24, 2023}}</ref>
|-
|2023
|[[Fargo Film Festival]]
|Ted M. Larson Award
| {{n/a|{{emdash}}}}
|{{honored}}
|<ref>{{Cite web |title=Ted M. Larson Award {{!}} Fargo Film Festival |url=https://fargofilmfestival.org/awards/special-awards/ted-m-larson-award/ |access-date=2024-04-03 |language=en-US}}</ref>
|-
|}

== Works ==
* {{cite book|last1=Elwes|first1=Cary|last2=Layden|first2=Joe|date=2014|title=As You Wish: Inconceivable Tales from the Making of The Princess Bride|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=nNW5BAAAQBAJ|location=New York|publisher=[[Simon & Schuster|Touchstone]]|oclc=878812649|isbn=9781476764023}}

== References ==
{{Reflist}}

== External links ==
{{commons category}}
* {{IMDb name}}
* {{Instagram|caryelwes}}
* {{discogs artist|Cary Elwes}}
* {{TCMDb name|57282%7C0|Cary Elwes}}

{{Authority control}}

{{DEFAULTSORT:Elwes, Cary}}
[[Category:1962 births]]
[[Category:Living people]]
[[Category:20th-century English male actors]]
[[Category:21st-century English male actors]]
[[Category:21st-century English memoirists]]
[[Category:Actors from the City of Westminster]]
[[Category:Alumni of the London Academy of Music and Dramatic Art]]
[[Category:English expatriate male actors in the United States]]
[[Category:English male film actors]]
[[Category:English male stage actors]]
[[Category:English male television actors]]
[[Category:English male voice actors]]
[[Category:English Roman Catholics]]
[[Category:Lee Strasberg Theatre and Film Institute alumni]]
[[Category:People educated at Harrow School]]
[[Category:Male actors from London]]
[[Category:People from Westminster]]
[[Category:People of Anglo-Irish descent]]
[[Category:Sarah Lawrence College alumni]]