# Paul Rhys
**Paul Rhys** (born 1963) is a Welsh actor with an extensive career in theater, radio, television, and film, known for roles ranging from Theo van Gogh in *Vincent & Theo* (1990) to the butler Duncan in *Saltburn* (2023) and the diplomat Talleyrand in [Ridley Scott](https://www.edgepedia.org/ridley-scott)'s *Napoleon* (2023)[1](https://www.imdb.com/name/nm0722631/) • [2](https://www.themoviedb.org/person/80365-paul-rhys).
| Key fact | Detail |
|---|---|
| Born | 1963, Neath, Wales, to Kathryn Ivory and Richard Charles Rhys, a laborer[1](https://www.imdb.com/name/nm0722631/) |
| Training | Royal Academy of Dramatic Art (RADA) on a Bernard Shaw Scholarship; won the William Pole prize and the Bancroft Gold Medal[3](https://watch.plex.tv/en-GB/person/paul-rhys) |
| Breakthrough | First lead role opposite Colin Firth in the BBC1 TV movie *Tumbledown* (1988), about the Falklands War[4](https://www.tvinsider.com/people/paul-rhys/) |
| Signature film roles | Theo van Gogh in *Vincent & Theo* (1990); Sydney Chaplin in *Chaplin* (1992)[5](https://www.broadwayworld.com/people/Paul-Rhys/) |
| Real-life figures played | Leonardo da Vinci (*Borgia*), spy Aldrich Ames (*The Assets*), Sir John Conroy (*Victoria*), King George III (*TURN: Washington's Spies*)[4](https://www.tvinsider.com/people/paul-rhys/) |
| 2023 comeback | Duncan in *Saltburn*, Talleyrand in *Napoleon*, and Droite in *Widow Clicquot*, all filmed in 2022[1](https://www.imdb.com/name/nm0722631/) |
| Theatre companies | Glasgow Citizens Theatre, Royal Shakespeare Company, Young Vic, Donmar Warehouse, Royal National Theatre, Barbican, Almeida Theatre[5](https://www.broadwayworld.com/people/Paul-Rhys/) |
## Early life and training
Rhys was born in Neath to working-class Catholic parents and is of part-Irish descent on his mother's side[1](https://www.imdb.com/name/nm0722631/) • [3](https://watch.plex.tv/en-GB/person/paul-rhys). From the age of ten he bred and trained horses and became an accomplished rider, and as a committed punk in his youth he sang in several bands[3](https://watch.plex.tv/en-GB/person/paul-rhys).
His first acting job was playing the Liverpudlian judo expert Ralph in John Godber's hit play *Bouncers*. After moving to London he qualified for his Equity card by singing jazz standards at lunchtime in Peter Boizot's Pizza Express and Kettner's[3](https://watch.plex.tv/en-GB/person/paul-rhys). He then received a Bernard Shaw Scholarship to study at RADA, where in his first term Philip Prowse spotted him and invited him to play Gerald, the illegitimate son, in [Oscar Wilde](https://www.edgepedia.org/oscar-wilde)'s *A Woman of No Importance* at the Glasgow Citizens Theatre[3](https://watch.plex.tv/en-GB/person/paul-rhys).
## Film career
Before he even graduated, Rhys landed a role in [Julien Temple](https://www.edgepedia.org/julien-temple)'s *Absolute Beginners* (1986), one of the most expensive films in British history up to that point, playing Dean Swift[4](https://www.tvinsider.com/people/paul-rhys/) • [3](https://watch.plex.tv/en-GB/person/paul-rhys). His next film was [Franklin J. Schaffner](https://www.edgepedia.org/franklin-j-schaffner)'s *Lionheart* (1987), followed by a brief spell at the [Royal Shakespeare Company](https://www.edgepedia.org/royal-shakespeare-company) before Richard Eyre's award-winning *Tumbledown* gave him his first lead role, opposite Colin Firth[3](https://watch.plex.tv/en-GB/person/paul-rhys) • [4](https://www.tvinsider.com/people/paul-rhys/).
**Famous brothers.** A recurring thread in his early film work is the portrayal of celebrated siblings: he played Theo van Gogh, the painter's younger brother, in [Robert Altman](https://www.edgepedia.org/robert-altman)'s *Vincent & Theo* (1990), and then [Sydney Chaplin](https://www.edgepedia.org/sydney-chaplin) opposite [Robert Downey Jr.](https://www.edgepedia.org/robert-downey-jr)'s Charlie Chaplin in Richard Attenborough's *Chaplin* (1992)[3](https://watch.plex.tv/en-GB/person/paul-rhys) • [5](https://www.broadwayworld.com/people/Paul-Rhys/). He went on to appear in Alan Bennett's *102 Boulevard Haussmann* (1990) and opposite Peter O'Toole in *Rebecca's Daughters* (1992), followed by films including *From Hell* (2001), *Food of Love* (2002), *Love Lies Bleeding* (2006), *Becoming Colette* (2018), and *Hellraiser: Deader* (2005)[3](https://watch.plex.tv/en-GB/person/paul-rhys) • [5](https://www.broadwayworld.com/people/Paul-Rhys/). In the 2011 low-budget spy film *Eliminate: Archie Cookson* he took the title role, which for a time stood as his last feature-film credit[5](https://www.broadwayworld.com/people/Paul-Rhys/) • [6](https://www.gq-magazine.co.uk/article/paul-rhys-interview-saltburn-napoleon-2023).
## Television
Alongside his film work Rhys built a television career in leading roles with directors including [Mike Hodges](https://www.edgepedia.org/mike-hodges), Stephen Frears, Richard Eyre, and Philip Martin, in productions such as *The Heroes* (1989), *Gallowglass* (1993), *The Healer* (1994), *Anna Karenina* (1997), *A Dance to the Music of Time* (1997), *The Deal* (2003), and *Borgia* (2011)[1](https://www.imdb.com/name/nm0722631/) • [7](https://cinegraph.org/people/paul-rhys). He has repeatedly been cast as historical figures: [Leonardo da Vinci](https://www.edgepedia.org/leonardo-da-vinci) on *Borgia* (Canal+/Sky/Netflix, 2011–2014), the CIA traitor [Aldrich Ames](https://www.edgepedia.org/aldrich-ames) in the mini-series *The Assets* (2014), King George III in *TURN: Washington's Spies* (2014–2017), and Queen Victoria's scheming John Conroy in ITV's *Victoria* (2016)[4](https://www.tvinsider.com/people/paul-rhys/).
Vampire roles have become a recognizable specialty: he played Ivan in *Being Human* (2008), [Vlad the Impaler](https://www.edgepedia.org/vlad-the-impaler) (Prince of [Wallachia](https://www.edgepedia.org/wallachia), Dracula) in seasons 1–3 of *Da Vinci's Demons* (2013), and the vampire Father Andrew Hubbard in two seasons of *A Discovery of Witches* (2018–2022)[1](https://www.imdb.com/name/nm0722631/). Later credits include *Rellik* (2017), *Lore* (2017), *The Way* (2024), a voice role as the [Hippogriff](https://www.edgepedia.org/hippogriff) in *The Sandman* (2025), and the 2026 mini-series *Tip Toe* as Melba[1](https://www.imdb.com/name/nm0722631/) • [8](https://www.tvmaze.com/people/38094/paul-rhys).
## Theatre
Stage work has run parallel to his screen career. He has performed with the Glasgow Citizens Theatre, the Royal Shakespeare Company, the Young Vic, the Donmar Warehouse, the [Royal National Theatre](https://www.edgepedia.org/royal-national-theatre), the Barbican, and the Almeida Theatre[5](https://www.broadwayworld.com/people/Paul-Rhys/). Noted roles include Edgar in *King Lear* (1997), A. E. Housman in Tom Stoppard's *The Invention of Love* (1997), Rudi in Martin Sherman's *Bent* (1990), and Angelo in Simon McBurney's Complicite production of *Measure for Measure*, which marked his return to the National Theatre after more than six years away[1](https://www.imdb.com/name/nm0722631/) • [9](https://www.whatsonstage.com/news/20-questions-with-paul-rhys_25114/). His agent CV records an Olivier Awards nomination for Best Supporting Actor[10](https://markhamfroggattandirwin-cdn-1.s3.eu-west-2.amazonaws.com/wp-content/uploads/2018/01/18170042/Paul-Rhys-CV-1.pdf).
## The 2023 comeback
After years in which his filmography showed little feature-film work, 2022 brought a cluster of three productions released in 2023: he appeared as the French aristocrat Talleyrand opposite Joaquin Phoenix in Ridley Scott's *Napoleon*, as the ghoulish butler Duncan in Emerald Fennell's *Saltburn*, and as Droite in *Widow Clicquot*[1](https://www.imdb.com/name/nm0722631/) • [6](https://www.gq-magazine.co.uk/article/paul-rhys-interview-saltburn-napoleon-2023). British *GQ* framed the pair of high-profile roles as a character-actor comeback, calling his Duncan a scene-stealing part[6](https://www.gq-magazine.co.uk/article/paul-rhys-interview-saltburn-napoleon-2023). Fennell directed him again as Heathcliff's Father in *Wuthering Heights* (2026)[11](https://theartistspartnership.co.uk/artist/paul-rhys/). Rhys lives in London and New York[1](https://www.imdb.com/name/nm0722631/).
## References
1. [Paul Rhys, IMDb](https://www.imdb.com/name/nm0722631/)
2. [Paul Rhys, The Movie Database](https://www.themoviedb.org/person/80365-paul-rhys)
3. [Paul Rhys, Plex filmography and biography](https://watch.plex.tv/en-GB/person/paul-rhys)
4. [Paul Rhys, TV Insider](https://www.tvinsider.com/people/paul-rhys/)
5. [Paul Rhys, BroadwayWorld](https://www.broadwayworld.com/people/Paul-Rhys/)
6. [How Paul Rhys became the comeback king with roles in Saltburn and Napoleon, British GQ](https://www.gq-magazine.co.uk/article/paul-rhys-interview-saltburn-napoleon-2023)
7. [Paul Rhys, Cinegraph](https://cinegraph.org/people/paul-rhys)
8. [Paul Rhys, TVmaze](https://www.tvmaze.com/people/38094/paul-rhys)
9. [20 Questions With Paul Rhys, WhatsOnStage](https://www.whatsonstage.com/news/20-questions-with-paul-rhys_25114/)
10. [Paul Rhys CV, Markham Froggatt & Irwin](https://markhamfroggattandirwin-cdn-1.s3.eu-west-2.amazonaws.com/wp-content/uploads/2018/01/18170042/Paul-Rhys-CV-1.pdf)
11. [Paul Rhys, The Artists Partnership](https://theartistspartnership.co.uk/artist/paul-rhys/)
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*Topic: Encyclopedia › Arts and culture › Screen and stage › Film and television › Screen people and creators › Screen actors of the Anglosphere and Europe › Welsh actors*
*Initially written Sep 17, 2026 · Reviewed: Sep 17, 2026; Oct 25, 2026 · Edited: Sep 17, 2026; Oct 12, 2026; Oct 25, 2026 · Last review: Oct 25, 2026*
*Copyright 2026 EdgeChat AI, a subsidiary of Biostate AI.*
License: Edgepedia Community License 1.0, https://www.edgepedia.org/edgepedia/license