Ioan Gruffudd

Actor

Birthday October 6, 1973

Birth Sign Libra

Birthplace Aberdare, Wales

Age 50 years old

Nationality Welsh

Height 1.82 m

#2801 Most Popular

1973

Ioan Gruffudd (born 6 October 1973) is a Welsh actor.

He has been known for his roles in film and television series in the UK, the United States and Australia.

Gruffudd was born on 6 October 1973 in Aberdare, the eldest of three siblings.

His parents, Gillian (née James) and Peter Griffiths (Ioan uses Gruffudd, the more traditional Welsh version of the surname ), were both teachers.

His father was headmaster at two Welsh-language comprehensive schools in South Wales, first at Ysgol Gyfun Llanhari (in Llanharry, Rhondda Cynon Taf) then later at Ysgol Gyfun Rhydfelen (in Rhydfelin).

Gruffudd was raised in a Nonconformist household.

During his childhood, his family moved to Cardiff.

Gruffudd attended three Welsh-medium schools: Ysgol Gynradd Gymraeg Aberdar (Ynyslwyd; now located in Cwmdare), Ysgol Gymraeg Melin Gruffydd (in Whitchurch, Cardiff), and Ysgol Gyfun Gymraeg Glantaf (in Llandaff North).

He was an accomplished oboist in his teens, achieving a Grade 8 level in the ABRSM music examinations and playing in the South Glamorgan Youth Orchestra for several years, but gave it up once acting took up most of his time.

He won prizes for his high baritone singing while at school, including one at the National Eisteddfod.

He has said, "As a Welshman, I grew up in a culture of singing and performing with music, and I think it was through this performing that I got my confidence as an actor."

Gruffudd's parents are committed Christians, and in his early 20s he was a member of the London Church of Christ, but his mother later came to London to "sort [his] head out".

1986

Gruffudd started his acting career at the age of 13 in a Welsh television film, Austin (1986), and later moved on to the Welsh language soap opera Pobol y Cwm (People of the Valley) from 1987 to 1994.

He also played football with the Pobol y Cwm football team Cwmderi FC alongside co-stars Hywel Emrys, Gwyn Elfyn and Ieuan Rhys.

1991

During this time, he was also active on stage, in school performances, and in the 1991 Urdd Eisteddfod production of Cwlwm.

1992

In 1992, aged 18, he began attending the Royal Academy of Dramatic Art (RADA) in London.

However, he was only given small parts in the academy's productions, and feeling isolated and directionless, almost dropped out several times.

1995

But in 1995, while in his final year, he was cast in Ibsen's Hedda Gabler as George (Jørgen) Tesman, the husband of Hedda, the lead character.

1996

This performance led to his being offered the role of Jeremy Poldark in the 1996 TV remake of Poldark.

1997

He first was noted for his portrayal of Harold Lowe in Titanic (1997), and for his portrayal of Horatio Hornblower in the Hornblower series of television films (1998–2003).

After playing Oscar Wilde's lover John Gray in 1997's Wilde he took a role as Fifth Officer Harold Lowe in James Cameron's film Titanic.

1998

He later landed the role of Horatio Hornblower in Hornblower, the Meridian production of the C. S. Forester novels (1998–2003), shown on ITV and A&E.

He has said: "It was quite something for an unknown actor to get the lead. So I will always be grateful to Hornblower. ... I would love to play this character through every stage of his life. I think it would be unique to have an actor playing him from the very early days as a midshipman, through till he's an Admiral. So, I would love to play this character till he perishes."

1999

His television work includes playing the character Pip in the BBC TV production of Charles Dickens' Great Expectations (1999), Lt. John Feeley in BBC One's Warriors (1999) and architect Philip Bosinney in ITV's adaptation of The Forsyte Saga (2002).

2000

He has starred in the films 102 Dalmatians (2000), Black Hawk Down (2001) and King Arthur (2004).

2003

Gruffudd, a native Welsh speaker, was inducted into the Gorsedd Beirdd Ynys Prydain (the Bardic Order of Great Britain) at the highest rank of Druid in the National Eisteddfod at Meifod, mid-Wales, on 4 August 2003, with the bardic name "Ioan".

2004

Subsequent roles have included Lancelot in King Arthur (2004), Reed Richards / Mister Fantastic in Fantastic Four (2005) and its 2007 sequel, William Wilberforce in Amazing Grace (2006), and Tony Blair in W. (2008).

2005

Gruffudd has also portrayed characters of both Marvel Comics and DC Comics, having appeared as Reed Richards / Mister Fantastic in Marvel's Fantastic Four (2005) and Fantastic Four: Rise of the Silver Surfer (2007), and provided the voice of Mister Miracle in DC's Justice League Unlimited (2004–06).

2007

In 2007, he starred in the historical drama Amazing Grace as William Wilberforce, the British abolitionist, receiving critical acclaim for the role.

2008

In 2008, he appeared in the Julia Roberts-Ryan Reynolds film, Fireflies in the Garden.

In 2008, he also appeared in The Secret of Moonacre.

In July 2008, he featured in a promotional trailer in Welsh for BBC Wales, alongside fellow Welshmen Matthew Rhys and Gethin Jones, publicising BBC coverage of the 2008 National Eisteddfod of Wales in Cardiff.

2009

In 2009, he starred alongside Josh Brolin in W., a biopic about the life of US President George W Bush, in which Gruffudd played Tony Blair.

2011

In 2011, he played the financier of a cave dive in Sanctum.

2014

In early 2014, Gruffudd was among the stars of Wales in a short film from the BBC to mark the centenary of the birth of Welsh poet Dylan Thomas.

2017

Gruffudd débuted his new male lead of Dr Andrew Earlham, a respected surgeon and widowed father of a teenage son, on 11 September 2017, in ITV's new 6-part thriller miniseries, Liar.

Dr Earlham's world—personally and professionally—is torn asunder when his son's schoolteacher, Laura Neilson (Joanne Froggatt) accuses him of raping her after their first date, the details of which she cannot remember.

Liar also began airing in the US on SundanceTV on 25 September 2017.

2018

In 2018, Gruffudd was cast as forensic pathologist Dr. Daniel Harrow in the Australian TV show Harrow airing on the ABC.

The show is set and filmed in Brisbane and focuses on Gruffudd's character Dr. Harrow - a forensic pathologist with a total disregard for authority, and an unfailing empathy for the dead which helps him to solve the most bizarre cases.