Movies

From Red Carpets to Combat Zones: Carey Mulligan’s Brother’s Incredible Journey

BBG News

His career couldn’t be more different to that of his award-winning actress sister Carey Mulligan. 

While her sister from The Great Gatsby graced glamorous red carpet events and film sets, her brother Owain instead dedicated his career to evading explosives and gunfire in conflict zones around the world.

Following his resignation from teaching, Carey’s elder sibling, aged 42, chose to switch paths and entered the military, ultimately becoming a Territorial Army solider.

Despite his primary role not being military service, Owain found himself serving on three separate deployments in Iraq and Afghanistan, where he faced challenges such as managing opposing militias, ensuring security, and enduring the emotional strain of losing fellow soldiers.

Now, Owain is set to reveal details about his professional journey in his upcoming memoir titled “The Accidental Soldier”. He confesses that while he was en route to Afghanistan, his close companion Carey, whom he refers to as his ‘best friend’, happened to be boarding Leonardo DiCaprio’s private plane.

He recalled an instance during one of his deployments when he was aboard a military flight carrying approximately 150 other soldiers, en route to Afghanistan. The only thing provided to us was a single water bottle on the flight. For ten long hours, we were seated in our helmets and body armor.

At the same moment I was on that flight, Carey was crossing the Atlantic aboard Leonardo DiCaprio’s private jet. This seemed particularly ironic to me.

For seven months, Owain was posted to Iraq following his completion of Officer Training at Sandhurst and additional training in Germany. Later, he joined his regiment there.

Initially, he believed he’d be assigned lighter responsibilities, perhaps a liaison role, but unexpectedly found himself leading the 3rd Troop of B Squadron, a combat unit based in Basra, in the year 2006.

He humorously commented on how his comrades responded upon learning about his famous sister: “They would remark in a surprising way, ‘Sir, it’s amazing that you’re serving here while she is achieving such great success!’

In a playful jab stemming from sibling rivalry, Owain – now a management consultant – remarked, “Over the years, there has been quite a bit of envy and resentment. But when I speak to Carey, I say, ‘I’m sorry, but being a management consultant is not within your reach, no matter how much you aspire to it.’

In 2012, as I graced Carey’s wedding aisle alongside Marcus Mumford, the lead singer of Mumford & Sons, our acquaintance was still in its infancy. Owing to my frequent absences due to military commitments, our encounters were limited to just a handful of occasions prior to this momentous event.

The day following my return from Afghanistan, I attended a wedding sporting a haircut given by a barber in Camp Bastion. That haircut, I’ve never forgiven him for.

He seldom goes to premieres alongside his sister, yet he came close to making a brief appearance in her movie “Suffragette” as an extra.

He mentioned that he was left out due to the producers finding it odd that a police officer, who happened to resemble the main actress quite closely, was seated in the cinema.

In a lighter note, it’s clear they share a strong bond, often collaborating to aid War Child, an organization that offers assistance to children living in conflict zones.

Regarding his military service, he mentioned that his learning process was rapid and steep. He often finds it astonishing that they entrusted him with leading troops in operations, given how minimal my training and abilities were at that point in time.

‘In the army, I was probably the least experienced or capable person they had left.’

In 2014, I took great pride when my Army captain brother bravely intervened to protect a girls’ school from the Taliban.

It emerged that Owain was attempting to gather funds for building a new well, and following his collaboration with War Child, the school eventually resumed operations.

The actress declared that her brother’s endeavors motivated her to represent this charity as its ambassador, whose mission is to aid children in conflict areas.

She shared with Harper’s Bazaar: ‘My brother served as a soldier in Afghanistan and was stationed near a girls’ school, which unfortunately had to close due to the Taliban. They contaminated the water supply.’

The school could only reopen if a fresh well was constructed. Remarkably, my brother stepped forward to spearhead the effort and initiated fundraising for the school.

She went on to say: ‘War Child is a charity that acted swiftly in response. Ever since then, my brother has been a devoted supporter, and upon leaving the military… we engaged with them and began discussions about collaboration.’

War Child is truly exceptional, offering support to children during conflicts, and providing assistance long after they have experienced a traumatic event.

The Accidental Soldier by Owain Mulligan is available April 10. 

Read More

2025-04-08 14:07

Previous post Beware! Your Office Add-ins Might Be a Trojan Horse in Disguise! 🐴💻
Next post DeFi Uprising: The Wild, Chaotic Rebellion of Crypto! 🤯💥