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Henry was never intended for the throne of England. However, the death of his older brother Arthur at the age of 15 and his taking of his dead brother’s bride propelled the young prince into the limelight and laid the foundations for one of the most spectacular reigns in English history. The young Henry VIII was an artist, musician, theologian and sportsman – the perfect Renaissance prince – but the failure of his first wife, Katherine of Aragon, to produce a male heir brought out his darker side. Henry could be cruel and capricious, using arbitrary execution as an instrument of Royal policy. In his bid to produce an heir he would dismantle the established church in England, loot its possessions, and set himself up as an absolute monarch. By the time of his death, his desire to maintain his own magnificent dynasty had seen him marry six times, deplete the nation’s coffers, and cut a swath through the English nobility. Yet a new age had been born in the fires of change, and though the years transformed a Renaissance prince into a sickly, overweight tyrant, his rule marked a sea change in the fortunes of England.
Jonathan Rhys Meyers first gained international attention for his starring role in Todd Haynes’ Velvet Goldmine opposite Ewan McGregor, Christian Bale and Toni Collette. Rhys Meyers’ daring performance as ex-glam rocker Brian Slade garnered him a London Film Critics Circle Award nomination. Since then, Rhys Meyers has landed leading roles opposite today’s hottest film actors and directors, and has emerged as one of Hollywood’s most sought-after leading men.
In 2006, Rhys Meyers received a Golden Globe Award for “Outstanding Lead Actor in a Miniseries or Movie” for his portrayal of the young Elvis Presley in the television miniseries Elvis. In addition to this honor, he received an Emmy nomination. The flawless portrayal of “The King” by a young Irish actor floored critics and audiences alike.
Next spring, Rhys Meyers will be seen in August Rush, alongside an all-star cast including Terrence Howard, Robin Williams and Keri Russell. The film will be directed by In America’s Jim Sheridan.
Rhys Meyers was most recently seen in the much-anticipated action sequel Mission: Impossible III, in which he co-starred with Tom Cruise, Laurence Fishburne and Philip Seymour Hoffman, under the direction of J.J. Abrams.
In 2006, Rhys Meyers earned critical acclaim for his role in the highly anticipated Woody Allen film Match Point. Dubbed Allen’s “comeback,” the film was nominated for three Golden Globes including Best Picture. Match Point, which co-starred Scarlett Johansson, debuted at the Cannes Film Festival in 2005, with Rhys Meyers winning the festival’s Chopard Trophy for Male Revelation.
Rhys Meyers is also recognized for his role as the girls’ soccer coach in the award-winning sleeper hit Bend It Like Beckham, in which he starred alongside Keira Knightley and Parminder Nagra. Rhys Meyers’ recent film credits include starring roles in Oliver Stone’s epic Alexander, with Colin Farrell and Angelina Jolie; and Mira Nair’s Vanity Fair, with Reese Witherspoon.
On the small screen, Rhys Meyers has starred in a wide range of long-form projects, both in the U.S. and U.K. Among his television credits are the Showtime presentation of The Lion in Winter, with Glenn Close and Patrick Stewart; Alfonso Arau’s The Magnificent Ambersons; Gormenghast; The Tribe; and Samson and Delilah.
Born in Dublin, Ireland, Rhys Meyers made his film debut in A Man of No Importance, and then played the young assassin in Neil Jordan’s biopic Michael Collins. His subsequent film credits include The Maker, Telling Lies in America, starring Kevin Bacon; The Governess, opposite Minnie Driver; the thriller B. Monkey; Mike Figgis’ The Loss of Sexual Innocence; Ang Lee’s western Ride With the Devil; Julie Taymor’s Titus, with Anthony Hopkins and Jessica Lange; Prozac Nation opposite Christina Ricci; The Tesseract; the crime drama I’ll Sleep When I’m Dead, with Clive Owen and Charlotte Rampling; and The Emperor’s Wife. Rhys Meyers currently resides in London.
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