Rhys Ifans | |
|---|---|
.jpg) Ifans in 2011 | |
| Born | Rhys Owain Evans (1967-07-22)22 July 1967 (age 57) Haverfordwest, Pembrokeshire, Wales |
| Alma mater | Guildhall School of Music and Drama |
| Occupations |
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| Years active | 1991–present |
| Partners |
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| Relatives | Llŷr Evans (brother) |
Rhys Owain Evans (Welsh pronunciation:[r̥ɨːsˈivans]; born 22 July 1967), known asRhys Ifans, is a Welsh actor. He has portrayed roles inNotting Hill (1999),Kevin & Perry Go Large (2000), andEnduring Love (2004), in addition toXenophilius Lovegood inHarry Potter and the Deathly Hallows – Part 1 (2010),Dr. Curt Connors / Lizard inThe Amazing Spider-Man (2012) andSpider-Man: No Way Home (2021), andGrigori Rasputin inThe King's Man (2021). His television roles include Hector DeJean in theEpix thriller seriesBerlin Station,Mycroft Holmes in theCBS seriesElementary, andOtto Hightower in theHBO fantasy seriesHouse of the Dragon.
Ifans was also formerly the frontman of the rock bandsThe Peth andSuper Furry Animals.
Ifans was born Rhys Owain Evans[1] inHaverfordwest on 22 July 1967,[2] the son of nursery school teacher Beti-Wyn (née Davies) and primary school teacher Eirwyn Evans.[3][4] His younger brother,Llŷr Ifans, is also an actor.[5][6] He grew up inRuthin,[7] where he received his primary education at Ysgol Pentrecelyn and was raised speakingWelsh as his first language.[8] He attendedYsgol Maes Garmon, aWelsh medium secondary school inMold, where he took hisO levels andA levels.[9] He attended acting classes atTheatr Clwyd.[5] After leaving school, he presented Welsh-language television programmes onS4C.[5] He studied acting at theGuildhall School of Music and Drama inLondon, where he graduated in 1997.[10]
Ifans' early stage work includedHamlet at Theatr Clwyd,A Midsummer Night's Dream at theRegent's Park Theatre, andUnder Milk Wood andVolpone at theNational Theatre. He appeared at theDonmar Warehouse in 2003'sAccidental Death of an Anarchist. In 2006, he returned to the London stage inMichael Grandage's production ofDon Juan in Soho at theDonmar Warehouse. In 2016, Ifans played Fool alongsideGlenda Jackson inDeborah Warner's production ofKing Lear, at TheOld Vic. He returned to The Old Vic to playEbenezer Scrooge inMatthew Warchus' production ofA Christmas Carol (adapted byJack Thorne) in 2017 and in 2018 returned to the National Theatre to play King Berenger inPatrick Marber's new adaptation ofEugene Ionesco'sExit the King. Ifans was given the role ofAtticus Finch inAaron Sorkin'sTo Kill A Mockingbird to begin at London's Gielgud Theatre on 21 May 2020.[11] The play was delayed due to the COVID-19 pandemic but was rescheduled for May 2021.[12] The role of Atticus Finch was later given toRafe Spall due to scheduling conflicts.[13]
Ifans appeared in manyWelsh-language television programmes before embarking on his film career, including the comedy showPobol y Chyff [cy], as well as performing at the National Theatre, London and theRoyal Exchange, Manchester. In 1990, he presentedStwnsh (Welsh for "Mash"), an anarchic children's quiz programme; 31 fifteen-minute programmes were broadcast on Welsh-language TV channelS4C.[14][15]
In 2000, he narrated the children's animated seriesSali Mali forS4C. In 2004, his performance asPeter Cook in the TV filmNot Only But Always won him theBAFTA Best Actor at the2005 British Academy Television Awards.[16]
In 2005, Ifans made a guest appearance for the rock bandOasis in the video for their single "The Importance of Being Idle" (where he mimed toNoel Gallagher's vocals), for which he accepted their award for Video of the Year at the 2006NME Awards. He has also appeared in the music videos for "God! Show Me Magic" and "Hometown Unicorn" bySuper Furry Animals, "Mulder and Scully" byCatatonia, and "Mama Told Me Not to Come" byTom Jones withStereophonics.
In 2008, he appeared in "Six Days One June", one of three episodes of the TV seriesThe Last Word Monologues, written byHugo Blick and broadcast onBBC Two. He played a lonely Welsh farmer trying to free himself from a domineering mother.
From 2016 to 2019, Ifans portrayed hard-nosed American CIA case officer Hector DeJean in the U.S. pay-cableEpix network espionage thriller drama seriesBerlin Station, filmed on location in Berlin.
Ifans plays Otto Hightower[17] in theGame of Thrones prequelHouse of the Dragon, which premiered 21 August 2022.[18]
Following his role as Jeremy Lewis in theSwansea-based movieTwin Town (1997) alongside his brotherLlŷr,[19] Ifans gained international exposure in his role as slovenly housemate Spike in the British filmNotting Hill (1999). Reportedly, in preparation for the role, Ifans did not wash himself or brush his teeth. He played Adrian, the pompous eldest brother inLittle Nicky (2000). Other film roles include: Eyeball Paul inKevin & Perry Go Large (2000), Nigel inThe Replacements (2000), Iki inThe 51st State (2001), William Dobbin inVanity Fair (2004), and Vladis Grutas inHannibal Rising (2007). He played Jed Parry in the 2004 film version ofIan McEwan'sEnduring Love, and the lead role inDanny Deckchair (2003) as Danny Morgan.
Ifans revealed in March 2009 that he was to appear inHarry Potter and the Deathly Hallows – Part 1 (2010).[20] He played Xenophillius Lovegood, editor of the wizarding magazineThe Quibbler and father of the eccentricLuna Lovegood. In the same interview, he announced that he would play the title role in the filmMr. Nice, based on the life of the drug smugglerHoward Marks. He played Nemo Nobody's father inMr. Nobody, and a villain inNanny McPhee and the Big Bang.
On 11 October 2010Associated Press confirmed that Ifans would portray the villain in theSpider-Manreboot filmThe Amazing Spider-Man. The villain was revealed as theCurt Connors / Lizard a few days later, and the film was released in July 2012.[21] In 2015, Ifans starred inShe's Funny That Way, directed byPeter Bogdanovich.
Ifans also starred inSteven Bernstein'sLast Call, which was released theatrically, followed an extremely long delay, in the US on 25 November 2020. It is asurrealisticbiopic, which recreates the life of Welsh poetDylan Thomas through flashbacks during the famous drinking binge at the White Horse Tavern inNew York City which ended fatally during the fall of 1953. It stars Ifans as Thomas alongsideJohn Malkovich,Rodrigo Santoro,Romola Garai,Zosia Mamet, andTony Hale.
On 16 November 2021 it was revealed, through the film's official trailer, that Ifans would reprise his role as Lizard fromThe Amazing Spider-Man in theMarvel Cinematic Universe filmSpider-Man: No Way Home, to be released on 17 December. Later it was revealed that Ifans was not actually present on set and only lent his voice for the character created through digital means, with his human form at the end of the film being from archival footage fromThe Amazing Spider-Man.[22][23]
Ifans also appeared asGrigori Rasputin in the spy filmThe King's Man, which was released in December 2021.[24]
Ifans was briefly lead vocalist of the rock bandSuper Furry Animals before they released any records.[25]
Since 2007, Ifans has sung with thepsychedelic rock bandThe Peth ("peth" is Welsh for "thing"), featuring Super Furry Animals'Dafydd Ieuan, which played a number of concert dates in south Wales and in London in the autumn of 2008. In 2009 the band supportedOasis at a concert in theMillennium Stadium in Cardiff.[26]
Ifans dated actressSienna Miller from 2007 to 2008; Miller had accepted Ifans's marriage proposal before breaking up with him.[27] He dated actressAnna Friel from 2011 to 2014.[28][29]
In September 2012, Ifans became a patron of theWelsh-language Wikipedia,[30] together with then Archbishop of WalesBarry Morgan. In 2017, Ifans partnered withShelter Cymru in a campaign called 7 Ways You Can End Homelessness.[31] He also in 2017 supported thecommunity purchase ofTafarn Sinc, a pub in his native Pembrokeshire that was facing closure.[32]
| Year | Title | Role | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1991 | Spatz | Dave | 2 episodes |
| 1995 | Screen Two | Kevin | Episode: "Streetlife" |
| 1997 | Trial & Retribution | Michael Dunn | 2 episodes |
| 2000, 2020–present | Sali Mali | Narrator | 2 series |
| 2004 | Not Only But Always | Peter Cook | TV movie |
| 2008 | A Number | Bernard (B2) | TV movie |
| 2011 | Neverland | James Hook | TV movie |
| 2012 | The Corrections | Gitanas | Unaired pilot |
| 2013 | Playhouse Presents | Chris | Episode: "Gifted" |
| 2013–2014 | Elementary | Mycroft Holmes | 7 episodes |
| 2016–2019 | Berlin Station | Hector DeJean | 24 episodes |
| 2021 | Temple | Gubby | Season 2 |
| 2022–present | House of the Dragon | Otto Hightower | Main cast |
| Year | Title | Role | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1996 | "God! Show Me Magic" | Announcer | |
| 1997 | "Mulder and Scully" | ||
| 2000 | "Mama Told Me Not to Come" | ||
| 2005 | "The Importance of Being Idle" | Lazy Man |
On 16 July 2007, he received an Honorary Fellowship ofBangor University, for services to the film industry.[35]
| Year | Awards | Category | Work | Result | ref |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2000 | 53rd British Academy Film Awards | BAFTA Award for Best Actor in a Supporting Role | Notting Hill | Nominated | [36] |
| Satellite Awards | Best Supporting Actor – Motion Picture | Nominated | [36] | ||
| Blockbuster Entertainment Awards | Favorite Supporting Actor - Comedy/Romance | Nominated | [36] | ||
| 2005 | 2005 British Academy Television Awards | BAFTA Best Actor (TV) | Not Only But Always | Won | [16][36] |
| International Emmy Awards | International Emmy Award for Best Actor | Nominated | [37][36] | ||
| Empire Awards | Best British Actor | Enduring Love | Nominated | [36] | |
| BAFTA Cymru | Sian Phillips Award | Outstanding Contribution to TV/Film | Won | [38][36] | |
| 2010 | Seville European Film Festival | Best Actor | Mr. Nice | Won | [39][36] |
| 2012 | 2012 Teen Choice Awards | Choice Movie Villain | The Amazing Spider-Man | Nominated | [36] |
| 2015 | BAFTA Cymru | Best Actor (Yr Actor Gorau) | Under Milk Wood | Nominated | [36] |
| 2017 | Tallinn Black Nights Film Festival | Jury Prize - Best Actor | Last Call (Dylan Thomas) | Won | [36] |
Born Rhys Owain Evans in Haverfordwest, Pembrokeshire, on 22 July 1967
