# Rhys Ifans

Rhys Owain Evans (Welsh pronunciation:; born 22 July 1967), known as Rhys Ifans, is a Welsh actor. He has portrayed roles in Notting Hill (1999), Kevin & Perry Go Large (2000), and Enduring Love (2004), in addition to Xenophilius Lovegood in Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows – Part 1 (2010), Dr. Curt Connors / Lizard in The Amazing Spider-Man (2012) and Spider-Man: No Way Home (2021), and Grigori Rasputin in The King's Man (2021). His television roles include Hector DeJean in the Epix thriller series Berlin Station, Mycroft Holmes in the CBS series Elementary, and Otto Hightower in the HBO fantasy series House of the Dragon.
Ifans was also formerly the frontman of the rock bands The Peth and Super Furry Animals.

## Early life

Ifans was born Rhys Owain Evans in Haverfordwest on 22 July 1967, the son of nursery school teacher Beti-Wyn (née Davies) and primary school teacher Eirwyn Evans. His younger brother, Llŷr Ifans, is also an actor. He grew up in Ruthin, where he received his primary education at Ysgol Pentrecelyn and was raised speaking Welsh as his first language. He attended Ysgol Maes Garmon, a Welsh medium secondary school in Mold, where he took his O levels and A levels. 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.

## Career
### Stage

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. The play was delayed due to the COVID-19 pandemic but was rescheduled for May 2021. The role of Atticus Finch was later given to Rafe Spall due to scheduling conflicts.

### Television

Ifans appeared in many Welsh-language television programmes before embarking on his film career, including the comedy show 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.
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.
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 in the Game of Thrones prequel House of the Dragon, which premiered 21 August 2022.

### Film

Following his role as Jeremy Lewis in the Swansea-based movie Twin Town (1997) alongside his brother Llŷr, 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). 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. 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.
Ifans also appeared as Grigori Rasputin in the spy film The King's Man, which was released in December 2021.

### Music

Ifans was briefly lead vocalist of the rock band Super Furry Animals before they released any records.
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.

## Personal life

Ifans dated actress Sienna Miller from 2007 to 2008; Miller had accepted Ifans's marriage proposal before breaking up with him. He dated actress Anna Friel from 2011 to 2014.
In September 2012, Ifans became a patron of the Welsh-language Wikipedia, 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. He also in 2017 supported the community purchase of Tafarn Sinc, a pub in his native Pembrokeshire that was facing closure.

## Filmography
### Film

| Year | Title | Role | Notes |
| 1996 | August | Griffiths | |
| 1997 | Twin Town | Jeremy Lewis | |
| 1998 | Dancing at Lughnasa | Gerry Evans | |
| 1999 | Heart | Alex Madden | |
| 1999 | You're Dead | Eddie | |
| 1999 | Notting Hill | Spike | |
| 1999 | Janice Beard 45 WPM | Sean | |
| 1999 | Hooves of Fire | Head Elf | Voice |
| 2000 | Rancid Aluminium | Pete Thompson | |
| 2000 | Love, Honour and Obey | Matthew | |
| 2000 | Kevin & Perry Go Large | Eyeball Paul | |
| 2000 | Sali Mali | Narrator | |
| 2000 | The Replacements | Nigel Gruff | |
| 2000 | Little Nicky | Adrian | |
| 2001 | Hotel | Trent Stoken | |
| 2001 | Christmas Carol: The Movie | Bob Cratchit | Voice |
| 2001 | The Shipping News | Beaufield Nutbeem | |
| 2001 | Human Nature | Puff | |
| 2001 | The 51st State/Formula 51 | Iki | |
| 2002 | Once Upon a Time in the Midlands | Dek | |
| 2003 | Danny Deckchair | Danny Morgan | |
| 2004 | Vanity Fair | William Dobbin | |
| 2004 | Enduring Love | Jed | |
| 2005 | Midsummer Dream | Lysander | Voice: English version |
| 2005 | Chromophobia | Colin | |
| 2006 | Garfield: A Tail of Two Kitties | McBunny | Voice |
| 2007 | Four Last Songs | Dickie | |
| 2007 | Hannibal Rising | Grutas | |
| 2007 | Elizabeth: The Golden Age | Robert Reston | |
| 2008 | Come Here Today | Alex | |
| 2009 | The Informers | Roger | |
| 2009 | The Boat That Rocked | Gavin Kavanagh | |
| 2009 | Mr. Nobody | Nemo's Father | |
| 2010 | Mr. Nice | Howard Marks | |
| 2010 | Greenberg | Ivan Schrank | |
| 2010 | Passion Play | Sam Adamo | |
| 2010 | Nanny McPhee and the Big Bang | Uncle Phil | |
| 2010 | Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows – Part 1 | Xenophilius Lovegood | |
| 2010 | Exit Through the Gift Shop | Narrator | |
| 2011 | Anonymous | Edward de Vere | |
| 2012 | The Five-Year Engagement | Winton Childs | |
| 2012 | The Amazing Spider-Man | Dr. Curt Connors / Lizard | Nominated — Teen Choice Award for Choice Movie Villain |
| 2013 | Another Me | Don | |
| 2014 | Serena | Galloway | |
| 2014 | Madame Bovary | Monsieur Lheureux | |
| 2015 | Dominion | Dylan Thomas | |
| 2015 | She's Funny That Way | Seth Gilbert | |
| 2015 | Len and Company | Len Black | |
| 2015 | Under Milk Wood | Captain Cat | Also producer |
| 2016 | Alice Through the Looking Glass | Zanik Hightopp | |
| 2016 | Snowden | Corbin O'Brian | |
| 2018 | The Parting Glass | Karl | |
| 2019 | Official Secrets | Ed Vulliamy | |
| 2020 | Misbehaviour | Eric Morley | |
| 2020 | Last Call | Dylan Thomas | |
| 2021 | La Cha Cha | Jeremiah | |
| 2021 | The Phantom of the Open | Keith Mackenzie | |
| 2021 | Spider-Man: No Way Home | Dr. Curt Connors / Lizard | Voice, live-action appearance via archive footage |
| 2021 | The King's Man | Grigori Rasputin | |
| 2023 | Nyad | John Bartlett | |
| 2023 | Mother, Couch | Gruffudd | |
| 2024 | Venom: The Last Dance | Martin Moon | |
| 2025 | Inheritance | Sam | |
| TBA | The Scurry | | Post-production |

### Television

| Year | Title | Role | Notes |
| 1991 | Spatz | Dave | 2 episodes |
| 1995 | Screen Two | Kevin | Episode: "Streetlife" |
| 1997 | Trial & Retribution | Michael Dunn | 2 episodes |
| 2000, 2020–present | Sali Mali | Narrator | 2 series |
| 2004 | Not Only But Always | Peter Cook | TV movie |
| 2008 | A Number | Bernard (B2) | TV movie |
| 2011 | Neverland | James Hook | TV movie |
| 2012 | The Corrections | Gitanas | Unaired pilot |
| 2013 | Playhouse Presents | Chris | Episode: "Gifted" |
| 2013–2014 | Elementary | Mycroft Holmes | 7 episodes |
| 2016–2019 | Berlin Station | Hector DeJean | 24 episodes |
| 2021 | Temple | Gubby | Season 2 |
| 2022–present | House of the Dragon | Otto Hightower | Main cast |

### Music videos

| Year | Title | Role |
| 1996 | "God! Show Me Magic" | Announcer |
| 1997 | "Mulder and Scully" | |
| 2000 | "Mama Told Me Not to Come" | |
| 2005 | "The Importance of Being Idle" | Lazy Man |

## Honours, awards and nominations

On 16 July 2007, he received an Honorary Fellowship of Bangor University, for services to the film industry.
| Year | Awards | Category | Work | Result |
| 2000 | 53rd British Academy Film Awards | BAFTA Award for Best Actor in a Supporting Role | Notting Hill | Nominated |
| 2000 | Satellite Awards | Best Supporting Actor – Motion Picture | Notting Hill | Nominated |
| 2000 | Blockbuster Entertainment Awards | Favorite Supporting Actor - Comedy/Romance | Notting Hill | Nominated |
| 2005 | 2005 British Academy Television Awards | BAFTA Best Actor (TV) | Not Only But Always | Won |
| 2005 | International Emmy Awards | International Emmy Award for Best Actor | Not Only But Always | Nominated |
| 2005 | Empire Awards | Best British Actor | Enduring Love | Nominated |
| 2005 | BAFTA Cymru | Sian Phillips Award | Outstanding Contribution to TV/Film | Won |
| 2010 | Seville European Film Festival | Best Actor | Mr. Nice | Won |
| 2012 | 2012 Teen Choice Awards | Choice Movie Villain | The Amazing Spider-Man | Nominated |
| 2015 | BAFTA Cymru | Best Actor (Yr Actor Gorau) | Under Milk Wood | Nominated |
| 2017 | Tallinn Black Nights Film Festival | Jury Prize - Best Actor | Last Call (Dylan Thomas) | Won |