Iwan Rheon | |
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 Rheon in 2016. | |
| Born | (1985-05-13)13 May 1985 (age 40) Carmarthen,Dyfed, Wales |
| Alma mater | London Academy of Music and Dramatic Art |
| Occupations |
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| Years active | 2002–present |
| Children | 1 |
| Musical career | |
| Genres | |
| Instruments |
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Musical artist | |
Iwan Rheon (Welsh:[ˈɪu.anˈr̥ɛ.ɔn];[1][2] born 13 May 1985[3]) is a Welsh actor and musician. He is best known for his roles asSimon Bellamy in theE4 seriesMisfits (2009–2011),Ramsay Bolton in theHBO seriesGame of Thrones (2013–2016), andMötley Crüe guitaristMick Mars in the filmThe Dirt (2019). He has also appeared in the seriesVicious,Riviera,Inhumans, andThose About to Die.
Rheon was born inCarmarthen on 13 May 1985,[4] the son of Einir and Rheon Tomos.[5] When he was five years old, his family moved toCardiff.[6] His older brother, Aled, is a musician; the two performed together on the 2015 single "Rhodd".[7] Rheon attendedYsgol Gyfun Gymraeg Glantaf, aWelsh-speaking school, where he began acting in school drama productions at age 17. He was later spotted by a talent scout at aNational Eisteddfod of Wales.
At age 17, Rheon joined theWelsh language soapPobol Y Cwm, in which he originated the role of Macsen White, but later left to train at theLondon Academy of Music and Dramatic Art.[6] His first notable stage part came inEight Miles High, which was staged in 2008 at theRoyal Court Theatre inLiverpool. Also in 2008, he was cast as the haunted Moritz Stiefel in theLondon production of theTony Award-winning rock musicalSpring Awakening.[6] He played this role from January 2009 at theLyric Hammersmith and continued when the show was transferred to theNovello Theatre, until it closed in May 2009, five months earlier than planned. He earned a What's on Stage Award nomination for Best Supporting Actor in a Musical, which was eventually won byOliver Thornton (Priscilla Queen of the Desert). For his performance he won the award forBest Supporting Actor in a Musical at the 2010Olivier Awards.[6]
Immediately afterSpring Awakening, Rheon was cast in theE4 channel'sMisfits, aBAFTA winning programme that was described by 247 Magazine as "a mix ofSkins andHeroes". He plays nervous, shySimon Bellamy, who gains the superpower ofinvisibility and precognition in season 3.[8] On 20 December 2011, Rheon announced via Twitter that he had left the show, along with fellow cast memberAntonia Thomas.[9]
In 2011, he also appeared in the final episode ofSecret Diary of a Call Girl. In 2011, he was nominated for a Golden Nymph in the "Outstanding Actor – Drama Series" category for his role inMisfits. Rheon also made two guest appearances as the character Ben Theodore inSimon Amstell's comedyGrandma's House.[8] In early 2012, Rheon filmed the crime heist dramaThe Rise. In spring 2012, he began shootingLibertador in Venezuela and Spain. He playsDaniel O'Leary. In May 2012, it was announced that he had signed on to the gritty dramaDriven. In 2013, Rheon was cast as the villainous psychopathRamsay Bolton in theHBO seriesGame of Thrones. In the DVD commentary for the series' third season, producersDavid Benioff andD.B. Weiss mentioned that Rheon previously auditioned for the role ofJon Snow, but lost toKit Harington, with whom Rheon maintains a close friendship. He portrayed Ash Weston in the ITV sitcomVicious from 2013 until 2016.
In 2013, Rheon played a lead role in the philosophical radio play,Darkside, based on the themes ofPink Floyd'sThe Dark Side of the Moon album.[10] In September 2014, Rheon joined the cast of BBC One'sOur Girl as Dylan "Smurf" Smith. In 2017, it was announced that Rheon had been cast in ABC'sInhumans series.[11] Rheon playedMötley Crüe guitaristMick Mars in the 2019 filmThe Dirt.[12] In 2021 he starred in Sky Cinema's 'A Christmas Number One'.[13] In 2023 he filmed the BBC television featureMen Up, about the first clinical trials for the drugViagra that took place in Swansea in 1994.[14]
Songwriting and singing since the age of 16, Rheon was lead singer in The Convictions until leaving the band to pursue his acting career. In 2010, he recorded his first solo work,Tongue Tied EP, atRAK Studios in London,[15] produced byJonathan Quarmby andKevin Bacon.[16] The EP, a four track release with acoustic guitar and voice, was released digitally in June 2010.
He returned to RAK Studios, in April 2011, to record his second EPChanging Times, again produced by Quarmby and Bacon, with the addition of three backing musicians.Changing Times was released on 10 October 2011.[17] On 7 April 2013, Rheon released his third EPBang! Bang! and on 9 April 2013, released the music video for the title track.
Rheon recorded his first album,Dinard, at RAK Studios in London and Tŷ Cerdd Studios in Wales. The album was released in April 2015 and produced by James Clarke and Jim Unwin. A "self-funded collection of emotive folk-pop songs recorded over several years",[18] the album's title refers toDinard, a town in Brittany, France, where Rheon met Zoë Grisedale, who was his girlfriend at the time of the album's release.[18] Music journalistNeil McCormick described the album as "an absorbing collection of moody, introspective songs, all written by Rheon, who plays acoustic guitar with a deft touch and sings in an expressive, gritty voice".[19]
On July 3, 2025, Rheon released his second album. TitledI Just Wish I'd Never Gone To Space, the album is produced by Chris Hyson and features a first single namedForward Motion.[20]
Rheon is fluent in bothWelsh and English, with Welsh being his first language.[21] He lives in London, and he has a son, born in August 2018, whose mother is Zoë Grisedale.[22][23] Rheon and Grisedale separated in 2023.[24]
| Year | Title | Role | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2011 | Resistance | George | |
| Wild Bill | Pill | ||
| 2012 | The Rise | Dempsey | known asWasteland in North America |
| The Gospel of Us | Himself | Musical performer | |
| 2013 | Libertador | Daniel O'Leary | |
| 2015 | Mermaid's Song | Randall | |
| 2016 | Alien Invasion: S.U.M.1 | S.U.M.1 | |
| 2017 | Daisy Winters | Doug | |
| 2018 | Hurricane: 303 Squadron | Jan Zumbach | known asMission of Honor in the U.S. |
| 2019 | Berlin, I Love You | Greg | Segment: "Embassy" |
| The Dirt | Mick Mars | ||
| 2021 | The Toll | Dom | known asTollbooth in the U.S. |
| Barbarians | Adam | ||
| 2022 | The Magic Flute | Papageno | |
| Suppression | TBA | ||
| 2023 | A Christmas No.1 | Blake Cutter | |
| TBA | Out There | Post-production[25] |
| Year | Title | Role | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2002–2004 | Pobol y Cwm | Macsen White | |
| 2006 | Caerdydd | Daniel | |
| 2009–2011 | Misfits | Simon Bellamy | Main role (series 1–3) |
| 2010 | Coming Up | Luka | 1 episode |
| 2010–2012 | Grandma's House | Ben Theodore | 2 episodes |
| 2011 | Secret Diary of a Call Girl | Lewis | 1 episode |
| 2013–2016 | Game of Thrones | Ramsay Bolton | Recurring role (season 3); main role (seasons 4–6) |
| 2013–2016 | Vicious | Ash Weston | Main role |
| 2014 | Our Girl | Dylan "Smurf" Smith | Main role (series 1) |
| Under Milk Wood | Evans the Death | 1 episode | |
| 2015 | Residue | Jonas Flak | 3 episodes |
| 2016 | The Green Hollow | Sam Knight | Television film |
| 2017 | Urban Myths | Adolf Hitler | 1 episode |
| Riviera | Adam Clios | Recurring role (series 1) | |
| Inhumans | Maximus | Main role | |
| Family Guy | George Harrison /John Lennon / Ring Announcer | Voice role; episode: "Petey IV" | |
| 2019 | PTSD: The War in My Head | Narrator | |
| 2020 | A Special School | Narrator | |
| The Snow Spider | The Voice of Gwydion | ||
| 2021 | American Gods | Liam Doyle | Recurring role (season 3) |
| The Prince | Prince William | Voice role | |
| A Christmas Number One | Blake Cutter | Television film | |
| 2022 | The Light in the Hall | Joe Pritchard | known asY Golau in Welsh |
| 2023 | Wolf | Molina | Recurring Role - 6 episodes[26] |
| Men Up | Meurig Jenkins | Television film | |
| 2024 | Those About to Die | Tenax | 10 episodes[27] |
| Year | Title | Role | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2013 | Darkside | The Boy | Radio; voice role |
| 2018 | Wizards and Robots | Narrator | Audiobook: prologue |
| 2021 | Howl's Moving Castle | Wizard Howl | Radio; voice role |
| TBA | Harry Potter: The Full-Cast Audio Editions | Remus Lupin | Audiobook |
| Year | Title | Voice role | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2014–2015 | Game of Thrones | Ramsay Snow | Voice role |
| 2021 | Total War: Warhammer II | Rakarth | Voice role |
| Year | Title | Role | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2008 | Eight Miles High | Al | Royal Court Theatre, Liverpool |
| 2009 | Spring Awakening | Moritz Stiefel | Lyric Hammersmith |
| 2010 | The Devil Inside Him | Huw Prosser | National Theatre Wales |
| 2011 | Remembrance Day | Lyosha | Royal Court Theatre |
| 2018 | Foxfinder | William Bloor | Ambassadors Theatre |
| Year | Award | Category | Work | Result | Ref. |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2010 | Laurence Olivier Award | Laurence Olivier Award for Best Performance in a Supporting Role in a Musical | Spring Awakening | Won | [6] |
| 2011 | Golden Nymph Awards | Outstanding Actor – Drama Series | Misfits | Nominated | |
| 2012 | SFX Awards | Best Actor | Misfits | Nominated | |
| 2014 | Screen Actors Guild Award | Outstanding Performance by an Ensemble in a Drama Series | Game of Thrones | Nominated | [28][29] |
| 2015 | IGN Awards | Best TV Villain | Game of Thrones | Nominated | [30] |
| IGN People's Choice Award | Best TV Villain | Game of Thrones | Nominated | [30] | |
| 2016 | Screen Actors Guild Award | Outstanding Performance by an Ensemble in a Drama Series | Game of Thrones | Nominated | [31] |
| 2020 | CinEuphoria Award | Merit – Honorary Award | Game of Thrones | Won |
I want to be able to share that Wales with my son – one full of nature.
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| Other | |
