Jonathan Pryce | |
|---|---|
_(cropped).jpg) Pryce in 2016 | |
| Born | John Price (1947-06-01)1 June 1947 (age 77) Carmel, Flintshire, Wales |
| Nationality | Welsh |
| Alma mater | Royal Academy of Dramatic Art |
| Occupation | Actor |
| Years active | 1972–present |
| Spouse | |
| Children | 3 |
| Awards | Full list |
Sir Jonathan Pryce (bornJohn Price; 1 June 1947) is a Welsh actor. He is known for his performances on stage and in film and television. He has receivednumerous awards, including twoTony Awards and twoLaurence Olivier Awards, and aknighthood for services to drama. He has also received nominations for anAcademy Award, fourPrimetime Emmy Awards and twoBritish Academy Film Awards.
After studying at theRoyal Academy of Dramatic Art, he began his career as a stage actor in the early 1970s. His work in theatre includes anOlivier Award–winning performance in the title role of theRoyal Court Theatre'sHamlet in 1980 and as The Engineer in the stage musicalMiss Saigon in 1990. On theBroadway stage he earnedTony Awards—the first forBest Featured Actor in a Play for his Broadway debut role inComedians (1977), the second forBest Actor in a Musical for the Broadway transfer of the musicalMiss Saigon (1991).
Pryce's theatre work led to several supporting roles in film and television. Hisbreakthrough screen performance was inTerry Gilliam'ssatiricaldystopianblack comedy filmBrazil (1985). Critically lauded for his versatility,[1][2] Pryce has appeared in big-budget films includingEvita (1996),Tomorrow Never Dies (1997) andPirates of the Caribbean series (2003–2007), as well asindependent films such as the film adaptation of theDavid MametplayGlengarry Glen Ross (1992),Martin Scorsese's period dramaThe Age of Innocence (1993),Christopher Hampton'sCarrington (1995),Terrence Malick's historical filmThe New World (2005) and the dramaThe Wife (2017) oppositeGlenn Close. In 2019, he earned his firstAcademy Award nomination for his portrayal ofPope Francis inThe Two Popes alongsideAnthony Hopkins playingPope Benedict XVI.[3]
For his work on television, he received twoPrimetime Emmy Award nominations forOutstanding Supporting Actor in a Limited Series or Movie for his performances inBarbarians at the Gate (1993) andReturn to Cranford (2010). Pryce has gained acclaim for his roles asThomas Wolsey in theBBC limited seriesWolf Hall (2015), theHigh Sparrow in theHBO seriesGame of Thrones (2015–2016) and Sir Stuart Strange in the seriesTaboo (2017). In 2022, he succeededTobias Menzies asPrince Philip in the final two seasons of the award-winningNetflix historical drama seriesThe Crown, gaining nominations for aGolden Globe Award for Best Supporting Actor and aPrimetime Emmy Award for Outstanding Supporting Actor.[4][5][6] Since 2022, he appears as David Cartwright inSlow Horses.[7]
Pryce was born John Price on 1 June 1947 inCarmel, Flintshire, the son of Margaret Ellen (née Williams) and Isaac Price, a formercoal miner who ran a small general grocery shop with his wife.[8] He has two older sisters and was raised aWelsh Presbyterian.[9] He was educated atHolywell Grammar School,[8] and at the age of 16, went to art college before he started training to be a teacher at Edge Hill College (nowEdge Hill University) inOrmskirk, Lancashire.[8] While studying, he took part in a college theatre production and applied to theRoyal Academy of Dramatic Art (RADA).[8] Pryce was subsequently awarded a scholarship toRADA, graduating in 1971, with Acting (RADA Diploma).[10]
He joinedEquity, and took "Jonathan Pryce" as his stage name because his birth name was too similar to that of a performer already represented by Equity.[8][11][12] While at RADA, he worked as a door-to-door salesman of velvet paintings.[13]
Despite finding RADA "strait-laced"[12] and being told by his tutor that he could never aspire to do more than playing villains onZ-Cars,[14] Pryce joined theEveryman Theatre inLiverpool upon graduation and eventually became its artistic director. He performed with theRoyal Shakespeare Company and theNottingham Playhouse.[15][16] To gain his Equity card, he made his first screen appearance in a minor role in "Fire & Brimstone", a 1972 episode of the science fiction drama seriesDoomwatch. He then starred in two television films directed byStephen Frears:Daft as a Brush andPlaythings.
After leaving Everyman, Pryce joined SirRichard Eyre at the Nottingham Playhouse and starred inTrevor Griffiths' playComedians, in a role specially written for him. The production moved to theOld Vic Theatre in London. Pryce reprised the role on Broadway in 1976, this time directed byMike Nichols, and for which Pryce won the 1977Tony Award for Best Featured Actor in a Play. It was around this time that he appeared in his first film role, playing the character Joseph Manasse in the dramaVoyage of the Damned, starringFaye Dunaway. He did not, however, abandon the stage, appearing from 1978 to 1979 in theRoyal Shakespeare Company's productions ofThe Taming of the Shrew asPetruchio, andAntony and Cleopatra asOctavius Caesar.[17][18]
In 1980, his performance in thetitle role ofHamlet at theRoyal Court Theatre won him anOlivier Award, and was acclaimed by some critics as the definitive Hamlet of his generation.[19][20] That year, Pryce had a small but pivotal role asZarniwoop in the 12th episode of theHitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy radio series, one that he reprised for theQuintessential Phase which was broadcast in 2005. In his original role as Zarniwoop, Pryce's character questions the "ruler of the Universe", asolipsist who has been chosen to rule arguably because of either his inherent manipulability, or immunity therefrom, on his philosophical opinions. Around the same time, in 1980, he also appeared in the filmBreaking Glass. In 1983, Pryce played the role of the sinister Mr Dark inSomething Wicked This Way Comes, based on theRay Bradburynovel of the same title. Afterward, he began appearing mostly in films, such as theIan McEwan-scriptedThe Ploughman's Lunch, andMartin Luther, Heretic (both also 1983).
He achieved a breakthrough with his role as the subduedprotagonist Sam Lowry in theTerry Gilliamscience fictiondystopiandark comedy,Brazil (1985).[21] AfterBrazil, Pryce appeared in the historical thrillerThe Doctor and the Devils (also 1985) and then in theGene Wilder-directed filmHaunted Honeymoon (1986). During this period of his life, Pryce continued to perform on stage, and gained particular notice as the successful but self-doubting writer Trigorin in a London production ofAnton Chekhov'sThe Seagull in late 1985.[22] From 1986 to 1987 Pryce played thelead part in theRoyal Shakespeare Company's production ofMacbeth, which also starredSinéad Cusack asLady Macbeth.[23] Pryce worked once again with Gilliam inThe Adventures of Baron Munchausen (1988), playing "The Right Ordinary Horatio Jackson". The film was a notorious financial fiasco,[24] with production costing more than $40 million, when the original budget was $23.5 million.[25][26] The following year Pryce appeared in three of the earliest episodes of theimprovisation showWhose Line Is It Anyway?, alongsidePaul Merton andJohn Sessions,[27] and inUncle Vanya, again a play byChekhov, at theVaudeville Theatre.[28] After a series of major dramatic roles on stage, including Vanya and Macbeth, Pryce decided he wanted to do musicals after seeing his friendPatti LuPone in the original London production ofLes Misérables.[29]
He successfully returned to the stage originating the role of The Engineer, a Eurasianpimp, in the West End musicalMiss Saigon. His performance was praised in England where he won the Olivier and Variety Club awards,[30][31] but when the production transferred to Broadway theActors' Equity Association (AEA) tried to stop Pryce from portraying The Engineer because, according to their executive secretary, "[t]he casting of aCaucasian actor made up to appear Asian is an affront to the Asian community."[32] The London production featured Pryce inyellowface, wearing prosthetics to alter the shape of his eyes and makeup to alter the colour of his skin.[33] The show's producer,Cameron Mackintosh, decided to cancel the $10 million New York production.[34] Realising that its decision would result in the loss of many jobs, and after Pryce received much support from fellow actors (bothCharlton Heston andJohn Malkovich threatened to leave the union if Pryce was not allowed to perform) the AEA decided to make a deal with Mackintosh, allowing Pryce to appear in the production. He won aTony Award for his performance in 1991.[35][36] The controversy over Pryce's casting inMiss Saigon provided playwrightDavid Henry Hwang the inspiration for his playsFace Value andYellow Face.[37]
Made in the same period, Pryce starred in theITV mini-seriesSelling Hitler (1991) asGerd Heidemann. Pryce returned to the London stage the following year to star for one night only at theRoyal Festival Hall for an AIDS charity alongsideElaine Paige and Lilliane Montivecchi in the 1992 revival of theFederico Fellini-inspired musicalNine.[38] Pryce featured, alongsideKathy Burke andMinnie Driver, in theBBC serialMr. Wroe's Virgins (1993), directed byDanny Boyle. Pryce playedHenry Kravis in theHBO producedmade-for-TV movieBarbarians at the Gate (1993). He was nominated for aPrimetime Emmy Award and for aGolden Globe Award for his role.[39] Also during 1993, Pryce starred alongsideRiver Phoenix andJudy Davis in the unfinished filmDark Blood, but production had to be shut down when, 11 days short of completion, Phoenix died from a drug overdose.[40] DirectorGeorge Sluizer, who owns the rights to what has been filmed, has made available some of the raw material, which features Pryce and Phoenix on a field inUtah, on his personal website.[41] Between 1993 and 1997, Pryce, on a multimillion-dollar contract became the spokesman for theInfiniti automobile marque in a series of American television commercials, in particular for theInfiniti J30 andInfiniti Q45. In one of these advertisements Pryce appeared alongside jazz singerNancy Wilson in a Prague nightclub.[42] In 1994, Pryce portrayedFagin in a revival of the musicalOliver!,[43] and starred alongsideEmma Thompson in the filmCarrington (1995), which centres on aplatonic relationship between gay writerLytton Strachey and painterDora Carrington. For his portrayal of Strachey, Pryce received theBest Actor Award at the1995 Cannes Film Festival.[44]
During the early 2000s Pryce starred and participated in a variety of movies, such asThe Affair of the Necklace (2001), andUnconditional Love (2002). While the success of some of these films was variable, the 2001 London stage production ofMy Fair Lady and his portrayal of Professor Henry Higgins was acclaimed by observers.[45]Martine McCutcheon, who portrayed Eliza Doolittle, was sick during much of the show's run. McCutcheon was replaced by her understudy Alexandra Jay, who would also fall sick hours before a performance, forcing her understudy,Kerry Ellis, to take the lead. On her first night, Pryce introduced Ellis to the audience before the show by saying "This will be your first Eliza, my second today and my third this week. Any member of the audience interested in playing Eliza can find applications at the door. Wednesday and Saturday matinee available."[46] Pryce performed with four Elizas during the course of 14 months. The show was nominated for fourLaurence Olivier Awards on 2001: Best Actress in a Musical for Martine McCutcheon, Outstanding Musical Production, Best Theatre Choreographer and Best Actor in a Musical for Pryce. Pryce lost toPhilip Quast, and McCutcheon won in her category.
In April 2003 Pryce returned to the non-musical stage withA Reckoning, written by American dramatist Wesley Moore. The play co-starredFlora Montgomery and after premiering at theSoho Theatre in London was described byThe Daily Telegraph as "one of the most powerful and provocative new American plays to have opened sinceDavid Mamet'sOleanna."[47] Pryce had a role in live-actionDisney Studiosaction-adventure filmPirates of the Caribbean: The Curse of the Black Pearl (2003), in which he portrayed a fictionalGovernor of Jamaica,Weatherby Swann, a film he has described as "one of those why-not movies."[28] Pryce portrayedGovernor Weatherby Swann the father ofElizabeth Swan portrayed byKeira Knightley. He reprised the role of Governor Weatherby Swann for thePirates of the Caribbean sequels,Pirates of the Caribbean: Dead Man's Chest (2006) andPirates of the Caribbean: At World's End (2007). Both werefilmed at the same time but released a year apart.[48]
AfterPirates, Pryce appeared in several large-scale motion pictures, such as the romantic teen comedyWhat a Girl Wants (2003), andDe-Lovely (2004), his second musical film, a chronicle of the life of songwriterCole Porter, for whichKevin Kline and Pryce covered a Porter song called "Blow, Gabriel, Blow".The Brothers Grimm (2005), Pryce's third completed film with Terry Gilliam, starredMatt Damon andHeath Ledger, andThe New World (2005), in which he had a cameo role asKing James I. In 2005, Pryce was nominated for anotherOlivier Award in the best actor category for his role in the 2004 London production ofThe Goat or Who is Sylvia?, where he played Martin, a goat-lover who has to face the recriminations of his cheated-on wife, played by his real-life wifeKate Fahy. Pryce's performance was highly praised, but he lost the Olivier toRichard Griffiths.[49][50][51]
Pryce lent his voice to the Frenchanimated film,Renaissance (2006), which he stated he wanted to do because he had never "done anything quite like it before."[52] Pryce returned to the Broadway stage replacingJohn Lithgow, from January to July 2006, as Lawrence Jameson in the musical version ofDirty Rotten Scoundrels.[53] During early 2007, the BBC serialSherlock Holmes and the Baker Street Irregulars was first broadcast with Pryce in the lead.[15] From September 2007 through June 2008, he returned to the theatre portraying Shelly Levene in a new West End production ofDavid Mamet'sGlengarry Glen Ross at theApollo Theatre, London.[54] Pryce also appeared as part of anensemble cast in the 2008 real-time strategy video gameCommand & Conquer: Red Alert 3, playing the role of Marshall Robert Bingham[55] alongsideTim Curry,J.K. Simmons,George Takei and several other veteran actors.[56]
In 2015, he joined the cast of theHBO seriesGame of Thrones inSeason 5 as theHigh Sparrow.[57] Pryce admitted that one of the main reasons he took on the role was because of how influential the character is plot-wise. While initially being quite sceptical about "sword and sorcery" shows, Pryce later had a change of heart after his positive experiences on theThrones sets.[58] In 2015, he also appeared at The Globe Theatre as Shylock inThe Merchant of Venice. His real life daughter Phoebe played Shylock's daughter Jessica. In 2015, he joined the cast ofThe Healer starring withOliver Jackson-Cohen,Camilla Luddington, andJorge Garcia.[59] In 2018 he portrayedDon Quixote inTerry Gilliam'sThe Man Who Killed Don Quixote starringAdam Driver.
In 2018, Pryce starred alongsideDame Eileen Atkins inFlorian Zeller's play,The Height of the Storm atWyndham's Theatre in theWest End to rapturous reviews. The play was named best play of the year byThe Guardian.[60] The play was transferred to Broadway stage where it ran from September to November 2019 at theSamuel J. Friedman Theatre produced by theManhattan Theatre Club with Pryce and Atkins reprising their performances. The play and the performances received a strong reception from New York critics. Marilyn Stasio ofVariety praised the leading actors describing Pryce's performance as an elderly man struggling with early forms ofdementia as "achingly sensitive", and like "quicksilver".[61]
Late that same year, Pryce portrayedPope Francis, oppositeAnthony Hopkins playingPope Benedict XVI, in the acclaimed Netflix filmThe Two Popes, directed byFernando Meirelles, which was released that winter onNetflix. Meirelles cast him for his striking resemblance to the real Pope Francis. The film and their performances received critical acclaim, with Stephen Farber ofThe Hollywood Reporter praising their chemistry, writing in particular of Pryce, "[He] goes head-to-head against Hopkins and matches him in subtlety as well as charismatic force."[62] He received his first everAcademy Award nomination forBest Actor for the film.[63] In August 2020, it was announced that Pryce would portrayPrince Philip, Duke of Edinburgh in the final two seasons ofNetflix'sThe Crown.[64] His performance in the fifth season earned him a nomination for theGolden Globe Award for Best Supporting Actor in a Television Series – Comedy/Musical or Drama.[65]
Pryce is married. While working at theEveryman Theatre in 1972, Pryce met actressKate Fahy; after a decades-long relationship, they married in 2015. They live inLondon and have three children.[66] Pryce was raised in thePresbyterian Church of Wales[9] but isno longer religious.[67]
In 2006, Pryce was awarded an honorary doctorate by theUniversity of Liverpool.[68] He is a fellow of theRoyal Welsh College of Music & Drama[69] and a Companion of theLiverpool Institute for Performing Arts (LIPA).[70] He was appointedCommander of the Order of the British Empire (CBE) in the 2009 Birthday Honours.[71]
Pryce wasknighted in the2021 Birthday Honours for services to drama and charity.[72][73]
| Year | Title | Role | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1972 | Doomwatch | Police Constable | 1 episode |
| 1975–1979 | Play for Today | Gethin Price / Tommy | 2 episodes |
| 1976 | BBC2 Playhouse | Playleader | 1 episode |
| 1976 | Bill Brand | Jamie Finn | 1 episode |
| 1977 | Chalk and Cheese | Dave Finn | 1 episode |
| 1978 | Play of the Week | Nicholas | 1 episode |
| 1980 | The Day Christ Died | Herod Antipas | Television film |
| 1980 | Spine Chillers | Reader | 5 episodes |
| 1982 | Murder Is Easy | Mr. Ellsworthy | Television film |
| 1982 | Praying Mantis | Christian Magny | Television film |
| 1983 | Martin Luther, Heretic | Martin Luther | Television film |
| 1988 | Tickets for the Titanic | Rev Richard Hopkins | 1 episode |
| 1988 | The Storyteller | King | 1 episode |
| 1988–1989 | Whose Line Is It Anyway? | Himself | 6 episodes |
| 1990 | Screen Two | William Wallace | 1 episode |
| 1990 | The Jim Henson Hour | King | 1 episode |
| 1991 | Selling Hitler | Gerd Heidemann | Miniseries, 5 episodes |
| 1993 | Mr. Wroe's Virgins | John Wroe | Miniseries, 4 episodes |
| 1993 | Barbarians at the Gate | Henry Kravis | Television film |
| 1993 | Thicker than Water | Sam | Television film |
| 1997 | David | Saul | Television film |
| 1999 | The Curse of Fatal Death | The Master | Television short |
| 2001 | Victoria & Albert | KingLeopold I of Belgium | Miniseries, 2 episodes |
| 2002 | The Wonderful World of Disney | Master Schoenmacker | 1 episode |
| 2007 | Sherlock Holmes and the Baker Street Irregulars | Sherlock Holmes | Television film |
| 2008 | My Zinc Bed | Victor Quinn | Television film |
| 2008 | Clone | Dr. Victor Blenkinsop | Main role, 6 episodes |
| 2009 | Return to Cranford | Mr. Buxton | 2 episodes |
| 2014 | Under Milk Wood | Mr. Pugh | Television film |
| 2015 | Wolf Hall | Cardinal Wolsey | Miniseries, 4 episodes |
| 2015–2016 | Game of Thrones | The High Sparrow | Main role, 12 episodes |
| 2016 | To Walk Invisible | Patrick Brontë | Television film |
| 2017 | Taboo | Sir Stuart Strange | Main role, 8 episodes |
| 2018 | Imagine | Cary Grant (voice) | 1 episode |
| 2020 | Tales from the Loop | Russ | 4 episodes |
| 2022–2024 | Slow Horses | David Cartwright | Guest role (seasons 1-3), main role (season 4) |
| 2022 | Documentary Now! | Owen Teale-Griffith | 1 episode |
| 2022–2023 | The Crown | Prince Philip, Duke of Edinburgh | Main role (Seasons 5–6) |
| 2024 | 3 Body Problem | Mike Evans | 5 episodes |
| 2024 | Wolf Hall: The Mirror and the Light | Cardinal Wolsey | Miniseries |
| TBA | Under Salt Marsh | TBA | Upcoming TV series |
| Year | Title | Role | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2008 | Command & Conquer: Red Alert 3 | Field Marshall Robert Bingham | [55] |
{{cite web}}: CS1 maint: bot: original URL status unknown (link). Retrieved 6 November 2007.
