Paul Rhys

Paul Rhys (born 19 December 1963) is a Welsh actor with an extensive career in theatre, radio, television and film.

Early life

Rhys was born in Neath to working-class Catholic parents, Kathryn Ivory and Richard Charles Rhys, a labourer. He is of part- Irish descent on his mother's side. From the age of ten, he bred and trained horses, becoming a highly accomplished rider. A committed punk during his youth, Rhys sang in several bands. His first acting job was playing Liverpudlian judo expert Ralph in John Godber's hit play ''Bouncers'', before leaving for London, where he qualified for his Equity card by singing jazz standards at lunchtime for Peter Boizot's Pizza Express and Kettners.

Career

Rhys received a Bernard Shaw Scholarship to study at RADA. In the first term he was spotted by Philip Prowse and was invited to perform in Oscar Wilde's ''A Woman of No Importance'' at the Glasgow Citizens Theatre, playing the illegitimate son, Gerald. He also appeared as Dean Swift in Julien Temple's film '' Absolute Beginners''. Rhys completed his education at RADA by winning the William Pole prize and the Bancroft Gold Medal.

Film

His next film role was in Franklin J. Schaffner's '' Lionheart''. After a brief spell at the Royal Shakespeare Company he played opposite Colin Firth in Richard Eyre's award-winning film '' Tumbledown''. Soon after this, he appeared in '' Vincent & Theo'', directed by American film director Robert Altman, as Vincent van Gogh's younger brother Theo van Gogh. Continuing the theme of famous brothers, Paul then played Sydney Chaplin opposite Robert Downey Jr.'s Charlie Chaplin in Richard Attenborough's ''Chaplin''. He went on to play ''Massis'' in Alan Bennett's '' 102 Boulevard Haussmann''. He then appeared opposite Peter O'Toole in '' Rebecca's Daughters''. A series of films then followed including '' From Hell'', '' Food of Love'', '' Love Lies Bleeding'', '' Becoming Colette'' and '' Hellraiser: Deader''. He appears as Talleyrand in Ridley Scott's 2023 epic ''Napoleon'', and as Duncan in Emerald Fennell's '' Saltburn''.

Television

Running parallel to Rhys's film work has been a diverse and notable television career, working in leading roles with directors such as Mike Hodges, Stephen Frears, Sir Richard Eyre, Philip Martin, Christopher Morahan, Tom Vaughan, Edward Hall, Harry Bradbeer in productions including '' Tumbledown'', ''A Dance to the Music of Time'', '' The Heroes'', ''Ghosts'', '' Gallowglass'', ''The Healer'', ''Anna Karenina'', ''The Deal'', ''Beethoven'', ''The Ten Commandments'', ''Borgia'', '' Luther'' and ''Spooks''.

In 2008 Rhys appeared in the series ''Agatha Christie's Poirot''. In 2014, he played the lead as traitor Aldrich Ames, in '' The Assets'' miniseries, then as King George III in '' Turn: Washington's Spies'' and as Sir John Conroy in '' Victoria''. He has made a minor industry out of playing vampires: ''Being Human'' (as Ivan); as Vlad, the Prince of Wallachia aka Dracula in seasons 1–3 of the 2015 series ''Da Vinci's Demons''; and as Andrew Hubbard in two seasons of the 2020–2021 hit, '' A Discovery of Witches''. In 2023, he appears as Tommy in the BBC film, '' Men Up''.

Theatre

Rhys's early stage work included performances at Glasgow Citizens Theatre, Royal Shakespeare Company, Riverside Studios, Compass Theatre and Young Vic. His first appearance at the Royal National Theatre was opposite Ian McKellen in Bent, subsequently playing Angelo in Simon McBurney's ''Measure for Measure'' for which he won the Critics' Circle Theatre Award; Housman in ''The Invention of Love;'' and Edgar in ''King Lear'', for which he was nominated for an Olivier Award. He appeared as ''Edmund'' in '' Long Day's Journey into Night'' and as ''Leo'' in '' Design for Living'' at The Donmar Warehouse, performing opposite Rachel Weisz and Clive Owen. In 2000 he played the title role in ''Hamlet'' at the Young Vic and later in Tokyo and Osaka. He received several awards for this performance. Rhys continued his collaboration with Simon McBurney in ''Vanishing Points'' and ''The Dark is Rising'', and played The Master in ''Master and Margarita''. The show opened at the Barbican in 2010 and continued on international tour, returning to the Barbican for a second sell-out season in 2012. In 2016, he starred in a new version of Chekhov's Uncle Vanya by Robert Icke at The Almeida Theatre alongside Tobias Menzies, Jessica Brown Findlay and Vanessa Kirby.

Real-life characters played by Rhys have included Vlad Tepes, Ludwig van Beethoven, Peter Mandelson, Paul McCartney, Thomas De Quincey, A. E. Housman, Frédéric Chopin, Marcus Tullius Cicero and Talleyrand.

On two occasions, Rhys was taken to hospital while working on a stage production, once with pneumonia and, on the other occasion, with exhaustion. In the title role in Howard Brenton's play ''Paul'' at the Royal National Theatre, he was unable to continue as he had lost an unhealthy amount of weight, dropping from .

Radio

Rhys has acted in over one hundred BBC Radio dramas. His roles include: Simon Templar in Leslie Charteris's ''The Idiot'' (2002), Charles Lamb in Carlo Gébler's ''Charles and Mary'' (2011), and Jacques Futrelle's Augustus S. F. X. Van Dusen in ''The Rivals'' (2011–2013).

Personal life

Rhys was in a relationship with the late Australian actress Arkie Whiteley, with whom he appeared in '' Gallowglass''. When Whiteley was diagnosed with terminal cancer at the age of 36, he nursed her until her death.

Filmography

Film

Television

Theatre

References

External links

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{{DEFAULTSORT:Rhys, Paul
1963 births
20th-century Welsh male actors
21st-century Welsh male actors
Alumni of the Royal Academy of Dramatic Art
Critics' Circle Theatre Award winners
Living people
Actors from Neath
Welsh Roman Catholics
Welsh male stage actors
Welsh male film actors
Welsh male television actors
Welsh people of Irish descent