Yellowstone’sJamie Duttonis arguably Wes Benton’s most popular and notable role to date. However, before he became the misunderstood adopted son of the Dutton family, Bentley made his name in one of the most controversial Oscar-winning films in history. In 1999, Bentley starred in American Beauty, a psychological dark comedy that made his name in Hollywood.

Playing Ricky Fitts, a role that would influence his later works and characters, the film’s success, which included sweeping the 72nd Academy Awards and becoming a defining film of the late 90s, launched Bentley into a range of roles in both film and television. From playing a manipulative Head Gamemaker in The Hunger Games to several characters in American Horror Story, Bentley's career expanded across genres.

American Beauty Is a Controversial Oscar-Winning Dark Comedy

Sam Mendes’ American Beauty was one of the most critically acclaimed films of the 90s. A psychological drama with hints of dark comedy, the film follows Lester Burnham (Kevin Spacey), a suburban father and husband stuck in a failing marriage and dead-end job. At the peak of his midlife crisis, he becomes infatuated with his teenage daughter’s best friend, Angela Hayes (Mena Suvari), and shortly after quits his job and attempts to reclaim his lost youth.

Disgusted by her father’s behavior, his daughter, Jane (Thora Birch), finds solace in Ricky Fitts (Wes Bentley), the strange boy next door who sees beauty in the world through the lens of his ever-present camcorder. As tensions build within both their families, long-buried secrets and desires surface, leading to a tragic climax. Alongside its character studies, American Beauty is a critique of suburban conformity and the illusion of the American Dream. Lester’s ambitious but insecure wife, Carolyn (Annette Bening), obsesses over success whilst masking her own unhappiness. Angela hides her insecurities, revealing herself to be far more vulnerable than she initially appears. And Lester is the literal representation of a man trapped by societal expectations.

American Beauty was met with widespread acclaim upon its release, earning praise for its writing, cinematography and performances. At the 72nd Academy Awards, the film won five Oscars, including Best Picture, Best Director, Best Actor for Spacey, Best Original Screenplay, and Best Cinematography. It also performed strongly at the BAFTAs and Golden Globes.

However, American Beauty has since become one of the most controversial Oscar winners in history. Some critics even argue that American Beauty was always overrated, pointing to its self-important messaging and heavy-handed symbolism. However, one of the most controversial aspects of the film is its central storyline – a middle-aged man obsessing over a teenage girl. While the film stopped short of endorsing Lester’s fantasies, many argued that it presented his infatuation in a too-romanticized light. Angela is framed as seductive, her presence often accompanied by dreamlike imagery, particularly the now-iconic rose petal scenes. Though the film eventually reveals her vulnerability, some critics felt it didn’t sufficiently question the power imbalance between her and Lester.

Despite its controversy, American Beauty remains a film that sparks discussion, whether about its artistic merits or its subject matter. While some defend it as a dark satire of suburban repression, others see it as a film that indulges in the very thing it claims to critique. However, it’s still (rightfully or wrongfully) one of the defining films of its era. Though opinions on American Beauty have shifted over time, its legacy lasts as a film that dared to examine the differences of modern life.

Wes Bentley Stars as the Obsessive Ricky Fitts

Ricky Fitts is the strange, soft-spoken new kid at school. He’s quiet, intense and never without his camcorder, which he uses to film everything from dead birds to plastic bags caught in the wind. To Ricky, beauty isn’t found in the things most people care about, but in the overlooked and the forgotten. But his obsession soon shifts to Jane, and the pair develop a close relationship based on their shared resentment toward their fathers. His father, Frank Fitts, is a strict and abusive ex-military man who rules his household with fear. And, with his mother emotionally absent, lost in a world of her own, Ricky learned early on how to survive – play by the rules, keep your head down, and never show weakness.

Ricky’s constant filming wasn’t just a character quirk—it was a deliberate choice by Mendes to show Ricky as an observer rather than a participant in life.

Bentley’s performance is unsettling in all the right ways. Ricky rarely raises his voice, but there’s an intensity in the way he stares and the way he speaks, a character who always seems like he knows something you don’t. And his chemistry with Birch is something else entirely, their relationship wavering between romantic and unnervingly obsessive. While Lester searches for freedom in rebellion, Ricky searches for it in escape. But getting out won’t be easy. Not with his father watching his every move. Not with everything spiraling out of control. Like everyone else in American Beauty, Ricky wants something more. But in a world built on repression, getting what you want comes at a cost.

The Breakout Role that Made Wes Bentley a Household Name

Wes Bentley’s role in American Beauty was his big-screen debut, a role that not only made his name in Hollywood but also set the stage for performances that would follow. Since American Beauty, Bentley’s career has skyrocketed. In the years following his breakout role, Bentley appeared in several films and TV shows, including American Horror Story, Interstellar, and The Best of Enemies.

In many ways, American Beauty was the perfect starting point for Bentley’s career. It set the tone for the troubled characters he would go on to portray, and it also proved his ability to bring depth to roles that required both vulnerability and strength. In The Hunger Games, he played Head Gamemaker Seneca Crane, a character that mirrored Ricky’s struggle to escape a system that controlled his every move. In American Horror Story, he played three characters, each facing the same conflict as he portrayed in his debut role.

Wes Bentley's Biggest Roles Since American Beauty
Film	Release Year	Role
The Hunger Games	2012	Seneca Crane
American Horror Story	2014–2016	Edward Mordrake (Freak Show), Det. John Lowe (Hotel), Dylan Conrad (Roanoke)
Interstellar	2014	Doyle
Pete's Dragon	2016	Jack Magary
Mission Impossible - Fallout	2018	Erik
Yellowstone	2018–2024	Jamie Dutton
The Best of Enemies	2019	Floyd Kelly

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However, it wasn’t until Yellowstone that he found a role that allowed him to expand on the themes of alienation and personal conflict that began with Ricky Fitts. Bentley plays Jamie Dutton in Netflix Western. He is the adopted son of the Dutton family and is caught in a constant battle for his father’s approval while struggling with his own identity, and much like his character in American Beauty, Jamie is an outsider in his own world – constantly overlooked, misunderstood and trapped in circumstances beyond his control. But unlike Ricky, Jamie isn’t seeking freedom through rebellion, but searching for validation, whether from his family, his political career, or his biological father.

Jamie’s a man with dreams of power and influence, but those dreams are constantly thwarted by his family’s dominance, particularly his father John, who dismisses his ambitions. The relationship between Jamie and John is strained from the start, with John rarely showing affection for his adopted son, often treating him as an afterthought. A relationship that strongly resembles Ricky and Frank’s in American Beauty. While both characters are distinctly different, they both share a similar sense of longing for approval. In many ways, Bentley’s previous roles, which began with Ricky, laid the foundation for his portrayal of Jamie.

While best known for his role as Jamie Dutton in Yellowstone, Bentley’s breakout role in American Beauty remains the basis of his career. His portrayal of Ricky Fitts not only made him a talent to watch but also placed him at the center of one of the most talked-about films of the late 90s. American Beauty is a film that continues to spark debate, with its controversial themes, and Bentley’s performance is still one of the standout features of the film. As much as Yellowstone has brought him newfound fame, it’s American Beauty that remains his defining moment in Hollywood, setting the stage for his future career.