Barry Pepper is one of a multitude of young actors whose face is recognizable but whose name renders blanks. With a standout performance in Spielberg's Saving Private Ryan, Pepper finally caught the attention of critics and fans alike, but when asked to identify the actor, most failed. Again notably remembered by those who saw it, in the role of Roger Maris in 61*, and more recently in a powerful yet subdued performance in Spike Lee's latest joint, 25th Hour, Pepper remains almost anonymous. The confidence and range of sensibilities in this latest character reminds one of a young Mickey Rourke in the Pope of Greenwich Village. Handsome and talented, one can only hope Pepper's choices will serve him better than Rourke's and that his star will rise on par with his talents..

Born in Campbell River, British Columbia, Canada on April 4, 1970, Barry Robert Pepper was the youngest of three boys. At the age of five, the family set sail on a homemade ship named "The Moonlighter" and for the next five years sailed throughout the South Pacific Islands. Spending his youth in a mostly Polynesian culture awarded him exposure to various and sundry arts, music, and dance. Upon their return to Canada, they built a farm on a small island near Vancouver. Again in a community inhabited by hippies, poets, and other artists, Pepper couldn't help but being influenced, and after a short stint in college majoring in Marketing and Graphic Design, he enrolled in the Vancouver Actors Studio.

Pepper's acting career began in a Vancouver TV series, Madison, a role which lasted for four years. The television series Titanic followed and then Pepper hit paydirt. Cast as a Bible-quoting sniper in Saving Private Ryan, Pepper was even considered to be in Oscar territory and although that didn't happen, Pepper was featured on the cover of Vanity Fair's 1999 Hollywood issue, which as far as stardom is concerned, doesn't get much better. Pepper followed this with two very visible roles, one in the action thriller Enemy of the State and the other alongside Tom Hanks in the Oscar nominated film The Green Mile. Continuing to take chances, Pepper suited up for a box-office flop called Battlefield Earth, thankfully followed by a highly acclaimed portrayal of Roger Maris in 61*, a story of the home-run chase by both Maris and Mickey Mantle. Another war story, We Were Soldiers, followed, but somewhere along the line Pepper drew the attention of Spike Lee and was cast in his most recent portrait of the innards of New York City and the people who live there. His potrayal of a friend about to suffer the loss of a friend and the pain inflicted in the process was perhaps his most compelling performance yet and an indication that the name that goes with the face of Barry Pepper will in the future be well remembered.

Filmography

2004 White on White
2003 The Snow Walker
2002 25th Hour
2002 Knockaround Guys
2002 We Were Soldiers
2001 61*
2000 Battlefield Earth
1999 The Green Mile
1998 Enemy of the State
1998 Saving Private Ryan
1998 Firestorm
1996 Titanic TV
1996 Viper TV
1992 A Killer Among Friends


Sources:
http://www.spacesurfer.com/mceleb/list/Barry_Pepper_b.html
http://movies.yahoo.com/shop?d=hc&id=1800019309&cf=gen&intl=us
http://video.barnesandnoble.com/search/biography.asp?userid=53FXELMZNF&CTR=763649

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