Paul Rhys

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 descent on his mother's side. From the age of ten, he bred and trained horses, becoming a highly accomplished rider. A committed punk during his youth, Rhys sang in several bands.

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 (1986). Rhys completed his education at RADA by winning the William Pole prize and the Bancroft Gold Medal.

Film His next film role was in Franklin J. Schaffner's 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. Continuing the theme of famous brothers, Paul then played Sydney Chaplin opposite Robert Downey Jr.'s Charlie Chaplin in Richard Attenborough's 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, Food of Love, Love Lies Bleeding, Becoming Colette and Hellraiser: Deader. He appears as Talleyrand in Ridley Scott's 2023 epic Napoleon, and as Duncan in Emerald Fennell's 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, Christopher Morahan, Tom Vaughan, Edward Hall, Harry Bradbeer in productions including Tumbledown, A Dance to the Music of Time, The Heroes, Ghosts, Gallowglass, The Healer, Anna Karenina, The Deal, Beethoven, The Ten Commandments, Borgia, Luther and 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. He has made a minor industry out of playing vampires: Being Human (as Ivan); 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. In 2023, he appears as Tommy in the BBC film, Men Up.

In 2026 Rhys appeared in Russell T Davies’s Channel 4 drama Tip Toe.

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, 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. 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 the Barbican in 2010 and continued on international tour, returning to the Barbican for a second sell-out season in 2012. 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, Peter Mandelson, 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. In the title role in Howard Brenton's play Paul at the Royal National Theatre, he was unable to continue as he had lost an unhealthy amount of weight, dropping from .

Radio

Rhys has acted in over one hundred BBC Radio dramas. His roles include: Simon Templar in Leslie Charteris's The Saint (1995), Prince Myshkin in Fyodor Dostoevsky's The Idiot (2002), Charles Lamb in Carlo Gébler's Charles and Mary (2011), and Jacques Futrelle's Augustus S. F. X. Van Dusen in The Rivals (2011–2013).

Personal life Rhys was in a relationship with the late Australian actress Arkie Whiteley, with whom he appeared in Gallowglass. When Whiteley received a diagnosis of terminal cancer at the age of 36, he nursed her until her death.

Rhys is queer.

Filmography

Film Year Title Role Notes 1986 Absolute Beginners Dean Swift 1987 Lionheart Mayor of the Underground City Little Dorrit Charles Stiltstalking 1989 Spirit Douglas Rimmer 1990 Vincent & Theo Theo van Gogh 1991 Becoming Colette Chapo 1992 Rebecca's Daughters Anthony Raine Chaplin Sydney Chaplin 1995 Nina Takes a Lover Photographer 1999 Love Lies Bleeding Dr. Jonathan Stephens The Strange Case of Delphina Potocka or The Mystery of Chopin Frédéric Chopin 2001 From Hell Dr. Ferral 2002 Food of Love Richard Kennington 2003 Vacuum Adam Short film Y Mabinogi Lord Pwyll Voice 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 Mention2023 Napoleon Talleyrand Saltburn Duncan Widow Clicquot Droite 2026 Wuthering Heights Heathcliff's father

Television Year Title Role Notes 1987 My Family and Other Animals George 1988 Tumbledown Hugh MacKessac Television film 1988 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 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 Charles Stringham 1998 Performance Edgar King Lear 2000 Randall & Hopkirk (Deceased) Douglas Milton Series 1, episode 4: "Paranoia" 2000 I Saw You Ben Walters Television film 2000 Anna Karenina Nikolai 2001 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 Matthew Hopkins Series 3, episode 1: "Echoes" 2005 Timewatch Cicero Episode: "Murder in Rome" 2005 Beethoven Ludwig van Beethoven 2006 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 Alexis Meynell Series 7, episode 5 2009 The Queen Prince Charles Series 1, episode 4: "The Enemy Within" 2010 Being Human Ivan 5 episodes 2010 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 Andy Series 3, episode 4: "Donor" 2011 Great Expectations Compeyson/Denby 2013–14 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 George III 3 episodes 2015 Casanova Count of St. Germain Television film 2016 Victoria Sir John Conroy 3 episodes 2017 Rellik Patrick Barker 3 episodes 2018 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 Hippogriff (voice) Episode: "Long Live the King" 2026 Tip Toe Melba Miniseries

Theatre Year Title Role Notes 1983 Bouncers Ralph Yorkshire Actors 1984 A Woman of No Importance Gerald Arbuthnot Glasgow Citizens Theatre 1985 La Vie parisienne Milord Glasgow Citizens Theatre 1986 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 Solomon Riverside Studios 1988 The Government Inspector Khlestakov Compass Theatre 1990 Bent Rudy Royal National Theatre 1994 Design for Living Leo Donmar Warehouse 1995–96 Long Day's Journey Into Night Edmund Young Vic 1997 King Lear Edgar Royal National Theatre; Nominated — Laurence Olivier Award 1997 The Invention of Love Young Housman Royal National Theatre (premiere run) 1999–2000 Hamlet Hamlet Young Vic; Barclays Theatre Award 2004 Measure for Measure Angelo Royal National Theatre; Critics' Circle Theatre Award 2005 Paul Paul Royal National Theatre (premiere run) 2012 The Master and Margarita Woland/The Master Barbican Theatre 2016 Uncle Vanya Uncle Vanya Almeida Theatre