Seeing them together the resemblance is immediate. Not only do English actress Liz Hurley and her son Damian have matching to-die-for cheekbones and piercing blue eyes, they also share a love for the entertainment business.
The pair have appeared together on chat shows, the red carpet and even on set over the years but, now 22, Damien is starting to outshine his mother with a new directing career of his own.
WHO IS DAMIAN HURLEY’S FATHER?
Damian Charles Hurley was born in April 2002 and his biological father was American producer and screenwriter Steve Bing.
Elizabeth briefly dated Bing after splitting from Hugh Grant in 2000, and became pregnant in 2001. When Damian was born Bing denied paternity, but a DNA test proved he was Damian’s father, The Guardian reported.
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Bing did not become part of his son’s life and they are thought to have never even met. Bing died by suicide in 2020 and a family dispute ensued after Damian was prevented from inheriting anything from his father’s $330 million will.
Despite Steve reportedly setting up trust funds for Damian, and his daughter, Kira Kerkorian, who he had with retired pro tennis player Lisa Bonder, Damian’s biological grandfather, Peter Bing, blocked the inheritance.
The pair were born out of wedlock and, as such, were able to be removed from having access to the money.
“When Stephen took his own life, he died thinking his children were going to be taken care of,” Hurley told the Daily Mail following the decision. “What Stephen wanted has now been callously reversed. I know Stephen would have been devastated.”
HOW DID DAMIAN HURLEY GROW UP?
Damian was raised in Gloucestershire with his mother and businessman Arun Nayar, who was Elizabeth’s husband from 2007 to 2011.
When the actress got engaged to Australian cricket player Shane Warne in 2011, the family moved to Australia, where they lived part-time.
He went to Wellington College, a prestigious boarding school in Berkshire.
In 2022, Warne died of a heart attack and both Elizabeth and Damian shared heartbreaking tributes on Instagram.
“SW was a father figure to me for most of my formative years and was truly one the best men I’ve ever known,” Damian wrote sharing photos of himself with Warne. “My heart is broken.”
WHO ARE DAMIAN HURLEY’S FAMOUS GODFATHERS?
Damian had no shortage of male role models and Elizabeth appointed her ex, Hugh Grant as well as Elton John and John’s husband, David Furnish as his godfathers.
“We went through so much together,” Elizabeth said of Hugh on a People podcast.
Damian frequently posts photos of his famous godfather’s on Instagram with captions thanking them for their influence in his life.
What does Damian Hurley do?
Damian is just as comfortable in front of the camera as his famous mother. Before starting his modelling career, Damian was a budding actor, starring alongside his mother in The Royals.
He played Prince Hansel Von Liechtenstein in season 3 of the series and shared scenes with his mother, who called the experience “just fantastic.”
Two years later, Damien landed a modelling job with beauty brand Pat McGrath Labs then signed with IMG Models in 2020.
Always wanting to direct, in 2022 Damian released his debut short film, The Boy on the Beach, in which Elizabeth stars.
His second directing project, Strictly Confidential, is also his directorial feature debut.
When filming wrapped in December 2022, Damian posted photos on Instagram and explained in his caption that his mum “dropped everything” to be in the film.
DAMIAN’S RELATIONSHIP WITH HIS MOTHER LIS HURLEY
Elizabeth and Damian are super active on social media, frequently giving fans and followers a glimpse into their family life.
The pair are incredibly close and Damian told German show Exclusiv that he never missed out not having his biological father in his life. “Mum filled the role of 800 parents at the same time. We are so close. Sometimes like siblings,” he said.
In a recent Instagram post wishing his mother Happy Birthday he calls her “my twin.”
“I love you mama,” he wrote to which she replied.
“I love you to the moon, the stars and around the whole galaxy a trillion times and back.”
