With a father who was a bank robber and a youth marked by struggles with drugs and alcoholism, this future Hollywood icon faced more challenges than most could imagine.
Yet today, he’s celebrated as one of Hollywood’s greatest actors, earning acclaim for multiple blockbuster roles.
Read on to discover the incredible story behind his rise.
His parents were just ”babies”
On June 27, 1975, a boy was born in Santa Monica, California, whose name we all know today. His parents, Wendy and Vincent, were just 18 and 20 years old when their future Hollywood star came into the world.
They weren’t married at the time, but tied the knot shortly after their son’s birth. However, Wendy and Vincent divorced when he was only three years old.
“They were just babies, doing whatever the heck they thought they should be doing,” the actor once said, reflecting on his parents.
In interviews, this film star has described his turbulent childhood as “tough and lonely,” with his father, Vincent, serving time for robbing a bank across the street —without a mask.
According to reports, his father was broke and believed he was dying of cancer. He entered a bank across from his home in Reseda, California, unmasked and unarmed, but with a note that read in part: “I have nothing to live for.”
The note also claimed he had a concealed weapon. He left with a bag of cash but was caught an hour later and spent two years in prison. The star himself wasn’t keen on discussing his father’s past when he grew up. A spokesperson bluntly said, “We’re not talking about this.”
