{{Short description|Welsh actor}} {{Use dmy dates|date=April 2021}} {{Infobox person | name = Paul Rhys | image = File:Paul Rhys coat crop'24.jpg | alt = | caption = | birth_name = | birth_date = {{birth date and age|df=yes|1963|12|19}} | birth_place = [[Neath]], [[Wales]], [[United Kingdom]] | death_date = | death_place = | other_names = | occupation = Actor | years_active = 1986 – present | known_for = | notable_works = }} '''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 people|Irish]] descent on his mother's side.<ref>{{Cite web|title=Trivia - Paul Rhys|url=https://www.imdb.com/name/nm0722631/trivia/|access-date=2024-12-02|website=[[Internet Movie Database]]|language=en}}</ref> From the age of ten, he bred and trained [[horse]]s, becoming a highly accomplished rider. A committed punk during his youth, Rhys sang in several bands.<ref>{{Cite web|title=Wales ~ Land Of My Fathers|url=https://waleslandofmyfathers.tumblr.com/post/59772020487/welsh-actors-paul-rhys-paul-rhys-born-19|access-date=2021-07-12|website=Wales ~ Land Of My Fathers|language=en}}</ref>
==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 (film)|Absolute Beginners]]'' (1986).<ref>{{cite book|title=Vanity Fair|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=QGgTAQAAMAAJ|year=1986|publisher=Condé Nast Publications|page=61}}</ref> Rhys completed his education at RADA by winning the William Pole prize and the Bancroft Gold Medal.{{fact|date=August 2025}}
===Film=== His next film role was in [[Franklin J. Schaffner]]'s ''[[Lionheart (1987 film)|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 (art dealer)|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 (film)|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 (film)|From Hell]]'', ''[[Food of Love (2002 film)|Food of Love]]'', ''[[Love Lies Bleeding (1999 film)|Love Lies Bleeding]]'', ''[[Becoming Colette]]'' and ''[[Hellraiser: Deader]]''. He appears as Talleyrand in [[Ridley Scott]]'s 2023 epic ''[[Napoleon (2023 film)|Napoleon]]'', and as Duncan in [[Emerald Fennell]]'s ''[[Saltburn (film)|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 (director)|Philip Martin]], [[Christopher Morahan]], [[Tom Vaughan (director)|Tom Vaughan]], [[Edward Hall (director)|Edward Hall]], [[Harry Bradbeer]] in productions including ''[[Tumbledown]]'', ''[[A Dance to the Music of Time (TV series)|A Dance to the Music of Time]]'', ''[[The Heroes (1989 miniseries)|The Heroes]]'', [[Ghosts (1995 series)|''Ghosts'']], ''[[Gallowglass (miniseries)|Gallowglass]]'', ''The Healer'', ''[[Anna Karenina (2000 TV series)|Anna Karenina]]'', ''The Deal'', ''Beethoven'', [[The Ten Commandments (miniseries)|''The Ten Commandments'']], ''Borgia'', ''[[Luther (TV series)|Luther]]'' and [[Spooks (TV series)|''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 (British TV series)|Victoria]]''. He has made a minor industry out of playing vampires: [[Being Human (British TV series)|''Being Human'']] (as [[List of Being Human (British TV series) characters|Ivan]]);<ref>[https://www.walesonline.co.uk/showbiz-and-lifestyle/showbiz/2011/11/12/actor-paul-rhys-on-the-day-he-mud-wrestled-ray-winstone-91466-29754573/ Wales Online: "Actor Paul Rhys on the day he mud wrestled Ray Winstone", 12 November 2011. Retrieved 14 March 2013]</ref> 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 (TV series)|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,<ref>{{Cite web|title=BENT (1990) with Ian McKellen|url=https://www.mckellen.com/stage/00095c.htm|access-date=2021-07-12|website=mckellen.com}}</ref> 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.<ref>{{cite web|last=Gibbons|first=Fiachra|date=8 November 1999|title=Award victory for play denied West End run|url=https://www.theguardian.com/uk/1999/nov/08/fiachragibbons1|access-date=11 September 2016|website=[[The Guardian]]}}</ref> 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 [[Barbican Centre|the Barbican]] in 2010 and continued on international tour, returning to the Barbican for a second sell-out season in 2012.<ref>{{Cite web |last=Billington |first=Michael |date=2012-03-22 |title=The Master and Margarita - review |url=https://www.theguardian.com/global/2012/mar/22/the-master-and-margarita-review |access-date=2025-01-14 |website=The Guardian |language=en}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web |last=Liber |first=Vera |title=Theatre review: The Master and Margarita at Barbican Theatre |url=https://www.britishtheatreguide.info/reviews/the-master-and-barbican-theatr-8403 |access-date=2021-06-30 |website=British Theatre Guide |language=en-GB}}</ref> 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]],<ref>[http://www.bbc.co.uk/pressoffice/pressreleases/stories/2005/05_may/04/beethoven.shtml BBC Press Office]</ref> [[Peter Mandelson]],<ref>{{Cite news |last=White |first=Michael |date=2003-09-16 |title=Real people, strange ambitions in The Deal that never was |url=https://www.theguardian.com/politics/2003/sep/16/uk.channel4 |access-date=2025-01-14 |work=The Guardian |language=en-GB |issn=0261-3077}}</ref> [[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.<ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.walesonline.co.uk/lifestyle/showbiz/actor-paul-rhys-day-mud-1795505|title=Actor Paul Rhys on the day he mud wrestled Ray Winstone|website=WalesOnline|date=12 November 2011|access-date=26 June 2017}}</ref> In the title role in [[Howard Brenton]]'s play ''[[Paul (play)|Paul]]'' at the [[Royal National Theatre]], he was unable to continue as he had lost an unhealthy amount of weight, dropping from {{convert|76|to|57|kg}}.
===Radio===
Rhys has acted in over one hundred BBC Radio dramas. His roles include: [[Simon Templar]] in [[Leslie Charteris]]'s ''The Saint'' (1995),<ref>{{cite web |title=Leslie Charteris - The Saint|url=https://www.bbc.co.uk/programmes/b00bfnhv |access-date=26 April 2023|work=BBC Radio}}</ref> Prince Myshkin in [[Fyodor Dostoevsky]]'s ''[[The Idiot]]'' (2002),<ref>{{cite web |title=Fyodor Dostoevsky - The Idiot|url=https://www.bbc.co.uk/programmes/b00ss2yw |access-date=26 April 2023|work=BBC Radio}}</ref> [[Charles Lamb]] in [[Carlo Gébler]]'s ''Charles and Mary'' (2011),<ref>{{cite web |title=Charles and Mary|url=https://www.bbc.co.uk/programmes/b00xbhdw |access-date=26 April 2023|work=BBC Radio}}</ref> and [[Jacques Futrelle]]'s [[Augustus S. F. X. Van Dusen]] in ''The Rivals'' (2011–2013).<ref>{{cite web |title=The Rivals|url=https://www.bbc.co.uk/programmes/b03brxht/episodes/guide |access-date=26 April 2023|work=BBC Radio}}</ref>
==Personal life== Rhys was in a relationship with the late Australian actress [[Arkie Whiteley]],<ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.smh.com.au/national/the-will-to-win-20021214-gdfysf.html|title=The will to win|date=14 December 2002|website=Sydney Morning Herald|access-date=20 June 2021}}</ref><ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.thefreelibrary.com/Shortly+after+my+girlfriend+died+I+felt+her+shouting+for+help...+it...-a096805240|title=Shortly after my girlfriend died I felt her shouting for help...|date=24 January 2003|website=Free Library|access-date=20 June 2021}}</ref> with whom he appeared in ''[[Gallowglass (miniseries)|Gallowglass]]''. When Whiteley received a diagnosis of terminal cancer at the age of 36, he nursed her until her death.
==Filmography==
===Film=== {| class="wikitable sortable" |- ! Year ! Title ! Role ! Notes |- | 1986 || ''[[Absolute Beginners (film)|Absolute Beginners]]'' || Dean Swift || |- | rowspan=2 | 1987 || ''[[Lionheart (1987 film)|Lionheart]]'' || Mayor of the Underground City || |- | ''[[Little Dorrit (1987 film)|Little Dorrit]]'' || Charles Stiltstalking || |- | 1989 || ''Spirit'' || Douglas Rimmer || |- | 1990 || ''[[Vincent & Theo]]'' || [[Theo van Gogh (art dealer)|Theo van Gogh]] || |- | 1991 || ''[[Becoming Colette]]'' || Chapo || |- | rowspan=2 | 1992 || ''[[Rebecca's Daughters]]'' || Anthony Raine || |- | ''[[Chaplin (film)|Chaplin]]'' || [[Sydney Chaplin]] || |- | 1995 || ''[[Nina Takes a Lover]]'' || Photographer || |- | rowspan=2 | 1999 || ''[[Love Lies Bleeding (1999 film)|Love Lies Bleeding]]'' || Dr. Jonathan Stephens || |- | ''The Strange Case of Delphina Potocka or The Mystery of Chopin'' || [[Frédéric Chopin]] || |- | 2001 || ''[[From Hell (film)|From Hell]]'' || Dr. Ferral || |- | 2002 || ''[[Food of Love (2002 film)|Food of Love]]''<ref>{{cite book|title=Film Actors|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=G3lZAAAAMAAJ|year=2002|publisher=IFilm Publishing|isbn=978-1-58065-020-5|page=430}}</ref> || Richard Kennington || |- | rowspan=3 | 2003 || ''Vacuum'' || Adam || Short film |- | ''[[Y Mabinogi]]'' || Lord Pwyll || Voice |- | ''[[The Deal (2003 film)|The Deal]]'' || [[Peter Mandelson]] || |- | 2005 || ''[[Hellraiser: Deader]]'' || Winter || [[Direct-to-video]] |- | 2007 || ''Unknown Things'' || Hoogstraten || |- | 2011 || ''Eliminate: Archie Cookson'' || Archie Cookson || [[BIFFF]] Thriller Prize – Special Mention |- | rowspan=3 |2023 || ''[[Napoleon (2023 film)|Napoleon]]'' || [[Talleyrand]]|| |- | ''[[Saltburn (film)|Saltburn]]'' || Duncan || |- | ''[[Widow Clicquot]]'' || Droite || |- | 2026 | ''[[Wuthering Heights (2026 film)|Wuthering Heights]]'' | Heathcliff's father | |}
===Television=== {| class="wikitable sortable" |- ! Year ! Title ! Role ! Notes |- | 1987 || ''My Family and Other Animals'' || George || |- | 1988 || ''[[Tumbledown]]'' || Hugh MacKessac || Television film |- | 1988 || ''[[The Heroes (1989 miniseries)|The Heroes]]'' || Ivan Lyon || |- | 1990 || ''[[Screen Two]]'' || Amable Massis || Series 7, episode 5: "[[102 Boulevard Haussmann]]" |- | 1990 || ''Opium Eaters'' || [[Thomas De Quincey]] || Television film |- | 1992 || ''Chillers'' || Adam Marshall || Series 1, episode 9: "A Bird Poised to Fly" |- | 1993 || ''[[Gallowglass (miniseries)|Gallowglass]]'' || Sandor || |- | 1994 || ''The Healer'' || Dr. John Lassiter || Television film; [[BAFTA Cymru Award]] for Best Actor |- | 1994 || ''A Summer's Day Dream'' || Christopher || Television film |- | 1995 || ''Ghosts'' || Captain Peter Buckle || Series 1, episode 2: "Blood and Water" |- | 1995 || ''[[The Haunting of Helen Walker]]'' || Edward Goffe || Television film |- | 1996 || ''[[Kavanagh QC]]'' || Sam Wicks || Series 2, episode 6: "Job Satisfaction" |- | 1997 || ''[[A Dance to the Music of Time (TV series)|A Dance to the Music of Time]]'' || Charles Stringham || |- | 1998 || ''[[Performance (British TV series)|Performance]]'' || Edgar || ''[[King Lear]]'' |- | 2000 || ''[[Randall & Hopkirk (Deceased) (2000 TV series)|Randall & Hopkirk (Deceased)]]'' || Douglas Milton || Series 1, episode 4: "Paranoia" |- | 2000 || ''I Saw You'' || Ben Walters || Television film |- | 2000 || ''[[Anna Karenina (2000 TV series)|Anna Karenina]]'' || Nikolai || |- | 2001 || ''[[The Innocent (miniseries)|The Innocent]]'' || David Pastorov || Television film |- | 2001 || ''[[The Cazalets]]'' || Rupert Cazalet || |- | 2002 || ''I Saw You'' || Ben Walters || |- | 2002 || ''The Lives of Animals'' || John || Television film |- | 2003 || ''[[Murder in Mind (TV series)|Murder in Mind]]'' || Matthew Hopkins || Series 3, episode 1: "Echoes" |- | 2005 || ''[[Timewatch]]'' || [[Cicero]] || Episode: "Murder in Rome" |- | 2005 || ''Beethoven'' || [[Ludwig van Beethoven]] || |- | 2006 || ''[[The Ten Commandments (miniseries)|The Ten Commandments]]'' || [[Ramesses II]] || |- | 2008 || ''[[Bonekickers]]'' || Edward Laygass || Series 1, episode 1: "Army of God" |- | 2008 || ''[[Agatha Christie's Poirot]]'' || Robin Upward || Series 11, episode 1: "Mrs McGinty's Dead" |- | 2008 || ''[[Spooks (TV series)|Spooks]]'' || Alexis Meynell || Series 7, episode 5 |- | 2009 || ''[[The Queen (British TV serial)|The Queen]]'' || [[Prince Charles]] || Series 1, episode 4: "The Enemy Within" |- | 2010 || ''[[Being Human (British TV series)|Being Human]]'' || [[List of Being Human (British TV series) characters|Ivan]] || 5 episodes |- | 2010 || ''[[Luther (TV series)|Luther]]'' || Lucien Burgess || Series 1, episode 3 |- | 2010 || ''[[New Tricks]]'' || Sebastian Carter || Series 7, episode 1: "Dead Man Talking" |- | 2010 || ''[[When Harvey Met Bob]]'' || [[Paul McCartney]] || Television film |- | 2010 || ''[[Agatha Christie's Marple]]'' || Lewis Pritchard || Series 5, episode 3: "The Blue Geranium" |- | 2011 || ''[[Murdoch Mysteries]]'' || Dr. Llewellyn Francis || 3 episodes |- | 2011 || ''[[Moving On (TV series)|Moving On]]'' || Andy || Series 3, episode 4: "Donor" |- | 2011 || ''[[Great Expectations (2011 TV series)|Great Expectations]]'' || [[Compeyson]]/Denby || |- | 2013–14 || ''[[Borgia (TV series)|Borgia]]'' || [[Leonardo da Vinci]] || 6 episodes |- | 2013–15 || ''[[Da Vinci's Demons]]'' || [[Vlad the Impaler]] || 4 episodes |- | 2014 || ''[[The Assets]]'' || [[Aldrich Ames]] || |- | 2015–17 || ''[[Turn: Washington's Spies|Turn]]'' || [[George III]]|| 3 episodes |- | 2015 || ''Casanova'' || [[Count of St. Germain]] || Television film |- | 2016 || ''[[Victoria (British TV series)|Victoria]]'' || Sir [[John Conroy]]|| 3 episodes |- | 2017 || ''[[Rellik (TV series)|Rellik]]'' || Patrick Barker || 3 episodes |- | 2018 || ''[[Lore (TV series)|Lore]]'' || Philip Smith || Series 2, episode 5: "Mary Webster: The Witch of Hadley" |- | 2021 || ''[[A Discovery of Witches]]'' || Andrew Hubbard || Series 2, 3 |- | 2023 || ''[[Men Up]]'' || Tommy Cadogan || Television film |- | 2025 || ''[[The Sandman (TV series)|The Sandman]]'' || [[List of The Sandman characters#Gate Keepers|Hippogriff]] (voice) ||Episode: "Long Live the King" |}
===Theatre=== {| class="wikitable sortable" |- ! Year ! Title ! Role ! Notes |- | 1983 || ''[[John Godber|Bouncers]]'' || Ralph || Yorkshire Actors |- | 1984 || ''[[A Woman of No Importance]]'' || Gerald Arbuthnot || [[Glasgow Citizens Theatre]] |- | 1985 || ''[[La Vie parisienne (operetta)|La Vie parisienne]]'' || Milord || [[Glasgow Citizens Theatre]] |- | 1986 || ''[[The Orphan (play)|The Orphan]]'' || Polydore || [[Greenwich Theatre]] |- | 1986 || ''[[The Merchant of Venice]]'' || Lorenzo || [[Royal Shakespeare Company]] |- | 1986 || ''[[Much Ado About Nothing]]'' || Claudio || [[Royal Shakespeare Company]] |- | 1987 || ''[[Ghetto (play)|Ghetto]]'' || Solomon || [[Riverside Studios]] |- | 1988 || ''[[The Government Inspector]]'' || Khlestakov || [[Compass Theatre]] |- | 1990 || ''[[Bent (play)|Bent]]'' || Rudy|| [[Royal National Theatre]] |- | 1994 || ''[[Design for Living]]'' || Leo || [[Donmar Warehouse]] |- | 1995–96 || ''[[Long Day's Journey Into Night]]''<ref>{{cite book |last=Zucker |first=Carole |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=6F_uc70fud0C&pg=PA222 |title=In the Company of Actors: Reflections on the Craft of Acting |publisher=Psychology Press |year=1999 |isbn=978-0-415-92545-7 |pages=222}}</ref>|| Edmund || [[Young Vic]] |- | 1997 || ''[[King Lear]]'' || Edgar || [[Royal National Theatre]]; Nominated — [[Laurence Olivier Award for Best Performance in a Supporting Role|Laurence Olivier Award]] |- | 1997 || ''[[The Invention of Love]]'' || Young [[A. E. Housman|Housman]] || [[Royal National Theatre]] (premiere run) |- | 1999–2000 || ''[[Hamlet]]'' || [[Prince Hamlet|Hamlet]] || [[Young Vic]]; Barclays Theatre Award |- | 2004 || ''[[Measure for Measure]]'' || Angelo || [[Royal National Theatre]]; [[Critics' Circle Theatre Award]] |- | 2005 || ''[[Paul (play)|Paul]]'' || Paul || [[Royal National Theatre]] (premiere run) |- | 2012 || ''[[The Master and Margarita]]'' || [[Woland]]/[[Master (Master and Margarita)|The Master]] || [[Barbican Centre|Barbican Theatre]] |- | 2016 || ''[[Uncle Vanya]]'' || Uncle Vanya || [[Almeida Theatre]] |}
==References== {{reflist}}
==External links== * {{IMDb name|id=0722631|name=Paul Rhys}}
{{Trewin Award for Best Shakespearean Performance}}
{{Authority control}}
{{DEFAULTSORT:Rhys, Paul}} [[Category:1963 births]] [[Category:20th-century Welsh male actors]] [[Category:21st-century Welsh male actors]] [[Category:Alumni of the Royal Academy of Dramatic Art]] [[Category:Critics' Circle Theatre Award winners]] [[Category:Living people]] [[Category:Actors from Neath]] [[Category:Welsh Roman Catholics]] [[Category:Welsh male stage actors]] [[Category:Welsh male film actors]] [[Category:Welsh male television actors]] [[Category:Welsh people of Irish descent]]