Paul Rhys (born 19 December 1963) is a Welsh television, film and
theatre actor.Rhys was born in Neath, Glamorgan, and studied at RADA,
leaving with the Bancroft Gold Medal in 1985. After graduating, he
obtained his first major screen role, in Absolute Beginners (1986).
Since then he has seldom been off the stage and screen. His first US
exposure was when American film director Robert Altman cast Rhys, who
was then still a student, as Theo van Gogh in Vincent and Theo
opposite Tim Roth as Vincent.Paul was born to Catholic parents. His
mother, Kathryn Ivory, was Irish-Welsh and his father, Richard Charles
Rhys, was Welsh. The family moved to the village of Pencoed when Paul
was ten. A committed punk during his youth, Rhys was in several bands
before leaving for London to study at RADA.Paul's first acting job was
playing Liverpudlian judo expert Ralph in John Godber's hit play
Bouncers, before he even went to RADA. In the first summer vacation
from RADA, 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 then returned to
RADA for two terms before leaving again, this time to play Dean Swift
in Julian Temple's Absolute Beginners. Rhys completed his education at
RADA by winning the William Pole prize and the Bancroft Gold Medal on
graduation.
theatre actor.Rhys was born in Neath, Glamorgan, and studied at RADA,
leaving with the Bancroft Gold Medal in 1985. After graduating, he
obtained his first major screen role, in Absolute Beginners (1986).
Since then he has seldom been off the stage and screen. His first US
exposure was when American film director Robert Altman cast Rhys, who
was then still a student, as Theo van Gogh in Vincent and Theo
opposite Tim Roth as Vincent.Paul was born to Catholic parents. His
mother, Kathryn Ivory, was Irish-Welsh and his father, Richard Charles
Rhys, was Welsh. The family moved to the village of Pencoed when Paul
was ten. A committed punk during his youth, Rhys was in several bands
before leaving for London to study at RADA.Paul's first acting job was
playing Liverpudlian judo expert Ralph in John Godber's hit play
Bouncers, before he even went to RADA. In the first summer vacation
from RADA, 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 then returned to
RADA for two terms before leaving again, this time to play Dean Swift
in Julian Temple's Absolute Beginners. Rhys completed his education at
RADA by winning the William Pole prize and the Bancroft Gold Medal on
graduation.
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