Jonathan Rhys Meyers | |
|---|---|
 Meyers at the Cabourg Film Festival in June 2013 | |
| Born | Jonathan Michael Francis O'Keeffe (1977-07-27)27 July 1977 (age 48) Cork, Ireland |
| Occupations |
|
| Years active | 1994–present |
| Spouse | [1] |
| Children | 1 |
Jonathan Rhys Meyers (bornJonathan Michael Francis O'Keeffe;[2] 27 July 1977) is an Irish actor. He is known for his roles in the filmsMichael Collins (1996),Velvet Goldmine (1998),Titus (1999),Bend It Like Beckham (2002),Alexander (2004),Match Point (2005),Mission: Impossible III (2006) and his television roles asElvis Presley in the biographical miniseriesElvis (2005), for which he won aGolden Globe Award and earned aPrimetime Emmy Award nomination, asKing Henry VIII in the historical dramaThe Tudors (2007–10), which earned him two Golden Globe Award nominations, and in theNBC drama seriesDracula (2013–14) as the title character. He also starred asBishop Heahmund, a character inspired by theCatholic Saint of the same name, in theHistory Channel television seriesVikings.[3][4]
Meyers has continued to star in other films, such asAlbert Nobbs in 2011. In 2013, Meyers appeared as the villainValentine Morgenstern inThe Mortal Instruments: City of Bones, based onCassandra Clare's novel,City of Bones; he appeared in the 2015 filmStonewall, directed byRoland Emmerich; in 2017, he starred inThe 12th Man; and in 2018 he won the Best Actor award at the Manchester Film Festival for his starring role inDamascus Cover.[5] In 2020, he was listed as number 44 onThe Irish Times’ list of Ireland's greatest film actors.[6]
Meyers has been the face of severalHugo Boss advertising campaigns.[7] He has also been involved in several charitable causes, including the Hope Foundation and the children's charity Barretstown. Meyers was married to Mara Lane, and they have one son together.
Meyers was born on 27 July 1977 inCork, Ireland, the first of four boys for Geraldine (née Myers; 1957–2007) and folk musician John O'Keeffe, and brought up inCounty Cork.[8][2] His family isCatholic,[9] and his three younger brothers are professional musicians.[10] He attendedNorth Monastery Christian Brothers School.[11]
After being expelled from North Monastery for truancy, he spent much of his time working and socialising inpool halls. Casting agents looking for Irish boys to appear inWar of the Buttons spotted him at a Cork pool hall, the Victoria Sporting Club, and invited him to audition.[12] Although passed over forWar of the Buttons, the casting agents encouraged him to pursue a career in acting.[2]
O'Keeffe adopted the stage name Jonathan Rhys Meyers because he thought his real name was boring.[13] His first acting role came in the filmA Man of No Importance (1994). In 1996, he appeared inMichael Collins, as theAnti-Treaty IRAsniper who killsthe title character. He played aDavid Bowie-inspiredglam rock star inVelvet Goldmine (1998). He appeared inB. Monkey as Bruno, a small-time petty thief/criminal. In 1999, he appeared inRide with the Devil aspsychopathicBushwhacker Pitt Mackeson, and inTitus as the sadistic Goth prince Chiron. He starred as Steerpike in the BBC'sGormenghast (2000); played a dedicated girls'football coach inBend It Like Beckham (2002); played inVanity Fair (2004) oppositeReese Witherspoon; and co-starred in 2004 inOliver Stone's epicAlexander in which he playedCassander.[14]
The following year Meyers starred inWoody Allen's dramaMatch Point (2005), for which he received aChopard Trophy at theCannes Film Festival, and in theCBS four-hour mini-seriesElvis (2005) asElvis Presley alongsideRandy Quaid asColonel Tom Parker, but did not sing for his role in the miniseries.[15] The latter earned him anEmmy[16] nomination and a Golden Globe win.[17] In 2006, he appeared inMission: Impossible III.
He starred in theCBC/Showtimeco-productionThe Tudors (2007) asHenry VIII. He was nominated for the Golden Globe for Best Actor in a Television Drama in2007 for the role.[18]
Subsequent projects includeAugust Rush (2007). In 2008, he appeared inThe Children of Huang Shi, and in 2010,Shelter andFrom Paris with Love.[19]
In 2011, he starred as Solal inBelle du Seigneur, an English language film adaptation ofAlbert Cohen's novelBelle du Seigneur. The film was released in Russia on 29 November 2012 and in France on 19 June 2013 after premiering at theChamps Elysees Film Festival.
In 2013, Meyers was cast asDracula in NBC's television seriesDracula alongsideOliver Jackson-Cohen andJessica De Gouw.[20] It was also announced in May 2013 that Meyers was to participate in the recording of his brothers' album entitledBlossom, which was released on 21 April 2014.
On 23 October 2014, he receivedThe Irish Post Legend Award at the London Hilton on Park Lane in recognition of his remarkable achievements in Film & Television over the previous 20 years.[21]
In 2017, He starred in the movie Black Butterfly and was nominated for Best supporting Actor at the Madrid International Festival. Meyers later reunited withMichael Hirst and starred asBishop Heahmund in the television seriesVikings.[22]
Meyers played the lead in the spy thrillerDamascus Cover, based on the novel by Howard Kaplan.[23] It premiered on 23 September 2017, at the Boston Film Festival and was released on July 20, 2018 byVertical Entertainment.[24] he won the best actor award atBoston andManchester International Festival[25]
Meyers portraysPatrick Pearse, a political activist and one of the leaders of the bloody 1916 Irish Easter Rising, in the centennial commemorationbiopic filmThe Rising, written and produced by Kevin McCann.[26]
In 2020, Meyers played inEdge of the World, a biographical picture of the British explorer Sir James Brooke, as well as the lead role in the movieAmerican Night - Wikipedia, a neo-noir thriller co-starringEmile Hirsch,Paz Vega, andJeremy Piven.
In 2021, he starred as Shiro inYakuza Princess, a Brazilianaction thriller film directed by Vicente Amorim based on the graphic novelSamurai Shiro byDanilo Beyruth. He also starred in the horror-thrillerHide and Seek.
In 2022, he starred inThe Good Neighbour andWifelike.
In 2023, he starred in the thriller "Disquiet" with Rachelle Goulding. Meyers also starred in the hijacking thriller film97 Minutes, directed by Timo Vuorensola.[27]
A self-taught singer and guitarist, Meyers has appeared in a number of musical roles. His first such role was as "Brian Slade" inVelvet Goldmine; two of the songs he sang ("Baby's on Fire" and "Tumbling Down") are on the film's soundtrack. He sang briefly in the television mini-series version ofThe Magnificent Ambersons, performed in studio scenes of the miniseriesElvis and played the flute inGormenghast.[citation needed]
In the 2007 music dramaAugust Rush, he performed on-screen as singer-songwriter Louis Connelly and is credited for four songs on the soundtrack – "Break", "Moondance", "Something Inside" and "This Time". Of the four, "This Time" and "Break" were considered in the Best Original Song category of the80th Academy Awards. "This Time" was not released as a single but peaked at number 84 in theCanadian Hot 100.
In 2022, it was revealed that he would be joining the cast of the thrillerAltitude.[28]
For a year in the late 1990s, Meyers dated hisVelvet Goldmine co-starToni Collette.[29] From 2004 until 2012, he was in a relationship with Reena Hammer that started when she was 17 years old and he was 27. Reena is the daughter of makeup artistRuby Hammer.[30][31]
On 20 November 2007, his mother, Mary Geraldine O'Keeffe, died at Mercy University Hospital, Cork, aged 51, following a short, undisclosed illness.[32] On 30 June 2011 it was reported that Meyers had been taken to hospital by ambulance after a suspected suicide attempt. In 2016, a second attempt was suspected when paramedics, responding to an emergency call, found him slumped on the floor. Anonymous sources variously claimed and denied that Meyers intended to take his own life.[33]
In 2016, Meyers married Mara Lane.[34] Their son was born in December 2016.[35] In September 2017, Lane said she had miscarried a second child.[34][36]
In 2022 he listed hisNichols Canyon home in Los Angeles for sale. It was reported that the home had previously been listed for sale and was made available as a rental property until being listed for $1.6 million in 2012 and for $1.795 million in 2018. The 2022 listing had the home for sale at $1.85 million.[37]Meyers currently resides in Wexford, Ireland. He is in a relationship with an Irish woman from Wexford and has pulled away from Hollywood.
In 2007, Meyers' representative confirmed that Meyers had entered an alcohol-treatment programme.[38][39] In November 2007, he was arrested atDublin Airport for intoxication and disturbing the peace.[40][41]
In 2009, he was detained in Paris by police for allegedly assaulting an airport lounge employee while drunk.[40] In 2010, atJohn F. Kennedy International Airport, he verbally abused and used racist language against airline staff and officials, who had refused him access to the boarding area after he had become intoxicated in the first-class lounge.United Airlines banned him as a result.[40][42] His representative confirmed Meyers was receiving treatment again in 2010.[43] In November 2011, he was ordered by a French court to pay restitution of €1,000 and was given a judgment of a suspended sentence for public intoxication 24 months earlier.[44]
After his wife suffered a miscarriage in 2017, Meyers relapsed at Dublin Airport.[34] In 2018, he broke his sobriety on a flight, resulting in a dispute with his wife at Los Angeles International Airport.[45] In an interview withLarry King later that year, Meyers addressed the incident, saying, "I shouldn't drink. It doesn't suit me and I had been sober for a long time." He insisted that he had learned his lesson and was sober again.[46] Meyers crashed his car inMalibu, California, in November 2020 and was charged with two drunk driving offences.[47]
On 5 October 2008, Meyers received an Honorary Patronage from theTrinity College Philosophical Society in Dublin.[48]
In 2014, he was honoured atThe Irish Post Awards by the presentation of theLegend Award for his contributions to the film and entertainment industry.[49]
In February 2008, Meyers was named the ambassador for the Hope Foundation, a charity formed in his native Cork to support the street children of Calcutta.[50][51]
He is also an ambassador for the Irish children’s charity Barretstown which supports children affected by serious illness. In 2019, he and fellow actorAidan Gillen helped launch Barretstown's newPress Play campaign which aimed to raise additional funds to serve more children and their families.[52][53]
| Year | Soundtrack | Song | Ref. |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1998 | Velvet Goldmine | Tumbling Down | [55] |
| Baby's on Fire | |||
| 2007 | August Rush | Break | [56] |
| This Time | |||
| Something inside | |||
| Moondance |
| Year | Award | Category | Work | Result |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1999 | London Critics Circle Film Awards | British Newcomer of the Year | Velvet Goldmine | Nominated |
| 2002 | Venice Film Festival | Canal Grande Award for the Best Young Promising Actor | The Magnificent Ambersons | Won |
| 2005 | Satellite Awards | Outstanding Actor in a Miniseries or a Motion Picture Made for Television | Elvis | Won |
| Primetime Emmy Awards | Outstanding Lead Actor in a Miniseries or a Movie | Nominated | ||
| Cannes Film Festival | Outstanding Newcomer | Match Point | Won | |
| 2006 | GQ UK | Men of the Year Awards / Lab Series Man of the Year | Won | |
| Golden Globes Awards | Best Performance by an Actor in a Mini-Series or a Motion Picture Made for Television | Elvis | Won | |
| 2008 | Monte-Carlo Television Festival | Outstanding Actor – Drama Series | The Tudors | Won |
| Irish Film and Television Awards | Best Actor in a Lead Role in Television | Won | ||
| Golden Globe Awards | Best Performance by an Actor in a Television Series – Drama | Nominated | ||
| 2009 | Monte-Carlo Television Festival | Outstanding Actor – Drama Series | Nominated | |
| Irish Film and Television Awards | Best Actor in a Lead Role in Television | Nominated | ||
| Golden Globe Awards | Best Performance by an Actor in a Television Series – Drama | Nominated | ||
| 2010 | Irish Film and Television Awards | Best Actor in a Lead Role in Television | Nominated | |
| Monte-Carlo Television Festival | Outstanding Actor – Drama Series | Nominated | ||
| 2011 | Monte-Carlo Television Festival | Nominated | ||
| Irish Film and Television Awards | Best Actor in a Lead Role in Television | Nominated | ||
| 2014 | People's Choice Awards | Favorite Actor in a New TV Series | Dracula | Nominated |
| 2017 | Madrid International Film Festival | Best Supporting Actor | Black Butterfly | Nominated |
| Boston Film Festival | Best Actor | Damascus Cover | Won | |
| 2018 | Manchester Film Festival | Won |
Grew up in Cork, Ireland
[Born] 27 July 1977 in Dublin, Ireland; raised in County Cork, Ireland;
{{cite web}}: CS1 maint: numeric names: authors list (link)J and I lost our second child, who was baking in the oven.
