Rhys Ifans

Rhys Ifans (Welsh pronunciation: [r̥ɨːs ˈivans]; born Rhys Owain Evans; 22 July 1967) is a Welsh actor and musician. He is known for his portrayal of characters such as Spike in Notting Hill and Jed Parry in Enduring Love and as a member of the Welsh rock groups Super Furry Animals and The Peth. Ifans also appeared as Xenophilius Lovegood in Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows - Part 1, and will appear as Dr. Curt Connors/The Lizard in the upcoming The Amazing Spider-Man.

Rhys Ifans - Friday Night with Jonathan Ross - BBC One


RHYS IFANS INTERVIEW


Rhys Ifans: Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows Interview


Mr Nice's Rhys Ifans & Howard Marks Delve into the World of Drugs


Rhys Ifans [Actor] (Human Nature)





Early life

Ifans was born in Haverfordwest, Pembrokeshire, Wales, the son of Beti Wyn (née Davies), a nursery school teacher, and Eirwyn Evans, a primary school teacher. His first language is Welsh.[citation needed] Ifans grew up in Ruthin, North Wales, and received his primary education at Ysgol Pentrecelyn, where his mother worked, before attending Ysgol Maes Garmon, a Welsh language secondary school in Mold, Flintshire, where he sat his O levels and A levels. He also attended youth acting schools at Theatr Clwyd, Mold and trained at the Royal Scottish Academy of Music and Drama.

Career

In 1990, Ifans presented Sdwnsh (Welsh for "Mash"), an anarchic children's quiz programme. In total 31 fifteen minute programmes were broadcast on Welsh language TV channel S4C.
Ifans appeared in many Welsh language television programmes before embarking on his film career, as well as performing at the Royal National Theatre, London and the Royal Exchange Theatre, Manchester.
He was briefly lead vocalist of the rock band Super Furry Animals before they released any records.[9]
After his role as Jeremy Lewis in the Swansea-based movie Twin Town (1997), he gained international exposure in his role as the slovenly roommate Spike in the British film Notting Hill (1999). According to the DVD's commentary, Ifans did not wash or brush his teeth, in preparation for the role. He played Adrian, the pompous eldest brother in Little Nicky (2000).
His film roles include: Eyeball Paul in Kevin and 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 film version of Ian McEwan's Enduring Love and the lead role in Danny Deckchair (2003) as Danny Morgan.
In 2002 he gained some controversy in the British media for his alleged support of Welsh nationalist group Meibion Glyndŵr, a militant group who support violence against English home owners in the Welsh heartlands. This was mainly because of some comments he made in an interview conducted by Mariella Frostrup for The Observer newspaper.[10]
In 2005, Ifans won a BAFTA for his portrayal of comedian Peter Cook in the TV film Not Only But Always. Later that year he made a guest appearance for the rock band Oasis in the video for their single "The Importance of Being Idle" for which he accepted their award for Video Of the Year at the 2005/2006 NME Awards. He has also made appearances in the music videos for "God! Show Me Magic", and "Hometown unicorn" by the Super Furry Animals, "Mulder & Scully" by Catatonia, and "Mama Told Me Not To Come" by Tom Jones and the Stereophonics.
In December 2006, he returned to the London stage in Michael Grandage's production Don Juan In Soho at the Donmar Warehouse (run ended 10 February 2007). He had appeared previously at the Donmar in 2003's Accidental Death Of An Anarchist. Earlier stage work includes Hamlet at Theatre Clwyd, A Midsummer Night's Dream at the Regent's Park Theatre and Under Milk Wood and Volpone at the Royal National Theatre.
On 16 July 2007, he received an Honorary Fellowship from Bangor University in north Wales, for services to the film industry.[11]
At an anti-slavery benefit concert in March 2007 he cracked a joke which many audience members found distasteful: "Why is paedophilia so popular? Because kids are so fucking sexy."[12]
Since 2007 Ifans has sung with Welsh 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. The band played its first date outside London or Wales on 28 September 2008 at the Southampton Soul Cellar.
Ifans revealed on Friday Night with Jonathan Ross, on 27 March 2009, that he is appearing in Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows – Part 1. He played Xenophillius Lovegood, editor of the wizarding magazine the Quibbler and father of the eccentric Luna Lovegood. In that same interview, he also stated that he would be playing the title role in Mr Nice, based on the life of Howard Marks who was released from prison for helping illiterate criminals to read and write, so they could get an education behind bars. He played a villain in Nanny McPhee and the Big Bang, which also starred Emma Thompson and Maggie Gyllenhaal.
On October 11, 2010, the Associated Press confirmed that Ifans would portray the villain in the next Spider-Man movie, with the villain being revealed as The Lizard a few days later.[13]
[edit]Personal life

Ifans's brother, Llŷr Evans, is also an actor. They starred together in the Welsh produced film Twin Town. Rhys was romantically linked to actress Sienna Miller,[14] and has a swallow tattoo on his right wrist to match hers.[15] In June 2008 it was reported that Miller had ended the relationship with Ifans just a few months after they had become engaged.[16]
During Comic-Con 2011, Ifans was issued a misdemeanor battery citation by San Diego police for his behavior prior to speaking on a guest panel.[17]
[edit]Filmography

Year Film Role Notes
1995 Streetlife Kevin
1996 August Griffiths
1997 Twin Town Jeremy Lewis
1998 Dancing at Lughnasa Gerry Evans
1999 Heart Alex Madden
Notting Hill Spike Nominated - BAFTA Award for Best Actor in a Supporting Role
Nominated - Satellite Award for Best Supporting Actor: Musical or Comedy
You're Dead Eddie
2000 Rancid Aluminium Pete Thompson
Love, Honour and Obey Matthew
Kevin And Perry Go Large Eyeball Paul
The Replacements Nigel Gruff
Little Nicky Adrian
2001 Hotel Trent Stoken
Christmas Carol: The Movie Bob Cratchit voice
The Shipping News Beaufield Nutbeem
Human Nature Puff
The 51st State Iki
2002 Once Upon a Time in the Midlands Dek
2003 Danny Deckchair Danny Morgan
2004 Vanity Fair William Dobbin
Enduring Love Jed Nominated - Empire Award for Best British Actor
2005 Midsummer Dream Lysander voice: English version
Chromophobia Colin
2006 Garfield: A Tail of Two Kitties McBunny voice
2007 Four Last Songs Dickie
Hannibal Rising Grutas
Elizabeth: The Golden Age Robert Reston
2008 Come Here Today Alex
2009 The Informers Roger
The Boat That Rocked Gavin Cavanagh
Mr. Nobody Nemo's Father
2010 Mr. Nice Howard Marks
Greenberg Ivan Schrank
Nanny McPhee and the Big Bang Uncle Phil
Passion Play Sam post-production
Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows – Part 1 Xenophilius Lovegood
Exit Through the Gift Shop Narrator
2011 Anonymous Edward de Vere filming
Neverland James Hook TV Movie
2012 The Amazing Spider-Man Dr. Curt Connors/The Lizard filming, main leading antagonist/ main villain

References from Wikipedia.com