| Matthew Rhys | |
|---|---|
Rhys in June 2011 |
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| Born | Matthew Rhys Evans 8 November 1974 Cardiff, Wales |
| Occupation | Actor |
| Years active | 1997-present |
Matthew Rhys Evans (born on 8 November 1974), known professionally as Matthew Rhys, is a Welsh actor, best known as Kevin Walker on the U.S. ABC family drama Brothers & Sisters, and as Dylan Thomas in The Edge of Love.
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Rhys was born in Cardiff, Wales, the son of Glyn Evans, a headmaster and Helen Evans, a special needs teacher. He grew up in Cardiff along with his older sister Rachel Evans, who is now a BBC broadcast journalist. Rhys was educated through the Welsh language at Ysgol Gynradd Gymraeg Melin Gruffydd and Ysgol Gyfun Gymraeg Glantaf. At seventeen, after playing the lead role of Elvis Presley in a school musical, he applied and was accepted at the Royal Academy of Dramatic Art in London. Shortly thereafter, in 1993, he was awarded the Patricia Rothermere Scholarship.[1] During his time at RADA, Rhys appeared in Back-Up, the BBC police series about the operational support units Hooli Vans, as well as in House of America. He then returned to Cardiff to act in his own language in the Welsh film Bydd yn Wrol (Be Brave), for which he won Best Actor at the Welsh BAFTAs.
In January 1998, Rhys went to New Zealand to star in Greenstone, a colonial costume drama for television. He then landed a role in Titus, Julie Taymor's adaptation of Titus Andronicus, starring Anthony Hopkins and Jessica Lange. Next he played Ray in Peter Hewitt's film comedy, Whatever Happened to Harold Smith? After returning to Wales, he did two consecutive films with Jonathan Pryce: The Testimony of Taliesin Jones, a film about a dysfunctional single-parent family in which he played the elder son, and Sara Sugarman's comedy Very Annie Mary, in which he played the role of Nob. Rhys would later reunite with Very Annie Mary star Rachel Griffiths on Brothers & Sisters, which also stars Academy Award-winner Sally Field, actor Rob Lowe & Ally McBeal alumna, Calista Flockhart.
In 2000, Rhys played the lead role in Metropolis, a drama series for Granada TV about the lives of six twenty-somethings living in London. Next he starred in Peaches, the film of the play written and directed by Nick Grosso. Rhys starred as Benjamin in the 2000 world premiere of the stage adaptation of The Graduate, alongside Kathleen Turner at The Gielgud Theatre in London's West End.
Rhys travelled to Ireland to star in the 18th century swashbuckling adventure, The Abduction Club. He played the lead role of Darren Daniels in Tabloid, and then returned to New Zealand to shoot the epic drama Lost World for the BBC. His other film credits include the independent horror film Deathwatch in Prague and Fakers, a comic crime caper. He also appeared opposite the late Brittany Murphy in the independent feature Love and Other Disasters, in Virgin Territory opposite Hayden Christensen, Tim Roth and Mischa Barton, and playing poet Dylan Thomas in the love quadrangle biopic The Edge of Love, alongside Keira Knightley, Sienna Miller and Cillian Murphy.
Rhys is quite adamant that he could happily give up his career to play international rugby for his country.[2]
On July 15, 2008, Rhys was honoured by Aberystwyth University as a Fellow.[3] On August 8, 2008, he was honoured at the Welsh National Eisteddfod by being accepted as a member to the druidic order of the Gorsedd of the Bards,[4] for his contribution to the Welsh language and Wales. His bardic name in the Gorsedd is Matthew Tâf. In August 2009, Rhys took to the stage with the National Youth Orchestra of Wales as part of the National Eisteddfod.[5]
Matthew Rhys is a patron of the Iris Prize, Cardiff's International Gay and Lesbian Short Film Prize.[6]
Airing in 2012 on January 10 and 11, Matthew Rhys will appear in the BBC Two two-part drama adaptation (written by Gwyneth Hughes and directed by Diarmuid Lawrence) of Charles Dickens' last novel, The Mystery of Edwin Drood, left unfinished at his death in 1870. [7]
Matthew Rhys will reprise Sir Alec Guinness's 1959 double role of John Barratt/Jacques De Gué in a new adaptation of Daphne Du Maurier's 1957 novel The Scapegoat. The 100-minute film, directed and written by Charles Sturridge will be produced by Sarah Beardsall and Dominic Minghella's Island Pictures.[8] The Scapegoat went into production on location in London in November 2011 and will be released for cinema audiences worldwide, a theatrical distribution managed by Content Media following its screening on ITV1 in April 2012.
In 2012, Matthew Rhys will play Jimmy with the Roundabout Theatre Company's Off-Broadway production of John Osborne's play Look Back in Anger, directed by Roundabout associate artist Sam Gold. Look Back in Anger will begin performances on January 13 and will open officially on February 2 at the Laura Pels Theatre at the Harold and Miriam Steinberg Center for Theatre. The production will play a limited engagement through April 8, 2012.
Rhys is very close friends with actor Ioan Gruffudd, and they shared a house for nearly 10 years.[2] Rhys served as one of the best men at Gruffudd's wedding, and wrote a speech for the occasion.[9]
Both Rhys and Gruffudd are patrons of UK spinal injuries charity Trust PA[10] a spinal injuries charity of which Matthew Rhys is patron in memory of a schoolfriend. Rhys is also patron of Hijinx Theatre[11] based at Wales Millennium Centre in Cardiff Bay, as well as a Charity Champion for The Noah's Ark Appeal[12] a charity that fund-raises for the development of The Children's Hospital of Wales.
| Year | Film/TV | Role | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2012 | The Scapegoat | John Standing / Johnny Spence | Novel adaptation |
| 2011 | The Mystery of Edwin Drood | John Jasper | Two-part TV drama |
| 2011 | Everything Carries Me To You | Damien | (short) - see external links below |
| 2010 | Patagonia | Mateo | |
| 2009 | The Think Tank | Marc | (short) - see external links below |
| 2008 | The Edge of Love | Dylan Thomas | |
| 2007 | Virgin Territory | Count Dzerzhinsky | |
| 2006 | Love and Other Disasters | Peter Simon | |
| 2006 | Beau Brummell: This Charming Man | Lord Byron | |
| 2006–2011 | Brothers & Sisters | Kevin Walker | (TV series) 109 episodes Directed three episodes |
| 2004 | Fakers | Nick Edwards | |
| 2003 | Columbo Likes the Nightlife | Justin Price | |
| 2003 | Y Mabinogi | Lleu Llaw Gyffes | (voice) |
| 2002 | Deathwatch | Cpl. Doc Fairweather | |
| 2002 | The Abduction Club | James Strang | |
| 2002 | Shooters | Eddie | |
| 2001 | The Lost World | Edward Malone | |
| 2001 | Very Annie Mary | Nob | |
| 2001 | Tabloid | Darren Daniels | |
| 2000 | Sorted | Carl | |
| 2000 | A History of Britain | (voice, TV series) | |
| 1999 | Heart | Sean McCardle | |
| 1999 | Titus | Demetrius | |
| 1999 | Whatever Happened to Harold Smith? | Ray Smith | |
| 1998 | Elizabeth | (uncredited) |
| Year | Play | Role | Writer/Director | Venue or Company |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2012 | Look Back in Anger | Jimmy | John Osborne/Sam Gold | Roundabout Theatre Company |
| 2004 | King Lear | Edmund | William Shakespeare/Bill Alexander (director) | Royal Shakespeare Company |
| 2004 | Romeo and Juliet | Romeo | William Shakespeare/Peter Gill (playwright) | Royal Shakespeare Company |
| 2003 | Under Milk Wood | Mog Edwards | Dylan Thomas/Michael Bogdanov | New Theatre (Cardiff) |
| 2002 | The Associate | Tiny | Simon Bent | Royal National Theatre |
| 2000 | The Graduate | Benjamin Braddock | Charles Webb (author)/Terry Johnson (dramatist) | Gielgud Theatre |
| 1997 | Stranger's House (Fremdes Haus) | Yanne | Dea Loher[13]/Mary Peate | Royal Court Theatre |
| 1997 | One More Wasted Year | Pierre | Christophe Pellet/Mary Peate | Royal Court Theatre |
| 1997 | Grace Note | Nick | Samuel Adamson/Dominic Dromgoole | The Old Vic |
| 1997 | Cardiff East | Tommy | Peter Gill (playwright) | Royal National Theatre |