During that career Owen has always mixed and matched his roles - none more so than in the last ten years.
And it has really been in the noughties where Owen has seen his career soar kicking off in Gosford Park before playing an assassin after Jason Bourne in The Bourne Identity.
Owen teamed up with director Antoine Faqua in 2004 with King Arthur, in which he played the title role.
Produced by Jerry Bruckheimer the movie brought a new spin on the take of Arthur, Guinevere and Lancelot - however it struggled at the box office and with the critics when it was released.
Owen switched to drama with his next movie Closer and his performance in the movie ranks as one of his greatest.
Directed by Mike Nichols the movie was based on a play by Patrick Marber and followed the complicated relationships between two couples.
Owen went on to win the Bafta and the Golden Globe for Best Supporting Actor and was nominated in that same category at the Oscars.
And while drama had proved to be very successful for the actor he didn't stay in this genre as he moved onto the adaptation of graphic novel Sin City.
The Frank Miller graphic novel was brought to life by director Robert Rodriguez in what was one of the best and most visual movies of 2005.
Owen took on the role of Dwight in the movie alongside an all star cast that included Bruce Willis, Mickey Rourke and Jessica Biel.
Comic book was followed up with sci-fi as the fantastic Children of Men hit the big screen in 2006.
The movie was loosely based on the novel of the same name by P.D. James and saw Alfonso Cuaron in the director's chair.
Owen played everyman Theo Faron in a world where infertility has brought society to the brink of collapse.
But when Theo comes face to face with a pregnant young girl he is given the job of protecting her.
Since Children of Men the actor has played Sir Walter Raleigh in Elizabeth: The Golden Age as well as kicked some ass in Shoot Em Up.
More recently he led the cast in moving family drama The Boys Are Back before going on to play ex-SAS officer in Killer Elite.
His new movie Shadow Dancer is a big screen adaptation of Tom Bradby novel - he has gone on to pen the screenplay.
The movie sees Owen team up with filmmaker James Marsh while Andrea Riseborough and Gillian Anderson are on the cast list.
Set in 1990s Belfast, an active member of the IRA becomes an informant for MI5 in order to protect her son's welfare.
Owen has also completed work on Blood Ties with Marion Cotillard and Zoe Saldana while Blind is another project in the pipeline.
Shadow Dancer is released 24th August
Click here to buy the book Shadow Dancer
FemaleFirst Helen Earnshaw
Tagged in Clive Owen