Background

Ethnicity: Liv’s mother is of English, and small amounts of Scottish, Irish, Welsh, and German, ancestry. Liv’s father is of one quarter Italian, one quarter German, and one quarter Polish, descent, and also has English, and distant Welsh, ancestry; on the show Who Do You Think You Are? (2017), Liv discovered that her great-great-great-great-grandfather, Robert J. Elliott, was of half or part African-American ancestry.

Liv Tyler was born on July 1, 1977, in New York City, New York, the United States. Tyler is the only daughter of Steven Tyler (lead singer of Aerosmith) and Bebe Buell (singer and model). Her mother, former Ford Model and Playboy Playmate Bebe Buell had an eight-month affair with Tyler that resulted in Liv. Her mother named her after Norwegian actress Liv Ullmann, after seeing Ullmann on the cover of the March 5, 1977 issue of TV Guide.

Her mother Bebe Buell and her mom's life-partner Todd Rundgren raised her as parents. Tyler was originally fooled to believe that Todd Rundgren was her father, and it wasn’t until she was at an Aerosmith gig that she found out that, in fact, Steven Tyler was her real dad. When Tyler was 12, she changed her surname to Tyler. To this day, Todd Rundgren is her spiritual father. Shortly after Tyler was born, her mum broke up with Rundgren and moved up with Tyler to Portland, Maine. But Tyler maintains a close relationship with Rundgren: "I'm so grateful to him, I have so much love for him. You know, when he holds me it feels like Daddy. And he's very protective and strong."

In her childhood, Liv was living discursively with her mom, her aunt Annie at Maine, and her grandmother Dorothea Johnson at Virginia. Already as a little girl, she loved to perform - dress up in her mother's clothes and makeup and put on a show in front of her mother's friends.

Tyler has three half-siblings: Mia Tyler (born 1978), Chelsea Anna Tallarico (born 1989), and Taj Monroe Tallarico (born 1991).

When asked about her youth, Tyler said: "For me, I didn't get much of a childhood in my teen years because I've been working since I was 14. But that also kept me out of trouble. When everybody was doing acid and partying like crazy, I was at work on a movie in Tuscany ... having my own fun, of course, but it was a different kind of thing. I have no regrets. I love the way my life has gone."

Education

Tyler attended the Congressional School of Virginia, Breakwater School, and Waynflete School in Portland, Maine, before returning to New York City with her mother at age 12. She went to York Preparatory in New York City for junior high and high school after her mother researched the school to accommodate Tyler's ADHD. She also attended the Crossroads School for Arts & Sciences in Santa Monica, California. She graduated from York in 1995 and left to continue her acting career.

Career

When Liv was 14 she moved back with her mom to New York City. Instantly her modeling career sky-rocketed, thanks to family friend Paulina Porizkova (A famous model herself who convinced Tyler to start modeling). Tyler found herself on the cover of big magazines like Seventeen, Interview, and Mirabella. Liv's first major revelation to the world came in 1994, when she was 16, in Aerosmith's clip - Crazy. Liv was embarrassed by her sexy appearances - but got the adoration of millions of teenagers around the world.

At that year Liv started filming her first 2 movies Silent Fall (1994) and Heavy (1995). After the taste of acting, she decided to pursue it and make it her career. It was when Tyler was 17 that she starred in her third movie, Empire Records (1995), but her breakthrough film was Stealing Beauty (1996). Tyler chooses her films carefully by avoiding big movies and choosing the smaller ones, more quality ones.

The legendary director Bernardo Bertolucci chose Liv over hundreds of actresses. Liv got acclaims on her performance and was the highlight of '96 Cannes film festival where giant photos of her peered placidly from billboards all over town. This film established Liv as a Movie Star.

She later appeared in That Thing You Do! (1996), a movie about a fictional one-hit wonder rock band called The Wonders, following their whirlwind rise to the top of the pop charts, and just as quickly, their plunge back to obscurity. The film was written and directed by Tom Hanks.

Tyler next appeared in Armageddon (1998), where she played the daughter of Bruce Willis’ character and love interest of Ben Affleck’s character. The film generated mixed reviews, but it was a box office success, earning $553 million worldwide. The movie included the songs “I Don’t Want to Miss a Thing” and “What Kind of Love Are You On” by Aerosmith.

Her movies include Inventing The Abbotts (1997), with her former boyfriend Joaquin Phoenix, Cookie's Fortune (1999) by Robert Altman, Plunkett & Macleane (1999) and Onegin (1999) with Ralph Fiennes.

More movies include Dr. T and the Women (2000) - another comedy by Robert Altman alongside Richard Gere and Kate Hudson, One Night At McCool's (2001) - the major role in a black comedy alongside Michael Douglas, Matt Dillon, John Goodman and Paul Raiser and Lord Of The Rings movie series (2001-2003) - 3 movies based on the famous trilogy by J.R.R Tolkien - in the role of Arwen the elf princess.

The last movie in the trilogy (The Return of the King) - won 11 Oscars, including the best picture award.

In 2004 Liv starred in Jersey Girl - with Ben Affleck, directed by Kevin Smith. Then Liv and Ben's brother - Casey Affleck starred in Lonesome Jim, directed by Steve Buscemi. The movie was filmed in March 2004 and released in March 2006.

After almost a two years break from movies after the birth of her child Milo, Liv returned to the movie scene with 4 new movies: Reign Over Me - a drama by director Mike Binder, starring Adam Sandler. Liv played as a psychiatrist. The movie was filmed in spring 2006 and was released in March 2007. The Strangers - a thriller written and directed by Bryan Bertino. Liv is part of a young couple terrorized by three unknown assailants. The film was released in May 2008 and was a big hit. Liv did also win the Scream award's "Best actress in a horror movie or TV show" for her role. Smother - a Comedy/Drama by Vince Di Meglio and Tim Rasmussen. Liv played alongside Diane Keaton and Dax Shepard. The movie was released in 2008.

Liv also scored the leading female role in Marvel's The Incredible Hulk alongside Edward Norton. The movie smashed screens on June 13, 2008.

After the divorce from her husband in 2008, Liv took another 2 years off. Liv came back to the silver screen in 2011 with two new movies: Super - a dark comedy by James Gunn, alongside Rainn Wilson, Ellen Page, and Kevin Bacon. The Ledge - a drama/thriller by Matthew Chapman, alongside Charlie Hunnam, Terrence Howard, and Patrick Wilson.

Between the years 2012-2014 Liv participated in three independent films:

Robot & Frank - A futuristic comedy directed by Jake Schreier, with Frank Langella, and James Marsden. Jamie Marks Is Dead - A drama directed by Carter Smith, alongside Judy Greer and Cameron Monaghan. Space Station 76 - A comedy directed by Jack Plotnick, with Patrick Wilson and Matt Bomer.

In 2014 Liv turned into the small screen, with the HBO drama The Leftovers. Written by Damon Lindelof, the series revolves around mysterious worldwide disappearances and follows a group of people who are left behind.

In 2015 Liv produced two short films for Belstaff company - Outlaws, starring David Beckham, and Falling Up - in which she also played as Amelia Earhart. The films are available online.

At the end of 2015, Liv did also produced and starred in Wildling, alongside Bel Powley, Brad Dourif, and James LeGros. The movie was released in April 2018.

In 2017 Liv filmed her second TV role, at the 3-part BBC's drama Gunpowder, based on the real and famous Gunpowder Plot from 1605. Liv (as Anne Vaux) is playing alongside Kit Harington and Peter Mullan. The series was released in October 2017 on BBC, and in December 2017 on HBO. In October 2017 Liv has joined the regular cast of the TV series Harlots (starting from the second season). The second season is expected to be released in July 2018 on Hulu.

In 2019 Liv is set to appear in Ad Astra alongside Bradd Pitt. The movie tells a story of an astronaut Roy McBride (Brad Pitt), who travels to the outer edges of the solar system to find his missing father (Tommy Lee Jones) and unravel a mystery that threatens the survival of humans on Earth. His journey will uncover secrets that challenge the nature of human existence and its place in the cosmos.

Aside from her movie career, Liv has always kept her modeling career with some major campaigns for brands like Pantene, Givenchy, Gap, G-Star, Magnum, Pilgrim and many more.

In 2003 Liv has been selected to be the new face of Givenchy, following the footsteps of Audrey Hepburn. The first product published by Liv is "Very Irresistible Givenchy" perfume, as can be seen on TV commercials and magazines.

More campaigns were "Givenchy le Makeup", "Givenchy - Ready to Wear and Accessories" and more. In Summer 2005 Givenchy decided to call a rose after Liv - the "Liv Tyler Rose"! In 2012, Givenchy produced a video clip featuring Liv covers I Need You Tonight by INXS. Liv served as Givenchy face up until 2013.

In 2007, Liv was also the face of Pilgrim - one of the world's leading jewelry and accessory brands. In 2010, Liv became the face of the denim brand G-Star, for Spring/Summer and Fall/Winter campaigns. In 2011, 15 years after did her first Pantene commercial, Tyler became the face of Pantene for the second time, with a brand new commercial and ads.

In 2013 Liv and her grandmother Dorothea Johnson, an etiquette expert, released a book called Modern Manners. In 2016 Liv Tyler became the "ambassador and creative contributor" for Belstaff's womenswear company, creating her own designs and producing two short films in cooperation with the company - Outlaws and Falling Up (in which she also starred).

In 2017, she directed a short video for Gap called "Mama Said". Liv described the clip as "Celebration of Motherhood" and also starred in the clip alongside Sailor and Lula, and some other famous mothers (Jurnee Smollet-Bell, Coco Rocha, Cass Bird, Candice Swanepoel) and their children.

Later in 2017, Tyler became the face of Triumph Essence for its global Autumn/Winter campaign.

Achievements

• Tyler achieved international recognition as a result of her portrayal of Elf maiden Arwen Undómiel in the Lord of the Rings film trilogy. She went on to achieve critical recognition with roles in Heavy, Empire Records (both 1995), That Thing You Do!, and Stealing Beauty (both 1996). In 2004, she won the Critic’s Choice Award for Best Acting Ensemble for the movie The Lord of the Rings: The Return of the King. She also won the Screen Actors Guild Award for Outstanding Performance by a Cast in a Motion Picture for this movie.

Works

More photos

• book

  • Modern Manners

    (From the world-renowned etiquette expert and her granddau...)

    2013

• movie

  • Jamie Marks Is Dead

    (Based on the novel "One For Sorrow" by Christopher Barzak...)

    2014
  • Smother

    (When Noah Cooper is fired from his job as a therapist, he...)

    2008
  • The Lord Of The Rings: The Fellowship Of The Ring

    (In the first part, The Lord of the Rings, a shy young hob...)

    2001
  • Heavy

    (In rural upstate New York, thirty-something-year-old Vict...)

    1995
  • Lord of the Rings: The Two Towers

    (In the part second of the Tolkien trilogy, Frodo Baggins ...)

    2002
  • The Ledge

    (In this race-against-time thriller, the opposing philosop...)

    2011
  • The Incredible Hulk

    (Edward Norton leads an all-star cast in this explosive, s...)

    2008
  • The Strangers

    (Explore your worst fears imaginable as a remote getaway b...)

    2008
  • Cookie's Fortune

    (An all-star cast drives director Robert Altman's comedy a...)

    1999
  • Silent Fall

    (When a small autistic boy witnesses the murder of his par...)

    1994
  • Super

    (Rainn Wilson, Ellen Page, Liv Tyler and Kevin Bacon bring...)

    2010
  • That Thing You Do!

    (A Pennsylvania band scores a hit in 1964 and rides the st...)

    1996
  • Jersey Girl

    (Jami Gertz and Dylan McDermott star in this charming roma...)

    2004
  • Space Station 76

    (Welcome to a 1970s' version of the future, where the pant...)

    2014
  • Empire Records

    (A comedy about an eventful day in the lives of the young ...)

    1995
  • Robot And Frank

    (Robot And Frank is a hilarious and heartwarming story abo...)

    2012
  • Wildling

    (Anna's teen years take on a terrifying twist when she rea...)

    2018
  • U-Turn

    (A small-time gambler stranded in a desert mining town is ...)

    1997
  • Reign Over Me

    (A heartwarming story of two men who rediscover their frie...)

    2007
  • Dr. T and the Women

    (Wealthy, successful gynecologist Sullivan Travis (Richard...)

    2000
  • Lonesome Jim

    (Steve Buscemi's comedy follows Jim as he returns to life ...)

    2005
  • Stealing Beauty

    (A young girl travels to Italy to search for her father an...)

    1996
  • Inventing The Abbotts

    (A light-hearted story of two brothers courting three sist...)

    1997
  • Armageddon

    (A large asteroid is heading directly toward Earth.)

    1998
  • The Lord of the Rings: The Return of the King

    (In the conclusion of J.R.R. Tolkien's epic masterpiece, T...)

    2003
  • One Night at McCool's

    (She's one hot lady. And after just one night at McCool's,...)

    2001
  • Onegin

    (In the opulent St. Petersburg of the Empire period, Eugen...)

    1999

• TV series

  • The Leftovers

    (The show follows the residents of Mapleton, New York, who...)

    2014
  • Gunpowder

    (Kit Harington stars in this three-part historical thrille...)

    2017

Religion

Tyler’s form of spirituality is entirely inclusive and has more to do with the concept of a Higher Power and awe of the natural world than it does a set of religious principles. After stating that she felt “quite strongly” about her own spirituality, she said: "I’m not a religious person but I consider myself a spiritual person. I definitely have some kind of belief in something bigger than myself. I almost feel like it’s the universe and the earth and mother nature and that feeling when you go to the beach or stand on top of a mountain and look around and go, ‘God this is not about me.’ I feel quite clear about that in my own heart."

She also stated: "I find it interesting and humorous to see how people feel about things... That idea that we all have, or I think most people have, some relationship with something bigger than ourselves, whether we call it God or whatever it is to us. There’s that feeling all the time where you’re sort of looking up or out or for answers or for guidance or for help from something."

Politics

Liv Tyler stated that she is non-political. The only thing Tyler said about her political upbringing was that “half of my family is Republican, half is Democrat.”

Views

Tyler is an active supporter of the charitable United Nations Children's Fund (UNICEF). She was appointed as a Goodwill Ambassador for the United States in 2003. In November 2004, she hosted the lighting of the UNICEF Snowflake in New York City. She also served as a spokesperson for the 2004 Givenchy Mother's Day promotion, in support of UNICEF's Maternal and Neonatal Tetanus campaign.

Since 2004, she has donated to the Women's Cancer Research Fund to support innovative research, education, and outreach directed at the development of more effective approaches to the early diagnosis, treatment, and prevention of all women's cancers. In October 2007, Tyler, along with her mother, Bebe Buell, and her grandmother Dorothea Johnson, helped launch the Emergen-C Pink energy drink, in which the event was in honor of Breast Cancer Awareness month.

Tyler is a former vegan.

Quotations: "I've been told that if I'd lose weight I'd have more work, but I refuse to submit myself to those standards. To the rest of the world, I'm slim, and I like the way I am."

"I don't live a very posh life. There are no drivers waiting or people doing everything for me. I pretty much live like a normal person... It's not good to have a life without responsibilities, you know?"

"Life excites me. I'm not talking about appearing in movies or doing interviews, but just little, normal, everyday things. Getting out of bed. Getting dressed. Making food. I find it all exciting, you know?"

Personality

Tyler learned transcendental meditation in New York City. In December 2012, she participated in a charity gala for the David Lynch Foundation to provide transcendental meditation to disadvantaged sections of society. At the event, she said: "it helps me make better decisions and be a better mother, and just deal with the daily stress of the modern world that we live in. It helps with everything."

Despite her star status and her fame, Liv is known by her "down to earth" attitude, charm and kindness. In June 2010, Tyler stated she was "far too sensitive" for casual dates, adding "I fall in love once in a blue moon." Liv started smoking at age 14 and quit at age 25.

Tyler suffers from combined type ADHD and has been taking Ritalin for it since she was a child. She is also dyslexic.

Physical Characteristics: Liv was nicknamed Liv Taylor by film critics and the media when she first began acting because her dark hair and striking blue eyes reminded them of Elizabeth Taylor.

Interests

• Meditation

• Writers

  Ask the Dust by John Fante, Edith’s Diary by Patricia Highsmith, Oh, the Places You’ll Go! by Dr. Seuss, The Leftovers by Tom Perrotta

• Sport & Clubs

  Basketball

• Music & Bands

  Etta James, The Beatles, Stevie Wonder, David Bowie, Iggy Pop, Led Zeppelin, Hank Williams, Patsy Cline, The Beach Boys, Motley Crue, Kings of Leon, The Rolling Stones

Connections

In 1998, Tyler began dating British musician Royston Langdon of the band Spacehog. They became engaged in 2001 and married in Barbados in 2003. On December 14, 2004, she gave birth to a son, Milo William Langdon. In 2008, the couple confirmed through representatives that they would be separating.

Now she is in a relationship with Dave Gardner since the spring 2014 and they became engaged in early 2015. They have two children together, son Sailor Gene (born 11 February 2015) and daughter Lula Rose (born 9 July 2016).

Father:

Steven Tyler

At age eight Liv met Steven Tyler and noticed a resemblance she shared with his other daughter, Mia. When she asked her mother about the similarity, the secret was revealed. Buell's stated reason for the initial decision was that Steven was too heavily addicted to drugs at the time of her birth.

The truth about Tyler's paternity did not become public until six years later in 1991, when she changed her name from Rundgren to Tyler, but kept the former as a middle name. Since learning the truth about her paternity, Liv and Steven have developed a close relationship.

Mother:

Bebe Buell

Buell initially named the daughter Liv Rundgren and claimed that Todd Rundgren was the biological father. Rundgren and Buell ended their romantic relationship shortly after Liv's birth, but Rundgren put his heart and soul into the "white lie".

step-father:

Todd Rundgren

According to Tyler "... Todd Rundgren basically decided when I was born that I needed a father so he signed my birth certificate. He knew that there was a chance that I might not be his but ...." He paid to put her through private school, and she visited him several times a year.

half-sister:

Mia Tyler

Mia Tyler and Liv Tyler are just 18-months apart in age.

“Maybe all the time I was missing Mia,” Liv pondered of her half-sister. “But then I met Mia when I was 11 and she looks exactly like me. That is really weird.”

half-sister:

Chelsea Anna Tallarico

Half-brother:

Taj Monroe Tallarico

Ex-husband:

Royston Langdon

Son:

Milo William Langdon

Son:

Sailor Gene Gardner

Daughter:

Lula Rose Gardner

Boyfriend :

David Gardner

Friend:

Casey Affleck

colleague:

Charlize Theron

colleague:

Ben Affleck

colleague:

Lena Headey

colleague:

Orlando Bloom

colleague:

Jennifer Lopez

colleague:

Adam Sandler

colleague:

Kevin Bacon

colleague:

Patrick Wilson

colleague:

Kit Harington

References

• Liv Tyler