Jonathan Rhys Meyers
Jonathan Rhys Meyers | |
|---|---|
 Meyers at London premiere of Mission: Impossible III, 25 April 2006 | |
| Born | Jonathan Michael Francis O'Keeffe |
| Occupation | Actor |
| Years active | 1994 – present |
| Partner | Reena Hammer (2004-2008) |
| Awards | Satellite Award for Best Actor - Miniseries or TV Film 2005 Elvis |
Jonathan Rhys Meyers (born Jonathan Michael Francis O’Keeffe; 27 July 1977) is an Irish actor and model, best known internationally for his role in the 1998 film Velvet Goldmine. In the USA he is probably best known for his television roles as Elvis Presley in the biographical miniseries Elvis and as King Henry VIII in historical drama The Tudors.[1][2]
Biography
Early life
Rhys Meyers was born Jonathan Michael Francis O’Keeffe in Dublin, Ireland, the son of Geraldine Meyers and musician John O'Keeffe.[3][4] His stage name is derived from his mother's maiden name, Meyers.
Rhys Meyers was born with a serious heart problem and was baptized shortly after his birth, as it was feared he would not survive long enough for a traditional baptism ceremony. He spent the first few months of his life in the hospital. Born in Dublin, he moved to Cork City at one year old and was raised there. He has three younger brothers named Jamie, Alan and Paul, who are all professional musicians.[5][6]
When Rhys Meyers was three years old, his parents separated. His mother raised Jonathan and his brother Alan, while his other two brothers went to live at their grandmother's house with their father.
Career
Rhys Meyers was expelled from the North Monastery Secondary School at age 16, and spent much of his time hanging out in pool halls namely the Victoria Sporting Club on Patricks Quay and the Coliseum Leisure Centre on McCurtain Street. Casting agents looking for Irish boys to appear in War of the Buttons spotted Rhys Meyers at a Cork pool hall, the Victoria Sporting Club, and invited him to audition. Although he was passed over for War of the Buttons, the casting agents encouraged him to pursue a career in acting. His first film role came soon afterward, in A Man of No Importance (1994). In 1996, he appeared in Michael Collins, as Collins' assassin.
Rhys Meyers has starred in television series including Gormenghast (2000) and in the CBS 4-hour mini-series Elvis (2005) as Elvis Presley alongside Rose McGowan as Ann-Margret. The latter earned him an Emmy nomination and a Golden Globe win.[7] He is currently starring in the Showtime cable series The Tudors (2007) as young King Henry VIII. He was nominated for the Golden Globe for Best Actor in a Television Drama in 2007 for the role.[8]
His film roles range from a David Bowie-inspired glam rock star in Velvet Goldmine (1998) to a dedicated girls' football coach in Bend It Like Beckham (2002). He appeared in Vanity Fair (2004) alongside Reese Witherspoon. In 2005, Rhys Meyers starred in Woody Allen's film Match Point, for which he received a Chopard Trophy at the Cannes Film Festival. In 2006, he appeared in Mission: Impossible III. Other projects include August Rush (2007) and "The Children of Huang Shi" (2008). He is rumored to be appearing in Danny Glover's Haitian epic Toussaint (2008) and signed on to star as Lee Falk's comic strip hero Mandrake the Magician in an upcoming movie directed by Chuck Russell. Upcoming projects include Shelter, co-starring Julianne Moore, and From Paris With Love, co-starring John Travolta.[9]
Rhys Meyers, a self-taught singer and guitarist, has appeared in a number of musical roles. His first such role was that of rock star Brian Slade in Velvet Goldmine; two of the songs he sang ("Baby's On Fire" and "Tumbling Down") are on the film's soundtrack. He sang briefly in the TV miniseries version of The Magnificent Ambersons, performed in studio scenes of the miniseries Elvis and played the flute in Gormenghast. In the 2007 music drama August Rush, Rhys Meyers performed on-screen as singer-songwriter Louis Connelly and is credited for four songs on the soundtrack - "Break", "Moondance", "Something Inside" and "This Time". Of the four, "This Time" and "Break" were considered in the Best Original Song category of the 80th Academy Awards.[10] "This Time" was not released as a single but peaked at #84 of the Canadian Hot 100.[11] As of February 14th 2009 the Something Inside: Jonathan Rhys Meyers Original Album Petition was created by fans, in the hopes of encouraging Meyers to release an original studio album.
Rhys Meyers was chosen as the face for the Versace men's collection of Autumn/Winter 2006 and Spring 2007, and he has also been the face of the Hugo Boss men's fragrance range since 2005. He is signed to Independent Models in London.
In February 2008, he became a celebrity ambassador for The Hope Foundation. This Cork-based charity aims to provide shelter and supplies to Calcutta's impoverished street children. Rhys Meyers hopes that lending his name to the organization will help raise awareness of the issue. As Ambassador he is expected to visit India and record a TV documentary for the charity.[12]
On October 5th, 2008, Rhys Meyers received an Honourary Patronage from the Trinity College Philosophical Society in Dublin, Ireland.
Personal life
Rhys Meyers owns houses and apartments in Nichols Canyon, Dublin, London and Morocco, splitting his time between Los Angeles and London when not working.
In 2004, Rhys Meyers met his ex-girlfriend Reena Hammer. Hammer is the daughter of Ruby Hammer, co-creator of the Ruby & Millie cosmetics line, and George Hammer, owner of Urban Retreat Spa at Harrods.
Rhys Meyers had previously been romantically linked to actresses Toni Collette (who played his wife in the film Velvet Goldmine) and Asia Argento (his co-star in B. Monkey). His engagement to Dublin socialite/model Cha Cha Seigne ended in separation in 2002. He also dated fashion model Lisa Butcher on and off for a year.
In May 2005, Rhys Meyers checked into rehab facility Promises in California seeking treatment for alcohol abuse. On 24 April 2007, the Associated Press reported that Rhys Meyers returned to treatment. The actor's representative Meredith O'Sullivan confirmed the news to People magazine citing his need to take a break from his busy schedule in order to maintain sobriety.[13] [14] On Sunday 18 November 2007 Rhys Meyers was arrested in Dublin Airport and charged with being drunk and in breach of the peace. He was later released on bail to appear at the Dublin District Court on 5 December 2007.[15] He was in Dublin to promote his new movie August Rush on the Irish television programme Tubridy Tonight. The charges were later dropped.
On November 20, 2007, the actor's mother, Geraldine Meyers-O'Keeffe, died after being admitted to the Mercy Hospital in Cork. She was 50 years old.[16]
On February 27, 2009, the actor checked into rehab, a third time, seeking help for his alcohol addiction. Rhys Meyers is believed to be in an English treatment facility this time. He checked out on March 15, 2009.[17]
Filmography
Feature films
| Year | Film | Role | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1994 | A Man of No Importance | First young man | |
| 1996 | The Killer Tongue | Rudolph | |
| The Disappearance of Finbar | Finbar Flynn | ||
| Michael Collins | Collins' assassin | ||
| 1997 | The Maker | Josh Minnell | |
| Telling Lies in America | Kevin Boyle | ||
| 1998 | Velvet Goldmine | Brian Slade | |
| The Governess | Henry Cavendish | ||
| B. Monkey | Bruno | ||
| The Tribe | Adam | released on TV | |
| 1999 | The Loss of Sexual Innocence | Nic, aged 16 | |
| Ride with the Devil | Pitt Mackeson | ||
| Titus | Chiron | ||
| 2001 | Prozac Nation | Noah | released on TV |
| Tangled | Alan Hammond | straight to DVD | |
| Happy Now | Mark Wraith | ||
| 2002 | Bend It Like Beckham | Joe | |
| 2003 | The Tesseract | Sean | straight to DVD |
| Octane | The Father | straight to DVD | |
| I'll Sleep When I'm Dead | Davey | ||
| The Emperor's Wife | Chamberlain | ||
| 2004 | Vanity Fair | George Osborne | |
| Alexander | Cassander | ||
| 2005 | Match Point | Chris Wilton | |
| 2006 | Mission: Impossible III | Declan | |
| 2007 | August Rush | Louis Connelly | |
| 2008 | The Children of Huang Shi | George Hogg | |
| A Film with Me in It | cameo[18] | ||
| 2009 | Shelter | Adam | post-production |
| From Paris with Love | Richard Stevens | filming | |
| Mandrake | Mandrake | on hold |
Television
| Year | Title | Role | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1996 | Samson and Delilah | Sansone a 14 anni | TNT TV movie |
| 2000 | Gormenghast | Steerpike | BBC miniseries |
| 2002 | The Magnificent Ambersons | George Amberson Minafer | A&E miniseries |
| 2003 | The Lion in Winter | Philip | Showtime TV movie |
| 2005 | Elvis | Elvis Presley | CBS miniseries |
| 2007-Present | The Tudors | King Henry VIII | Showtime TV series, |
Awards and nominations
Emmy Awards
- Nominated: Outstanding Lead Actor - Miniseries or a Movie (2005), Elvis
Golden Globe Awards
- Won: Best Actor in a Mini-Series or Motion Picture Made for Television (2006), Elvis[7]
- Nominated: Best Actor in a Television Series (2008), The Tudors[8]
- Nominated: Best Actor in a Television Series (2009), The Tudors[19]
Irish Film & Television Awards (IFTA)
- Won: Best Lead Actor - Television (2008), The Tudors
Other awards
- Nominated: London Film Critics Circle Awards, British Newcomer of the Year (1998), Velvet Goldmine, The Disappearance of Finbar, The Governess
- Won: Venice International Television Festival, Canal Grande Award for the Best Young Promising Actor (2002), The Magnificent Ambersons
- Won: Chopard Trophy, Outstanding Newcomer (2005), Match Point
- Won: Satellite Awards, Outstanding Actor in a Miniseries or a Motion Picture Made for Television (2005), Elvis (TV series)
- Won: GQ UK Men of the Year Awards, Lab Series Man of the Year (2006)
- Won: Monte Carlo Television Festival Golden Nymph Awards, Best Performance by an Actor - Drama (2008), The Tudors[20]
References
- ^ Monroe, Justin. "Reign Man", Complex, October 2007. Accessed 10 April 2008.
- ^ Wolf, Matt. "Earning an 'A' for Androgyny on the Screen", New York Times, 13 September 1998. Accessed 10 April 2008.
- ^ Film Reference.com.
- ^ Meyers biography. Yahoo! movies.
- ^ "BBC - Jersey - Entertainment - the OKs", BBC.co.uk
- ^ "The OKs Official Myspace" Accessed 30 September 2008
- ^ a b "2006 Golden Globe Awards Nominations & Winners", HFPA.org, January 2006. Accessed 14 April 2008
- ^ a b "2008 Golden Globe Awards Nominations & Winners", HFPA.org, January 2008. Accessed 14 April 2008.
- ^ Tartaglione, Nancy "EuropaCorp begins shoot on From Paris With Love", Screen Daily, September 23, 2008. Accessed 24 September 2008.
- ^ "59 Songs Tune Up for 2007 Oscar", Oscars.org, December 12, 2007
- ^ "Jonathan Rhys Meyers - This Time", aCharts.us. Accessed 30 September 2008
- ^ "Rhys Meyers to help Calcutta children", RTÉ Entertainment, February 18, 2008. Accessed 06 October 2008
- ^ Jonathan Rhys Meyers checks into rehab. RTE.ie 24 April 2007.
- ^ McDonald, Ray (30 April 2007). "Actor Jonathan Rhys-Meyers Enters Rehab". VOA News. Voice of America. Retrieved 25 December 2008.
{{cite news}}: Cite has empty unknown parameter:|coauthors=(help) - ^ Actor Rhys Meyers arrested at Dublin airport RTÉ.ie/News 18 November 2007.
- ^ Rhys Meyers mourns mother's death. BBC News. 21 November 2007.
- ^ Best of the rest: Jonathan Rhys Meyers goes to rehab . . . again. NY Daily News. 28 February 2009.
- ^ Hunter, Allan. "A Film with Me in It", Screen Daily, 26 June 2008. Accessed 27 June 2008.
- ^ Cite error: The named reference
2009 Golden Globeswas invoked but never defined (see the help page). - ^ Whelan, Natalie. "Brits dominate Golden Nymph Awards", The Guardian, 13 June 2008. Accessed 13 June 2008.