Paul Rhys (born 19 December 1963) is a Welsh actor with an extensive career in theatre, radio, television and film. 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. His first acting job was playing Liverpudlian judo expert Ralph in John Godber's hit play Bouncers, before leaving for London, where he qualified for his Equity card by singing jazz standards at lunchtime for Peter Boizot's Pizza Express and Kettners.
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. Rhys completed his education at RADA by winning the William Pole prize and the Bancroft Gold Medal.
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.
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.
as John
as Lord Penrhyn
as Melba(5 eps)
as Heathcliff's Father
as Tommy Cadogan
as Droite
as Akela(3 eps)
as Talleyrand
as Duncan
as Hippogriff (voice)(1 ep)
as Andrew Hubbard(4 eps)
as Father Hubbard(2 eps)
as Philip Smith(1 ep)
as Patrick Barker(6 eps)
as Sir John Conroy(3 eps)
as Comte De St Germain(1 ep)
as Comte De St Germain
as Aldrich Ames(8 eps)
as Compeyson(2 eps)
as Denby(1 ep)
as Compeyson/Denby(3 eps)
as Archie Cookson
as Paul McCartney
as Lucien Burgess(1 ep)
as Andy(1 ep)
as Ivan(5 eps)
as Dr. Llewllyn Francis(13 eps)
as Hoogstraten
as Ramses(2 eps)
as Winter
as Ludwig van Beethoven(3 eps)
as Cicero
as Sebastian Carter(1 ep)
as Peter Mandelson
as Lord Pwyll (voice)
as Alexis Meynell(1 ep)
as Richard Kennington
as Rupert Cazalet(6 eps)
as Matthew Hopkins(1 ep)
as Dr. Ferral
as David Pastorov
as Nikolai(4 eps)
as Jonathan
as Chopin
as Edgar
as Charles Stringham(4 eps)
as Edward Goffe
as Photographer
as Captain Peter Buckle(1 ep)
as Sam Wicks(1 ep)
as Dr. John Lassiter
as Sandor(3 eps)
as Sydney Chaplin
as Anthony Raine
as Chapo
as Edgar(1 ep)
as Christopher(1 ep)
as Theodore 'Theo' Van Gogh
as Amable Massis
as Theo Van Gogh(4 eps)
as Adam Marshall(1 ep)
as Robin Upward(1 ep)
as Hugh MacKessac
as Ivan Lyon
as George(10 eps)
as Mayor of the Underground City
as Hugh MacKessac(1 ep)
as Dean Swift
as Cicero(1 ep)
