Thane Bettany was born in Sarawak, an independent state on the island of Borneo, which was then a British protectorate governed by the White Rajahs.
In The Tempest, he was the understudy for the role of Ferdinand; he then took over the part when the play transferred to Drury Lane with Sir John Gielgud.
[6] After a few years with the New Zealand Players, he returned home and taught at Corona Stage School, where he met Anne Kettle, whom he would later marry.
Bettany considered paying privately for sex-reassignment surgery, as he was too old for NHS protocols; in the end he judged it too expensive, and likely to hinder his remaining acting career.
[7] He lived in Fife, Scotland with his partner, Andy Little, continuing to work regularly as an actor, including performing with Dundee Rep until his death in November 2015.
[6][8] According to his son Paul, following the death of Andy after a 20 year relationship, Thane "went back into the closet" out of difficulties with grief and with reconciling his sexuality and Catholicism, fearing "not being able to get into Heaven".