:Rhys Ifans

Ifans was born Rhys Owain EvansBirths, Marriages & Deaths Index of England & Wales, 1916–2005.; at ancestry.com in Haverfordwest on 22 July 1967,{{cite web |first=Sheila |last=Johnston |title=Ifans, Rhys |url=http://www.screenonline.org.uk/people/id/503404/ |website=Screenonline |publisher=British Film Institute |access-date=1 April 2020 |quote=Born Rhys Owain Evans in Haverfordwest, Pembrokeshire, on 22 July 1967}} the son of nursery school teacher Beti-Wyn (née Davies) and primary school teacher Eirwyn Evans.{{Cite news|last=Wloszczyna|first=Susan|title=Undies and all, 'Hill' is heaven for the flatmate from hell|work=USA Today|date=3 June 1999|url=https://pqasb.pqarchiver.com/USAToday/access/42111798.html?dids=42111798%3A42111798&FMT=ABS&FMTS=ABS%3AFT&type=current&date=Jun+03%2C+1999&author=Susan+Wloszczyna&pub=USA+TODAY&desc=Undies+and+all%2C+%27Hill%27+is+heaven+for+the+flatmate+from+hell&pqatl=google|access-date=11 October 2010|archive-date=27 August 2016|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20160827181757/http://pqasb.pqarchiver.com/USAToday/doc/408818800.html?FMT=ABS&FMTS=ABS%3AFT&type=current&date=Jun%2003%2C%201999&author=Susan%20Wloszczyna&pub=USA%20TODAY&edition=&startpage=&desc=Undies%20and%20all%2C%20%27Hill%27%20is%20heaven%20for%20the%20flatmate%20from%20hell|url-status=dead}}{{cite web| url= http://www.clickonline.com/movies/uncut-interview--rhys-ifans-(the-amazing-spider-man)/11254/| title= Uncut Interview - Rhys Ifans (The Amazing Spider-Man)| first= Daniel| last= Anderson| date= 3 July 2012| website= clickonline.com| access-date= 21 May 2016| url-status= dead| archive-url= https://web.archive.org/web/20160328223522/http://www.clickonline.com/movies/uncut-interview--rhys-ifans-(the-amazing-spider-man)/11254| archive-date= 28 March 2016| df= dmy-all}} His younger brother, Llŷr Ifans, is also an actor.{{cite web |title=Rhys Ifans biography |url=https://www.bbc.co.uk/wales/arts/sites/rhys-ifans/pages/biography.shtml |website=Wales Arts |publisher=BBC |access-date=31 January 2020 |date=7 October 2010}}{{Cite news|url=http://www.boston.com/ae/celebrity/articles/2008/03/17/rhys_ifans_parental_pride/ |title=Rhys Ifans' parental pride |work=Boston Globe |date=17 March 2008 |access-date=24 January 2012}} He grew up in Ruthin,{{Cite web| url=http://www.moono.com/html/rhys-ifans/rhys-ifans-pictures.cfm| title=Rhys Ifans| publisher= moono.com}} where he received his primary education at Ysgol Pentrecelyn and was raised speaking Welsh as his first language.{{Cite news|title=Rhys's pieces|work=The Observer|date=1 September 2002|url=https://www.theguardian.com/film/2002/sep/01/familyandrelationships|access-date=10 April 2012}} He attended Ysgol Maes Garmon, a Welsh medium secondary school in Mold, where he took his O levels and A levels.{{cite news |title=Castle yn cyd-ddathlu gydag ysgol hanesyddol |url=https://www.bbc.co.uk/cymru/gogleddddwyrain/papurau_bro/papur_fama/newyddion/hydref01.shtml |access-date=22 June 2021 |work=BBC Lleol}} He attended acting classes at Theatr Clwyd. After leaving school, he presented Welsh-language television programmes on S4C. He studied acting at the Guildhall School of Music and Drama in London, where he graduated in 1997.{{cite news |last1=D'Souza |first1=Christa |title=Sometimes, I cry like a baby |url=https://www.telegraph.co.uk/culture/film/3589847/Sometimes-I-cry-like-a-baby.html |archive-url=https://ghostarchive.org/archive/20220111/https://www.telegraph.co.uk/culture/film/3589847/Sometimes-I-cry-like-a-baby.html |archive-date=11 January 2022 |url-access=subscription |url-status=live |work=Daily Telegraph |date=14 February 2003 |location=London}}{{cbignore}}

Ifans' early stage work included Hamlet at Theatr Clwyd, A Midsummer Night's Dream at the Regent's Park Theatre, and Under Milk Wood and Volpone at the National Theatre. He appeared at the Donmar Warehouse in 2003's Accidental Death of an Anarchist. In 2006, he returned to the London stage in Michael Grandage's production of Don Juan in Soho at the Donmar Warehouse. In 2016, Ifans played Fool alongside Glenda Jackson in Deborah Warner's production of King Lear, at The Old Vic. He returned to The Old Vic to play Ebenezer Scrooge in Matthew Warchus' production of A Christmas Carol (adapted by Jack Thorne) in 2017 and in 2018 returned to the National Theatre to play King Berenger in Patrick Marber's new adaptation of Eugene Ionesco's Exit the King. Ifans was given the role of Atticus Finch in Aaron Sorkin's To Kill A Mockingbird to begin at London's Gielgud Theatre on 21 May 2020.{{Cite web|last=Criscitiello|first=Alexa|title=Rhys Ifans To Star In TO KILL A MOCKINGBIRD West End Transfer|url=https://www.broadwayworld.com/article/Rhys-Ifans-To-Star-In-TO-KILL-A-MOCKINGBIRD-West-End-Transfer-20191114|access-date=12 March 2021|website=Broadway World|language=en}} The play was delayed due to the COVID-19 pandemic but was rescheduled for May 2021.{{Cite web|date=28 November 2019|title=To Kill A Mockingbird London - To Kill A Mockingbird Rhys Ifans|url=https://britishtheatre.com/rhys-ifans-to-play-atticus-finch-in-mockingbird-london/|access-date=12 March 2021|website=British Theatre|language=en-GB}} The role of Atticus Finch was later given to Rafe Spall due to scheduling conflicts.{{Cite web|title=Rafe Spall to star in West End premiere of To Kill a Mockingbird|url=https://www.msn.com/en-gb/entertainment/movies/rafe-spall-to-star-in-west-end-premiere-of-to-kill-a-mockingbird/ar-BB1eZLDn|access-date=26 March 2021|website=www.msn.com}}

Ifans appeared in many Welsh-language television programmes before embarking on his film career, including the comedy show {{ill|Pobol y Chyff|cy}}, as well as performing at the National Theatre, London and the Royal Exchange, Manchester. In 1990, he presented Stwnsh (Welsh for "Mash"), an anarchic children's quiz programme; 31 fifteen-minute programmes were broadcast on Welsh-language TV channel S4C.{{Cite web| url=http://www.antena.co.uk/archive_sdwnsh.htm| title=Sdwnsh| publisher=antena.co.uk| url-status=dead| archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20070930010850/http://www.antena.co.uk/archive_sdwnsh.htm| archive-date=30 September 2007| df=dmy-all}}{{cite web |title=Sdwnsh |url=http://antena.co.uk/en/portffolio/sdwnsh-baw/ |website=Antena |access-date=31 January 2020}}

In 2000, he narrated the children's animated series Sali Mali for S4C. In 2004, his performance as Peter Cook in the TV film Not Only But Always won him the BAFTA Best Actor at the 2005 British Academy Television Awards.{{Cite web|url=https://awards.bafta.org/award/2005/television|title=British Academy Television Awards 2005|work=bafta.org|access-date=24 October 2022}}

In 2005, Ifans made a guest appearance for the rock band Oasis in the video for their single "The Importance of Being Idle" (where he mimed to Noel Gallagher's vocals), for which he accepted their award for Video of the Year at the 2006 NME Awards. He has also appeared in the music videos for "God! Show Me Magic" and "Hometown Unicorn" by Super Furry Animals, "Mulder and Scully" by Catatonia, and "Mama Told Me Not to Come" by Tom Jones with Stereophonics.

In 2008, he appeared in "Six Days One June", one of three episodes of the TV series The Last Word Monologues, written by Hugo Blick and broadcast on BBC 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-cable Epix network espionage thriller drama series Berlin Station, filmed on location in Berlin.

Ifans plays Otto Hightower{{Cite web |title=House of the Dragon Cast & Characters {{!}} HBO.com |url=https://www.hbo.com/house-of-the-dragon/cast-and-characters |access-date=22 August 2022 |website=www.hbo.com |language=en}} in the Game of Thrones prequel House of the Dragon, which premiered 21 August 2022.{{Cite web |date=21 August 2022 |title=Here's When Each Episode of 'House of the Dragon' Will Be on HBO Max |url=https://www.esquire.com/entertainment/tv/a40897130/house-of-the-dragon-hbo-release-schedule/ |access-date=22 August 2022 |website=Esquire |language=en-us}}

Following his role as Jeremy Lewis in the Swansea-based movie Twin Town (1997) alongside his brother Llŷr,{{Cite web| url=http://www.sundaymirror.co.uk/news/sunday/2008/03/09/sienna-miller-to-marry-lover-rhys-ifans-98487-20345639/| title=Sienna Miller to marry lover Rhys Ifans| author=Louise Ford| work=Sunday Mirror| date=9 March 2008| url-status=dead| archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20080511162304/http://www.sundaymirror.co.uk/news/sunday/2008/03/09/sienna-miller-to-marry-lover-rhys-ifans-98487-20345639/| archive-date=11 May 2008| df=dmy-all}} Ifans gained international exposure in his role as slovenly housemate Spike in the British film Notting Hill (1999). Reportedly, in preparation for the role, Ifans did not wash himself or brush his teeth. He played Adrian, the pompous eldest brother in Little Nicky (2000). Other film roles include: Eyeball Paul in Kevin & Perry Go Large (2000), Nigel in The Replacements (2000), Iki in The 51st State (2001), William Dobbin in Vanity Fair (2004), and Vladis Grutas in Hannibal Rising (2007). He played Jed Parry in the 2004 film version of Ian McEwan's Enduring Love, and the lead role in Danny Deckchair (2003) as Danny Morgan.

Ifans revealed in March 2009 that he was to appear in Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows – Part 1 (2010).Friday Night with Jonathan Ross, 27 March 2009 He played Xenophillius Lovegood, editor of the wizarding magazine The Quibbler and father of the eccentric Luna Lovegood. In the same interview, he announced that he would play the title role in the film Mr. Nice, based on the life of the drug smuggler Howard Marks. He played Nemo Nobody's father in Mr. Nobody, and a villain in Nanny McPhee and the Big Bang.

On 11 October 2010 Associated Press confirmed that Ifans would portray the villain in the Spider-Man reboot film The Amazing Spider-Man. The villain was revealed as the Curt Connors / Lizard a few days later, and the film was released in July 2012.{{cite web | url=http://www.slashfilm.com/2010/10/13/rhys-ifans-will-play-the-lizard-in-spider-man/ | title=Rhys Ifans Will Play the Lizard in 'Spider-Man'| publisher=/Film | date=14 October 2010 | access-date=13 October 2010}} In 2015, Ifans starred in She's Funny That Way, directed by Peter Bogdanovich.

Ifans also starred in Steven Bernstein's Last Call, which was released theatrically, followed an extremely long delay, in the US on 25 November 2020. It is a surrealistic biopic, which recreates the life of Welsh poet Dylan Thomas through flashbacks during the famous drinking binge at the White Horse Tavern in New York City which ended fatally during the fall of 1953. It stars Ifans as Thomas alongside John Malkovich, Rodrigo Santoro, Romola Garai, Zosia Mamet, and Tony Hale.

On 16 November 2021 it was revealed, through the film's official trailer, that Ifans would reprise his role as Lizard from The Amazing Spider-Man in the Marvel Cinematic Universe film Spider-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 from The Amazing Spider-Man.{{Cite web|last=Welch|first=Alex|title=Two 'Spider-Man: No Way Home' villains reveal Marvel's laziest mistake|url=https://www.inverse.com/entertainment/spider-man-no-way-home-villains-lizard-sandman-bad|access-date=7 January 2022|website=Inverse|date=20 December 2021 |language=en}}

Ifans also appeared as Grigori Rasputin in the spy film The King's Man, which was released in December 2021.{{cite news|url=https://www.looper.com/718729/rhys-ifans-reveals-how-he-became-rasputin-for-the-kings-man-exclusive/|title=Rhys Ifans Reveals How He Became Rasputin For The King's Man - Exclusive|first=Dany|last=Roth|work=Looper}}

File:Rhys Ifans in 2010.jpg

Ifans was briefly lead vocalist of the rock band Super Furry Animals before they released any records.{{Cite web| url=http://www.bbc.co.uk/wales/music/sites/superfurryanimals/pages/sfa_faq.shtml| title=Super Furry Animals FAQ| publisher=BBC Wales| url-status=dead| archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20080315050909/http://www.bbc.co.uk/wales/music/sites/superfurryanimals/pages/sfa_faq.shtml| archive-date=15 March 2008| df=dmy-all}}

Since 2007, Ifans has sung with the psychedelic rock band The 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 supported Oasis at a concert in the Millennium Stadium in Cardiff.{{cite web |title=The Peth Biography |url=https://www.bbc.co.uk/wales/music/sites/peth/pages/biography.shtml |website=Wales Music |publisher=BBC |access-date=31 January 2020 |date=18 November 2008}}

Ifans dated actress Sienna Miller from 2007 to 2008; Miller had accepted Ifans's marriage proposal before breaking up with him.{{Cite web |title=Sienna Miller dumps 'jealous' Rhys Ifans - 9News |url=https://www.9news.com.au/entertainment/sienna-miller-dumps-jealous-rhys-ifans/1a4f6bf8-4c9b-44ab-8777-8ad5e9916f43 |access-date=23 August 2022 |website=www.9news.com.au|date=5 June 2008 }} He dated actress Anna Friel from 2011 to 2014.{{Cite web|url=https://www.hellomagazine.com/film/20210209106526/marcella-anna-friel-love-life-all-you-need-to-know/|title = Marcella: Anna Friel's love life – from first partner to recent heartbreak|date = 9 February 2021}}{{Cite web|url=https://www.harpersbazaar.com/uk/celebrities/a23521721/anna-friel-reveals-helen-mirren-is-her-role-model-for-finding-love/|title = Anna Friel reveals Helen Mirren is her role model for finding love|date = 29 September 2018}}

In September 2012, Ifans became a patron of the Welsh-language Wikipedia,{{cite news |title=University honours for ex-Swans star Guillermo Bauza and actor Rhys Ifans |url=http://www.southwales-eveningpost.co.uk/University-honours-ex-Swans-star-Guillermo-Bauza/story-27448906-detail/story.html |access-date=20 July 2021 |work=South Wales Evening Post |date=20 July 2015 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20150725034806/http://www.southwales-eveningpost.co.uk/University-honours-ex-Swans-star-Guillermo-Bauza/story-27448906-detail/story.html |archive-date=25 July 2015}} together with then Archbishop of Wales Barry Morgan. In 2017, Ifans partnered with Shelter Cymru in a campaign called 7 Ways You Can End Homelessness.{{cite news |title=Rhys Ifans backs Shelter Cymru's homelessness campaign |url=https://www.bbc.com/news/uk-wales-39941531 |access-date=20 July 2021 |publisher=BBC News |date=18 May 2017}} He also in 2017 supported the community purchase of Tafarn Sinc, a pub in his native Pembrokeshire that was facing closure.{{cite web |last1=Mosalski |first1=Ruth |title=Hollywood star Rhys Ifans backs campaign to save iconic pub |url=https://www.walesonline.co.uk/lifestyle/showbiz/hollywood-star-rhys-ifans-backs-13540951 |website=WalesOnline |date=28 August 2017 |access-date=5 September 2021}}

On 16 July 2007, he received an Honorary Fellowship of Bangor University, for services to the film industry.{{Cite web |url=http://www.bangor.ac.uk/news/full.php.en?Id=281 |title=Film actor, Rhys Ifans among University's Honorary Fellows! |publisher=Bangor University |date=17 July 2007 |access-date=3 December 2008 |website=News and Events at the University of Wales, Bangor |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20081227141605/http://www.bangor.ac.uk/news/full.php.en?Id=281 |archive-date=27 December 2008}}

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• {{Screenonline name|id=503404|name=Rhys Ifans biography and credits}}

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{{DEFAULTSORT:Ifans, Rhys}}

Category:1967 births

Category:20th-century Welsh male actors

Category:21st-century Welsh male actors

Category:Living people

Category:Cool Cymru

Category:Actors from Haverfordwest

Category:Alumni of the Guildhall School of Music and Drama

Category:Best Actor BAFTA Award (television) winners

Category:People associated with Bangor University

Category:People from Ruthin

Category:British male film actors

Category:Super Furry Animals members

Category:Welsh male film actors

Category:Welsh male stage actors

Category:Welsh male television actors

Category:Welsh male voice actors

Category:Welsh-speaking actors

Category:Male actors from Pembrokeshire

Category:Male actors from Denbighshire