Iwan Rheon (, ; 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
Misfits or The Misfits may refer to:
Film and television
* ''The Misfits'' (1961 film), a film starring Clark Gable, Marilyn Monroe, and Montgomery Clift
* ''The Misfits'' (2011 film), a Mexican film
* ''The Misfits'' (2021 film), an American ...
'',
Ramsay Bolton
Ramsay Bolton, previously known as Ramsay Snow, is a fictional character in the ''A Song of Ice and Fire'' series of fantasy novels by American author George R. R. Martin, and its television adaptation ''Game of Thrones''.
Introduced in 1998's ...
in the
HBO
Home Box Office (HBO) is an American premium television network, which is the flagship property of namesake parent subsidiary Home Box Office, Inc., itself a unit owned by Warner Bros. Discovery. The overall Home Box Office business unit is ba ...
series ''
Game of Thrones
''Game of Thrones'' is an American fantasy drama television series created by David Benioff and D. B. Weiss for HBO. It is an adaptation of ''A Song of Ice and Fire'', a series of fantasy novels by George R. R. Martin, the first ...
'', and
Mötley Crüe
Mötley Crüe is an American heavy metal band formed in Los Angeles in 1981. The group was founded by bassist Nikki Sixx, drummer Tommy Lee, lead guitarist Mick Mars and lead singer Vince Neil. Mötley Crüe has sold over 100 million albums ...
guitarist
Mick Mars
Robert Alan Deal (born May 4, 1951), known professionally as Mick Mars, is an American musician and the retired lead guitarist and co-founder of the heavy metal band Mötley Crüe. He is known for his aggressive, melodic solos and bluesy riffs ...
in the film ''
The Dirt
''The Dirt: Confessions of the World's Most Notorious Rock Band'' () is a collaborative autobiography of Mötley Crüe by the band – Tommy Lee, Mick Mars, Vince Neil and Nikki Sixx – and ''New York Times'' writer Neil Strauss. First publi ...
''. He has also appeared in the series ''
Vicious'', ''
Riviera
''Riviera'' () is an Italian word which means "coastline", ultimately derived from Latin , through Ligurian . It came to be applied as a proper name to the coast of Liguria, in the form ''Riviera ligure'', then shortened in English. The two areas ...
'', and ''
Inhumans
The Inhumans are a fictional superhuman race of superheroes appearing in American comic books published by Marvel Comics. The comic book series has usually focused more specifically on the adventures of the Inhuman Royal Family, and many peop ...
''.
Early life
Rheon was born in
Carmarthen
Carmarthen (, RP: ; cy, Caerfyrddin , "Merlin's fort" or "Sea-town fort") is the county town of Carmarthenshire and a community in Wales, lying on the River Towy. north of its estuary in Carmarthen Bay. The population was 14,185 in 2011, ...
on 13 May 1985,
the son of Einir and Rheon Tomos. When he was five years old, his family moved to
Cardiff
Cardiff (; cy, Caerdydd ) is the capital and largest city of Wales. It forms a principal area, officially known as the City and County of Cardiff ( cy, Dinas a Sir Caerdydd, links=no), and the city is the eleventh-largest in the United Kingd ...
.
His older brother, Aled, is a musician; the two performed together on the 2015 single "Rhodd". Rheon attended
Ysgol Gyfun Gymraeg Glantaf
Ysgol Gyfun Gymraeg Glantaf (''Taff Bank Welsh Language Comprehensive School'') is a Welsh-medium coeducational secondary school in Llandaff North, a district in the north of Cardiff, Wales; it is the largest of its kind in the country. Of the ...
, 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
The National Eisteddfod of Wales (Welsh language, Welsh: ') is the largest of several eisteddfodau that are held annually, mostly in Wales. Its eight days of competitions and performances are considered the largest music and poetry festival in Eur ...
.
Career
Acting
![Iwan Rheon by Gage Skidmore 2](https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/6/64/Iwan_Rheon_by_Gage_Skidmore_2.jpg)
At age 17, Rheon joined the
Welsh language
Welsh ( or ) is a Celtic language family, Celtic language of the Brittonic languages, Brittonic subgroup that is native to the Welsh people. Welsh is spoken natively in Wales, by some in England, and in Y Wladfa (the Welsh colony in Chubut P ...
soap ''
Pobol Y Cwm
''Pobol y Cwm'' (''People of the Valley''; ) is a Welsh-language soap opera produced by the BBC since October 1974. The longest-running television soap opera produced by the BBC, ''Pobol y Cwm'' was originally transmitted on BBC One Wales and l ...
'', in which he originated the role of Macsen White, but later left to train at the
London Academy of Music and Dramatic Art
The London Academy of Music and Dramatic Art (LAMDA) is a drama school located in Hammersmith, London. It is the oldest specialist drama school in the British Isles and a founding member of the Federation of Drama Schools.
LAMDA's Principal is ...
.
His first notable stage part came in ''Eight Miles High'', which was staged in 2008 at the
Royal Court Theatre
The Royal Court Theatre, at different times known as the Court Theatre, the New Chelsea Theatre, and the Belgravia Theatre, is a non-commercial West End theatre in Sloane Square, in the Royal Borough of Kensington and Chelsea, London, Englan ...
in
Liverpool
Liverpool is a city and metropolitan borough in Merseyside, England. With a population of in 2019, it is the 10th largest English district by population and its metropolitan area is the fifth largest in the United Kingdom, with a popul ...
. Also in 2008, he was cast as the haunted Moritz Stiefel in the
London
London is the capital and largest city of England and the United Kingdom, with a population of just under 9 million. It stands on the River Thames in south-east England at the head of a estuary down to the North Sea, and has been a majo ...
production of the
Tony Award
The Antoinette Perry Award for Excellence in Broadway Theatre, more commonly known as the Tony Award, recognizes excellence in live Broadway theatre. The awards are presented by the American Theatre Wing and The Broadway League at an annual cer ...
-winning rock musical ''
Spring Awakening''.
He played this role from January 2009 at the
Lyric Hammersmith
The Lyric Theatre, also known as the Lyric Hammersmith, is a theatre on Lyric Square, off King Street, Hammersmith, London. and continued when the show was transferred to the
Novello Theatre
The Novello Theatre is a West End theatre on Aldwych, in the City of Westminster. It was known as the Strand Theatre between 1913 and 2005.
History
The theatre was built as one of a pair with the Aldwych Theatre on either side of The Waldo ...
, 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
Oliver Rhoe Thornton (born 10 September 1979) is a stage actor and singer who is best known for his contributions to musical theatre in London's West End theatre, West End.
Life and career
Early life
Thornton was born on 10 September 1979 ...
(''
Priscilla Queen of the Desert
''The Adventures of Priscilla, Queen of the Desert'' is a 1994 Australian road comedy film written and directed by Stephan Elliott. The plot follows two drag queens, played by Hugo Weaving and Guy Pearce, and a transgender woman, played by Tere ...
''). For his performance he won the award for
Best Supporting Actor in a Musical at the 2010
Olivier Awards
The Laurence Olivier Awards, or simply the Olivier Awards, are presented annually by the Society of London Theatre to recognise excellence in professional theatre in London at an annual ceremony in the capital. The awards were originally known as ...
.
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
Invisibility is the state of an object that cannot be seen. An object in this state is said to be ''invisible'' (literally, "not visible"). The phenomenon is studied by physics and perceptual psychology.
Since objects can be seen by light in ...
and precognition in season 3.
On 20 December 2011, Rheon announced via Twitter that he had left the show, along with fellow cast member
Antonia Thomas
Antonia Laura Thomas (born 3 November 1986) is a British actress and singer. She is best known for her roles as Alisha Daniels in the E4 comedy-drama series ''Misfits'', Evie in the Channel 4/Netflix comedy series '' Lovesick'' and Dr. Claire ...
.
In 2011, he also appeared in the final episode of ''
Secret Diary of a Call Girl
''Secret Diary of a Call Girl'' is a British drama television series that aired from 27 September 2007 to 22 March 2011 on ITV2, based on the blog and books by the pseudonymous Belle de Jour. It stars Billie Piper as Belle, a high-end London ...
''. 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
Simon Marc Amstell (born 29 November 1979) is a British comedian, writer and director. He wrote and directed the films '' Carnage'' (2017) and ''Benjamin'' (2018). His work on television has included presenting '' Popworld'' and '' Never Mind th ...
's comedy ''
Grandma's House
''Grandma's House'' is a sitcom television series broadcast on BBC Two. Written by Simon Amstell and long-term collaborator Dan Swimer, the series stars Simon Amstell playing a version of himself: an ex-television presenter searching for meaning ...
''.
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
Ramsay Bolton, previously known as Ramsay Snow, is a fictional character in the ''A Song of Ice and Fire'' series of fantasy novels by American author George R. R. Martin, and its television adaptation ''Game of Thrones''.
Introduced in 1998's ...
in the
HBO
Home Box Office (HBO) is an American premium television network, which is the flagship property of namesake parent subsidiary Home Box Office, Inc., itself a unit owned by Warner Bros. Discovery. The overall Home Box Office business unit is ba ...
series ''
Game of Thrones
''Game of Thrones'' is an American fantasy drama television series created by David Benioff and D. B. Weiss for HBO. It is an adaptation of ''A Song of Ice and Fire'', a series of fantasy novels by George R. R. Martin, the first ...
''. In the DVD commentary for the series' third season, producers
David Benioff
David Friedman (; born September 25, 1970), known professionally as David Benioff (), is an American writer, director and producer. Along with his collaborator D. B. Weiss, he is best known as co-creator and showrunner of '' Game of Thrones'' (2 ...
and
D.B. Weiss
Daniel Brett Weiss (; born April 23, 1971) is an American television writer, director, and producer. Along with his collaborator David Benioff, he is best-known as co-creator of '' Game of Thrones'' (2011–2019), the HBO adaptation of George R. ...
mentioned that Rheon previously auditioned for the role of
Jon Snow, but lost to
Kit Harington
Christopher Catesby Harington (born 26 December 1986) is an English actor who is widely known for his role as Jon Snow in the HBO epic fantasy television series ''Game of Thrones'' (2011–2019).
After studying at the Royal Central School o ...
, 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
Pink Floyd are an English rock band formed in London in 1965. Gaining an early following as one of the first British psychedelic music, psychedelic groups, they were distinguished by their extended compositions, sonic experimentation, philo ...
's ''
The Dark Side of the Moon
''The Dark Side of the Moon'' is the eighth studio album by the English rock band Pink Floyd, released on 1 March 1973 by Harvest Records. The album was primarily developed during live performances, and the band premiered an early version of ...
'' album. In September 2014, Rheon joined the cast of BBC One's ''
Our Girl
''Our Girl'' is a British television military drama series, written and created by Tony Grounds, first broadcast on BBC One on 24 March 2013. The series initially starred Lacey Turner as Molly Dawes, a young working-class woman, who joins the B ...
'' as Dylan "Smurf" Smith. In 2017, it was announced that Rheon had been cast in ABC's ''
Inhumans
The Inhumans are a fictional superhuman race of superheroes appearing in American comic books published by Marvel Comics. The comic book series has usually focused more specifically on the adventures of the Inhuman Royal Family, and many peop ...
'' series. Rheon played
Mötley Crüe
Mötley Crüe is an American heavy metal band formed in Los Angeles in 1981. The group was founded by bassist Nikki Sixx, drummer Tommy Lee, lead guitarist Mick Mars and lead singer Vince Neil. Mötley Crüe has sold over 100 million albums ...
guitarist
Mick Mars
Robert Alan Deal (born May 4, 1951), known professionally as Mick Mars, is an American musician and the retired lead guitarist and co-founder of the heavy metal band Mötley Crüe. He is known for his aggressive, melodic solos and bluesy riffs ...
in the 2019 film ''
The Dirt
''The Dirt: Confessions of the World's Most Notorious Rock Band'' () is a collaborative autobiography of Mötley Crüe by the band – Tommy Lee, Mick Mars, Vince Neil and Nikki Sixx – and ''New York Times'' writer Neil Strauss. First publi ...
''.
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, ''
Tongue Tied EP'', at
RAK Studios in London, produced by
Jonathan Quarmby
Jonathan Hugh Quarmby (born 20 December 1961 in Huddersfield), is an English record producer and songwriter and son of English architect Arthur Quarmby.
Biography
Studying architecture at Sheffield University, he soon became a part of the city' ...
and
Kevin Bacon
Kevin Norwood Bacon (born July 8, 1958) is an American actor. His films include the musical-drama film '' Footloose'' (1984), the controversial historical conspiracy legal thriller '' JFK'' (1991), the legal drama '' A Few Good Men'' (1992), t ...
. 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. 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 TÅ· 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",
the album's title refers to
Dinard
Dinard (; br, Dinarzh, ; Gallo language, Gallo: ''Dinard'') is a Communes of France, commune in the Ille-et-Vilaine Departments of France, department, Brittany (administrative region), Brittany, northwestern France.
Dinard is on the Côte d'à ...
, a town in Brittany, France, where Rheon met his girlfriend Zoë Grisedale.
Music journalist
Neil McCormick
Neil McCormick (born 31 March 1961) is a British music journalist, author and broadcaster. He has been Chief Music Critic for ''The Daily Telegraph'' since 1996, and presented a music interview show for Vintage TV in the UK, Neil McCormick's Nee ...
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".
Personal life
Rheon is fluent in both
Welsh
Welsh may refer to:
Related to Wales
* Welsh, referring or related to Wales
* Welsh language, a Brittonic Celtic language spoken in Wales
* Welsh people
People
* Welsh (surname)
* Sometimes used as a synonym for the ancient Britons (Celtic peop ...
and English, with Welsh being his first language. He lives in London and has a son, born in August 2018.
His son's mother is Zoë Grisedale.
Filmography
Film
Television
Stage
Radio
Audiobook
Video games
Discography
EPs
* 2010: ''Tongue Tied EP''
* 2011: ''Changing Times EP''
* 2013: ''Bang, Bang! EP''
Studio albums
* 2015: ''Dinard''
Awards and nominations
References
External links
Official website*
{{DEFAULTSORT:Rheon, Iwan
1985 births
Welsh-speaking actors
Welsh-speaking musicians
Welsh male stage actors
Welsh male television actors
Welsh male film actors
21st-century Welsh male singers
Welsh operatic baritones
Welsh singer-songwriters
Laurence Olivier Award winners
21st-century Welsh male actors
Male actors from Cardiff
People educated at Ysgol Gyfun Gymraeg Glantaf
Alumni of the London Academy of Music and Dramatic Art
Living people
Musicians from Cardiff
Actors with dyslexia