Iwan Rheon
Iwan Rheon | |
|---|---|
 Rheon in July 2016 | |
| Born | 13 May 1985 Carmarthen, Wales |
| Occupation |
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| Years active | 2002–present |
| Partner(s) | Zoë Grisedale |
| Children | 1 |
| Musical career | |
| Genres |
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| Instruments |
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Iwan Rheon (/ˈreɪɒn/, Welsh pronunciation: [ˈɪuan ˈr̥ɛɔn]; born 13 May 1985) is a Welsh actor, singer, and musician. He is best known for his roles as Simon Bellamy in the E4 series Misfits, Ramsay Bolton in the HBO series Game of Thrones, and Mötley Crüe guitarist Mick Mars in the film The Dirt. He has also appeared in the series Vicious, Riviera, and Inhumans.
Early life[]
Rheon was born in Carmarthen on 13 May 1985,[1] the son of Einir and Rheon Tomos.[2] He speaks Welsh as his first language. When he was five years old, his family moved to Cardiff.[3] His older brother, Aled, is a musician; the two performed together on the 2015 single "Rhodd".[4] Rheon attended Ysgol Gyfun Gymraeg Glantaf, a Welsh-speaking school, where he began acting in school drama productions at age 17. He was later spotted by a talent scout at a National Eisteddfod of Wales.
Career[]
Acting[]
At age 17, Rheon joined the Welsh language soap Pobol Y Cwm, in which he originated the role of Macsen White, but later left to train at the London Academy of Music and Dramatic Art.[3] His first notable stage part came in Eight Miles High, which was staged in 2008 at the Royal Court Theatre in Liverpool. Also in 2008, he was cast as the haunted Moritz Stiefel in the London production of the Tony Award-winning rock musical Spring Awakening.[3] He played this role from January 2009 at the Lyric Hammersmith and continued when the show was transferred to the Novello 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 by Oliver Thornton (Priscilla Queen of the Desert). For his performance he won the award for Best Supporting Actor in a Musical at the 2010 Olivier Awards.[3]
Immediately after Spring Awakening, Rheon was cast in the E4 channel's Misfits, a BAFTA winning programme that was described by 247 Magazine as "a mix of Skins and Heroes". He plays nervous, shy Simon Bellamy, who gains the superpower of invisibility and precognition in season 3.[5] On 20 December 2011, Rheon announced via Twitter that he had left the show, along with fellow cast member Antonia Thomas.[6]
In 2011, he also appeared in the final episode of Secret Diary of a Call Girl. In 2011, he was nominated for a Golden Nymph in the "Outstanding Actor – Drama Series" category for his role in Misfits. Rheon also made two guest appearances as the character Ben Theodore in Simon Amstell's comedy Grandma's House.[5] In early 2012, Rheon filmed the crime heist drama The Rise. In spring 2012, he began shooting Libertador in Venezuela and Spain. He plays Daniel O'Leary. In May 2012, it was announced that he had signed on to the gritty drama Driven. In 2013, Rheon was cast as the villainous psychopath Ramsay Bolton in the HBO series Game of Thrones. In the DVD commentary for the series' third season, producers David Benioff and D.B. Weiss mentioned that Rheon previously auditioned for the role of Jon Snow, but lost to Kit Harington, with whom Rheon maintains a close friendship. He portrayed Ash Weston in the ITV sitcom Vicious from 2013 until 2016.
In 2013, Rheon played a lead role in the philosophical radio play, Darkside, based on the themes of Pink Floyd's The Dark Side of the Moon album.[7] In September 2014, Rheon joined the cast of BBC One's Our Girl as Dylan "Smurf" Smith. In 2017, it was announced that Rheon had been cast in ABC's Inhumans series.[8] Rheon played Mötley Crüe guitarist Mick Mars in the 2019 film The Dirt.[9]
Music[]
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, , at RAK Studios in London,[10] produced by Jonathan Quarmby and Kevin Bacon.[11] 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 EP Changing Times, again produced by Quarmby and Bacon, with the addition of three backing musicians. Changing Times was released on 10 October 2011.[12] On 7 April 2013, Rheon released his third EP Bang! 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",[13] the album's title refers to Dinard, a town in Brittany, France, where Rheon met his girlfriend Zoë Grisedale.[13] Music journalist Neil 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".[14]
Personal life[]
Rheon is fluent in both Welsh and English, with Welsh being his first language.[15] He lives in London with his girlfriend, Zoë Grisedale; their first child was born in August 2018.[16]
Filmography[]
Film[]
| Year | Title | Role | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2011 | Resistance | George | |
| Wild Bill | Pill | ||
| 2012 | The Back of Beyond | Petesy | Short film |
| The Rise (known as Wasteland in North America) | Dempsey | ||
| 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 (known as Mission of Honor in the U.S.) | Jan Zumbach | |
| 2019 | Berlin, I Love You | Greg | Segment: "Embassy" |
| The Dirt | Mick Mars | ||
| Four | Hitman | Short film | |
| 2020 | The Existential Hotline | Fred | Short film |
| 2021 | The Toll | Dom | |
| TBA | Barbarians | Adam | |
| TBA | Suppression | ||
| TBA | The Magic Flute | Papageno | [17] |
Television[]
| Year | Title | Role | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2002–2004 | Pobol y Cwm | Macsen White | |
| 2006 | Caerdydd | Daniel | |
| 2009–2011 | Misfits | Simon Bellamy | 21 episodes |
| 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 | 20 episodes |
| Vicious | Ash Weston | 14 episodes | |
| 2014 | Our Girl | Dylan "Smurf" Smith | 5 episodes |
| Under Milk Wood | Evans the Death | 1 episode | |
| 2015 | Residue | Jonas Flak | 3 episodes |
| 2016 | The Green Hollow | Sam Knight | |
| 2017 | Urban Myths | Adolf Hitler | 1 episode |
| Riviera | Adam Clios | 10 episodes | |
| Inhumans | Maximus | 8 episodes | |
| Family Guy | George Harrison, John Lennon, Ring Announcer (voices) | 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 | |
| The Prince | Prince William (voice) | ||
| TBA | A Christmas Number One |
Stage[]
| 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 |
Radio[]
| Year | Title | Role | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2013 | Darkside | The Boy | Voice |
Audiobook[]
| Year | Title | Role | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2018 | Wizards and Robots | Narrator | Prologue |
Video games[]
| Year | Title | Voice role | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2014–2015 | Game of Thrones | Ramsay Snow | Voice |
| 2021 | Total War: Warhammer II | Beastlord Rakarth | Voice |
Discography[]
EPs
- 2010: Tongue Tied EP
- 2011: Changing Times EP
- 2013: Bang, Bang! EP
Studio albums
- 2015: Dinard
Awards and nominations[]
| Year | Award | Category | Work | Notes | Ref. |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2010 | Laurence Olivier Award | Laurence Olivier Award for Best Performance in a Supporting Role in a Musical | Won | Spring Awakening | [3] |
| 2011 | Golden Nymph Awards | Outstanding Actor - Drama Series | Nominated | Misfits | |
| 2012 | SFX Awards | Best Actor | Nominated | ||
| 2014 | Screen Actors Guild Award | Outstanding Performance by an Ensemble in a Drama Series | Nominated | Game of Thrones | [18][19] |
| 2015 | IGN Awards | Best TV Villain | Nominated | [20] | |
| IGN People's Choice Award | Best TV Villain | Nominated | [20] | ||
| 2016 | Screen Actors Guild Award | Outstanding Performance by an Ensemble in a Drama Series | Nominated | [21] | |
| 2020 | CinEuphoria Award | Merit - Honorary Award | Won |
References[]
- ^ "Iwan Rheon". TVGuide.com. Retrieved 28 September 2015.
- ^ "Urdd Gobaith Cymru / Urdd Executive Committee". Urdd.cymru. Retrieved 20 July 2020.
- ^ Jump up to: a b c d e Ben Bryant (11 May 2010). "Iwan Rheon Interview". Buzz.co.uk.
- ^ "Rhodd – Iwan Rheon and Aled Rheon – Welsh Rock For Refugees". Welsh Rock For Refugees. 10 September 2015. Archived from the original on 19 September 2015. Retrieved 19 October 2015.
- ^ Jump up to: a b Keith Watson (9 November 2010). "Misfits' Iwan Rheon: 'If I were invisible, I'd spy on David Cameron.'". Metro.co.uk.
- ^ "Thanks for all the comments and support. I'm so grateful for the opportunity that MisFits gave me and all the fun that i had with the cast..." Twitter.com. 20 December 2012.
- ^ "Pink Floyd album inspires Sir Tom Stoppard radio play". BBC. 28 March 2013. Retrieved 24 August 2013.
- ^ "'Game of Thrones' Grad Iwan Rheon to Star in Marvel's ABC Drama 'Inhumans'". Hollywoodreporter.com.
- ^ Blabbermouth (2 December 2018). "MÖTLEY CRÜE Biopic 'The Dirt' To Arrive In March". Blabbermouth.net. Retrieved 8 March 2019.
- ^ "Live Music". The Bedford. 29 December 2010. Archived from the original on 7 May 2012. Retrieved 3 October 2011.
- ^ "BACON & QUARMBY". Alan Cowderoy Management. Archived from the original on 4 December 2007. Retrieved 2 February 2012.
- ^ "Iwan Rheon". The Monto. Retrieved 2 February 2012.
- ^ Jump up to: a b "Game of Thrones actor Iwan Rheon hoping for a hit with his debut album". Walesonline.co.uk. 25 April 2015. Retrieved 25 September 2019.
- ^ "Game of Thrones actor Iwan Rheon: 'Bad guys don't think they're bad, do they?'". Telegraph.co.uk/. 4 April 2015. Retrieved 25 September 2019.
- ^ "Misfits:Iwan Rheon plays Simon". Channel4.com.
- ^ "New father Iwan Rheon shrugs off sleepless nights for Foxfinder". Evening Standard. 14 September 2018. Retrieved 20 July 2020.
- ^ Meza, Ed (3 February 2021). "Iwan Rheon, Jack Wolfe, Asha Banks Join Roland Emmerich's 'The Magic Flute' (EXCLUSIVE)". Variety. Retrieved 15 February 2021.
- ^ "SAG Awards Nominations: 12 Years A Slave And Breaking Bad Lead Way". Deadline.com. 11 December 2013. Retrieved 8 September 2016.
- ^ "SAG Awards: Lone Survivor, Game Of Thrones Win Stunt Honors". Deadline.com. 18 January 2014. Retrieved 8 September 2016.
- ^ Jump up to: a b "Best of 2015". IGN. 28 January 2016. Archived from the original on 14 January 2017. Retrieved 18 December 2016.
- ^ "SAG Awards Nominations: Complete List". Variety. 9 December 2015. Retrieved 8 September 2016.
External links[]
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- 1985 births
- Welsh-speaking actors
- Welsh-speaking musicians
- Welsh male stage actors
- Welsh male television actors
- Welsh male film actors
- Welsh male singers
- Welsh operatic baritones
- Welsh singer-songwriters
- Laurence Olivier Award winners
- 21st-century Welsh male actors
- 21st-century Welsh singers
- Male actors from Cardiff
- People educated at Ysgol Gyfun Gymraeg Glantaf
- Alumni of the London Academy of Music and Dramatic Art
- Living people
- Dyslexic writers
- Musicians from Cardiff