Biography
Jonathan Rhys Meyers is an actor of Irish descent who gained great popularity after playing the leading role of King Henry VIII in the TV series The Tudors.
The boy was born on July 27, 1977 in the capital of Ireland and received the name Jonathan Michael Francis O'Keefe at birth. Since he was born with a heart defect and prematurely, doctors did not give the child a chance to survive, and the parents rushed to baptize the baby. But, contrary to doctors’ predictions, Jonathan got stronger. A year later, the family moved to County Cork, where they lived in a small apartment.
Jonathan Rhys Meyers as a child
Mary's parents Geraldine and John O'Keefe divorced three years later and the mother was left alone to raise 4 children - Jonathan, Jamie, Alan and Paul. The grandmother also took care of her grandchildren.
During his school years, Jonathan was known as an inveterate hooligan and truant. The boy was only interested in games and chatting with friends. For regular absenteeism at the age of 16, the young man is expelled from the last classes, and he gets a job on a farm. Here the young shepherd also lacked enthusiasm for work, but a happy accident opened up great prospects for Jonathan.
Jonathan Rhys Meyers in his youth
A young man with big green eyes was once met by casting manager David Pantham and invited the guy to audition for a film. The young man was not approved for the role, but was offered to star in an advertisement for instant broth, to which he agreed. Thus, for the first time, Rhys Meyers received a worthy fee for him and this pleased his beloved mother, and his photos ended up in the actor’s file cabinet.
Celebrity childhood
Actor Jonathan Rhys Meyers was born in the capital of Ireland, Dublin. The celebrity's real name is Jonathan Michael Francis O'Keefe. The boy was diagnosed with a congenital heart defect at birth, and his parents did not have much hope that little Jonathan would survive. The actor spent his childhood in the Irish county of Cork. His father abandoned the family when Rhys Meyers was only three years old, and his mother was left alone with Jonathan and his younger brothers in her arms.
In his youth, Jonathan was far from an exemplary child. I ran away from home many times. One day he was expelled from school and decided to become an actor.
Film career
Soon Jonathan received his first offers from directors. At the age of 18, the aspiring artist is working on three films at once: the drama “The Disappearance of Finbar”, the Irish historical film “Michael Collins” and the Spanish horror comedy “Killer Tongue”. Immediately, Jonathan changes his father's last name to his mother's last name, Myers, and adds the prefix Reese. The directors appreciate the young man’s charisma and his undoubted acting talent. Rhys Meyers has been compared to a young Tom Cruise. The actor also appears in the saga of Samson and Delilah, scenes of which were filmed in Morocco.
Jonathan Rhys Meyers in his youth
In 1998, Jonathan was assigned the main role in the biographical drama The Velvet Vein. The plot of the film develops around the life and creative fate of a musician with a scandalous reputation, Brian Slade. Drugs, alcohol, promiscuity, homosexuality - Rhys Meyers was able to convey all this so organically that many fans of the aspiring star mistook him for a real gay.
Along with the Irish actor, Ewan McGregor and Christian Bale also took part in the film. Todd Haynes' film was highly appreciated by the British and American Film Academies, as well as Cannes film critics. Jonathan's uninhibited performance earns him a nomination for best debut of the year. Growing up in a cramped apartment, Rhys Meyers spent the royalties from his first big film on his mother - he bought her a spacious home.
Jonathan Rhys Meyers in the movie "Velvet Vein"
A year later, Rhys Meyers gets the role of Chiron in the film adaptation of Shakespeare's tragedy Titus Andronicus. The film was released under the title "Titus". The fantasy film also stars Hollywood stars: Anthony Hopkins, Jessica Lange, Alan Cumming, Angus Macfadyen.
In 2002, the comedy Bend It Like Beckham directed by Indian origin Gurinder Chadha was released, in which Rhys Meyers appeared in the company of the charming Keira Knightley. Jonathan is lucky with the directors and the variety of artistic images that he has to embody on the stage.
Jonathan Rhys Meyers in the movie Bend It Like Beckham
Over the course of several years, he appeared in Mike Hodges’s “I’ll Sleep When I’m Dead,” Andrei Konchalovsky’s “The Lion in Winter,” and Mira Nair’s “Vanity Fair.” The Irish actor also stars in the thriller Oakton, where he plays opposite Mischa Barton. In 2004, a historical film was released, which brought together a brilliant cast. The film starring Rhys Meyers “Alexander”, directed by American director Oliver Stone, stars world-famous stars Colin Farrell, Angelina Jolie, Val Kilmer, Jared Leto, Rosario Dawson. The profit of the authors of the blockbuster amounted to $167 million.
Jonathan Rhys Meyers in the movie Alexander
A year after the historical film, Rhys Meyers was invited to the television series “Elvis. The Early Years,” for his work on the main role of which the actor was awarded a Golden Globe Award. In the same year, the artist starred in Woody Allen's drama Match Point, the plot of which is based on the contrast to Dostoevsky's novel Crime and Punishment. Jonathan's character, unlike Raskolnikov, tries to hide the evidence of the crime, and he succeeds. A fascinating plot, the performance of Rhys Meyers and Scarlett Johansson brought the film worldwide recognition, and the profit from the international box office amounted to $78 million.
Jonathan Rhys Meyers in The Mortal Instruments: City of Bones
In 2006, he appeared in the film Mission: Impossible 3, where cinema legend Tom Cruise played the title role. In 2007, Rhys Meyers participated in the creation of the romantic melodrama August Rush about an abandoned child who dreams of finding his parents. There are many musical numbers in the film, and some are performed by an Irish artist. Critics compared the plot of the film to the story of the little foundling Oliver Twist from the novel of the same name by Charles Dickens.
Jonathan Rhys Meyers is in trouble again
And this misfortune is typical for people of his profession. Some skillfully hide their addictions, others burn out right before our eyes. The most recent departures include Robin Williams, and shortly before him Philip Seymour Hoffman. Now Jonathan Rhys Meyers is melting. His appearance is simply shocking - such degenerate people can be seen in packs on the streets of any settlement. But for a star to stagger through the streets like this in a state of extreme intoxication, this immediately raises the question - why did he again fall into his terrible rut? Will she be able to return to a sober life again?
It would seem that eight years after the death of his mother, everything in his life began to settle down - he recently announced his engagement to Mara Lane, an actress and producer.
They claim that he worked like hell - three films this year that need to be promoted, given interviews, presented at screenings.
A month ago, Mara and Rhys were vacationing in Ireland, the actor’s homeland, and he looked completely healthy. Despite the presence of a pint of beer on the table, Rhys was clearly content with the soda.
How quickly the balance of his fragile soul was disrupted, if a month later it is difficult to discern an athletic handsome man in him.
For a week now, photographs have been circulating on the Internet, and his representatives are silent. Help was offered by Howard Kaplan, the writer whose book formed the basis of the spy thriller Damascus Covers, in which Reece played the main role, or rather, two people at once.
Kaplan speaks enthusiastically about the actor:
“Totally spot on, brilliant, talented, gorgeous.”
The bride is also silent, suddenly disappeared from the public space, and yet she faces a difficult mission to support a talented but problematic actor. Or is it no longer possible?
More recently, he and his fiancée hosted a Christmas dinner for 4,000 needy and homeless people in the Los Angeles mission. Today he himself needs help. Desperately in need. One of Myers’s close friends, also an actor, broke the conspiracy of silence around this problem, admitting that Jonathan “suffers from a severe form of alcohol addiction, and it is painful for close people to see this.” His mother passed away at age 50 after years of heavy drinking.
She drank so heavily that, by Rhys Meyers's own admission, when he was a boy, he had to steal food so as not to go hungry. His father, John O'Keeffe, a folk musician, abandoned the family when Jonathan was three years old. In addition to Johnny, the family had three more children. His grandmother and grandfather remained the closest to him; they helped him somehow move through life. He was kicked out of school early, he swept the floor in a billiard club and worked there as a courier.
It would seem that such an environment is in no way conducive to the future rise of Rhys Meyers. And no acting training!
A mentor appeared in Jonathan's life, Christopher Crofts, a wealthy farmer.
54-year-old Crofts captivated Jonathan so much that he moved to a farm in County Cork. There, his vague plans finally took shape in a clear desire to make an acting career. Crofts effectively became the agent of his young protégé. He is one of the few who knew personally all of Jonathan's demons and, shortly before his death in 2011, said in his only interview:
“Jonathan wants to succeed, but he has a lot of doubts. Most actors are under great stress and it is useless to tell them how amazing they are. They don’t believe it, but they definitely need to hear it every minute.”
After his breakthrough role in Bend It Like Beckham in 2002, Rhys Meyers appeared in blockbuster films like Mission Impossible III and won a Golden Globe for his portrayal of Elvis Presley in the biographical series.
His role as Henry VIII in The Tudors brought him critical praise and a legion of female fans, and he finally ended his seven-year relationship with party animal Reena Hammer. During these seven years, he visited a rehabilitation clinic several times.
His entourage enthusiastically accepted Mara, whom he met while working in Los Angeles.
Mara is barely known as an actress, but she is a successful producer with great connections in the film industry. Her hippie circle also positively shook up the ever-dull Jonathan. He met a girl with whom he wanted to always be close.
When he landed the lead role in the thriller Damascus Covers, Mara happily flew with him to Morocco, where the bulk of the film was filmed. Upon returning to London, the happy couple could often be seen on Denmark Street, where Johnny, an excellent musician, plucked guitar strings in music shops.
Mara was introduced to his family. Jonathan's brothers Ali, Jamie and Paul, members of the band Suzy's Field, where the actor himself plays from time to time, welcomed his fiancée with open arms.
Music has always been a balm for him and reconciled him with troubles. Why did he end up in hell again? Many of his acting circles speak of his extreme emotionality and intensity. Perhaps filming in Morocco became a catalyst for an old habit, reminding me of events and loved ones who are no longer there.
Eight years ago, almost immediately after his mother's death, he visited Christopher Crofts in the notorious Ait Melloull prison in southern Morocco.
Christopher, an openly gay man, kept the doors of his “liberal” home open for twenty years. He was imprisoned for involving a 15-year-old homeless boy in prostitution. Witnesses claimed that he drugged the guy with cocaine and ecstasy and then raped him.
The pedophilia charge was quashed because the judge had doubts about the reliability of the witnesses and the victim himself. Christopher was released after serving several months, but life in this place became impossible due to the suspicion of local residents.
It is likely that the place reminded Jonathan of the mental trauma of his unlucky childhood and his always drunk mother. Or some other thorn again forced him to look at the bottom of the bottle.
There is a tiny ray of hope in this bitter story - the talented actor, with enviable persistence, rose from the abyss and returned to his fans in the sculptural beauty of Adonis. Will it be possible to climb out of the hole without losses this time?
Source The Daily Mail
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"Tudors"
In 2007, the Showtime channel premiered the series “The Tudors,” which was destined to become a cult favorite. The plot of the film tells the story of the biography of the legendary King of England Henry VIII, who was the second representative of the Tudor dynasty. The history of his personal life was tragic, since not a single wife was able to give him an heir to the throne who would succeed his father.
Jonathan Rhys Meyers in The Tudors
However, the king's daughters Mary and Elizabeth went down in English history as true rulers. The series consisted of 4 seasons, starring actors Henry Cavill, James Frain, Natalie Dormer and Maria Doyle Kennedy. Season ratings ranged from 65% to 75% of the channel's total audience.
Movies
In 2010, the thriller “Shelter” was released, starring Jonathan and Julianne Moore. In this film, Rhys Meyers for the first time played a mentally unbalanced patient who communicates with the other part of his consciousness with the other world.
The complete opposite was the actor’s other work in the crime action film by cult director Luc Besson, “From Paris with Love,” which was released the same year. In the action film, Jonathan played an undercover CIA agent who gets into mafia troubles along with John Travolta's character.
Jonathan Rhys Meyers in Dracula
In 2012, the romantic drama “Lovers” was released - the acting debut of model Natalia Vodianova. The picture sends viewers back to pre-war times and offers an eternal story about tragic love, the intensity of passion is not inferior to the relationship between Tristan and Isolde or Romeo and Juliet.
A year later, the world premiere of Cole Haddon’s mystical film “Dracula” took place, in which Rhys Meyers played the main character. Dracula, finding himself in modern realities, tries to find enemies from the past, but unexpectedly meets true love. As befits a film about a Hungarian prince, part of the filming took place in Budapest. In addition to Rhys Meyers, the series stars Jessica de Gouw, Thomas Kretschmann and Victoria Smurfit.
Biography[ | ]
Jonathan Michael Francis O'Keefe was born on July 27, 1977 in Dublin, Ireland, to Mary Geraldine (nee Myers) and John O'Keefe.[5][6] In 1978, his family moved to County Cork[7]. Two years later, the father abandons the family and leaves Jonathan and his three younger brothers (Jamie, Alan and Paul) in the care of their mother; the mother raises Jonathan and Alan, and the other two brothers go to live with their grandmother[8]. The childhood of the future actor is accompanied by constant runaways from home and expulsions from school, from where he is finally expelled at the age of sixteen[9]. Soon after this significant event, Jonathan is invited to the first audition for the project “War of the Buttons”; however, he fails to get the role[10]. But the very next casting ends successfully[11], and Jonathan takes part in the filming of a television advertisement, and after some time his film debut occurs - a tiny role in the film “Love Without a Name” (1994). Having started acting, the actor took the pseudonym Rhys Meyers in honor of his mother.
In 1995, the project “The Disappearance of Finbar” was launched, in which Jonathan Rhys Meyers got the title role. A significant part of the filming takes place in Lapland; an untimely thaw forced the filmmakers to postpone work on it for six months. During these six months, Rhys Meyers manages to act in two films. In the historical drama "Michael Collins" by prominent Irish film director Neil Jordan, he plays the role of a young killer. In his notes about the meeting with the eighteen-year-old actor, Jordan notes his resemblance to the young Tom Cruise and, most importantly, his undoubted talent. Then Rhys Meyers goes to Madrid to take part in the comedy horror film “Killer Tongue”, from this film he has not the most pleasant memories - during the eight weeks of filming he was not left with a feeling of loneliness. Finally, Rhys Meyers was called back to Ireland to complete work on the film The Vanishing of Finbar, the long-suffering film was released in November 1996. Until the end of 1996, Rhys Meyers still managed to visit Morocco and star in the role of young Samson in two scenes for the television film “Samson and Delilah” based on the famous Old Testament story.
Jonathan Rhys Meyers gained fame after playing the role of glam rock star Brian Slade in the Todd Haynes drama Velvet Goldmine (1998). Rhys Meyers takes the image of David Bowie as the basis for his performance. The role of the bisexual Slade, whose mysterious death is being investigated by a journalist (played by Christian Bale), brings a certain amount of scandal to the actor’s image: his very relaxed manner of acting in the most explicit scenes (with the participation of Ewan McGregor) gives Rhys Meyers many fans and a nomination as the best British newcomer in cinema from the British Guild of Film Critics.
After this breakthrough role, Rhys Meyers participated in several film and television productions with varying degrees of success, among which the most notable was Ang Lee’s “Chasing with the Devil.” The actor gained additional popularity by starring in the best British comedy of 2002, “Bend It Like Beckham,” after which Rhys Meyers starred in two outstanding television productions: the first, “The Lion in Winter,” filmed for American television by Andrei Konchalovsky, was awarded the Emmy and Golden Awards. globe". Rhys Meyers plays the young King Philip of France. The second is the mini-series “Elvis”, in which the actor again finds himself in the role of a rock star[12]. For his performance as Elvis Presley in 2005, Rhys Meyers was nominated for an Emmy[13] and then a Golden Globe, which he eventually won[14]. Additionally, Rhys Meyers plays a supporting role in Oliver Stone's blockbuster Alexander. The film failed miserably at the box office, poorly received by both critics and the public.
Real fame comes to Jonathan Rhys Meyers after the release of Woody Allen's drama Match Point in 2005. The film is considered by most critics and the public as a modern interpretation of Dostoevsky and Dreiser (although Woody Allen himself makes no connection with An American Tragedy
denies the latter), is invited to the official program of the 2005 Cannes Film Festival, the film receives the most enthusiastic reviews from critics and collects almost $100 million at the global box office. The leading actors Scarlett Johansson and Rhys Meyers himself received special compliments. The role of Chris Wilton takes the actor to a new level: his latest project was participation in the big-budget sequel to the film Mission: Impossible 3.
In 2007, Rhys Meyers was busy filming an independent film called August Rush directed by Kirsten Sheridan, which upon release was dubbed a modern interpretation of Charles Dickens' Oliver Twist. Jonathan plays musician Louis Connolly[15]. He also starred in the film “From Paris with Love” with John Travolta[16].
In 2008, the television series “The Tudors” began airing about the life and reign of King Henry VIII, in which Rhys Meyers played the main royal role[17][18].
On November 15, 2012, the premiere of the film “Lovers” took place in Russia. Also in the fall of this year, the actor took part in the film “City of Bones” based on the novel by Cassandra Clair, where he played Valentin Morgenstern. In addition, Rhys Meyers received the main role in the television series Dracula, which was filmed in February 2013 in Budapest.
Appearance
Rhys Meyers has a unique appearance. Not only directors note the attractiveness of his gaze, the expressiveness of his facial features and the sculptural body. The tall actor (Jonathan's height is 178 cm) works a lot in the modeling business.
Model Jonathan Rhys Meyers
He became the face of men's clothing lines Versace and Energie, Hugo Boss fragrances. And even his passion for alcohol, to which he was repeatedly noted, did not affect Jonathan’s appearance and modeling career.
Personal life
Rhys Meyers, having a pronounced sexuality, is quite conservative in his views on family and relationships with the opposite sex. He doesn't change girls like gloves. For 7 years, Jonathan dated Ruby Hammer's daughter, the owner of a cosmetology business, Rina Hammer. But the couple was never able to find a common language, and after the engagement the young people separated.
Jonathan Rhys Meyers and his girlfriend Reena Hammer
After breaking up with his girlfriend, Rhys Meyers tried to commit suicide, but his friends saved him in time. The actor never revealed the true reasons for his action, but it is known that since 2007, since the death of his mother, Rhys Meyers was depressed and abused alcohol. After spending several months in a rehabilitation clinic, Jonathan began dating Australian fashion model Victoria Keon-Cohen, but the union did not last long.
Jonathan Rhys Meyers and Mara Lane
Since 2013, Rhys Meyers began to be noticed in the company of Asian actress Mara Lane. The girl did not rush things for a long time; Rhys Meyers still often lost his temper and appeared drunk in society. After another incident at the airport, where he was detained while drunk, the actor publicly apologized to fans from his girlfriend’s Instagram account and promised to quit his addiction. Rhys Meyers kept his word, and Mara got an engagement ring on her finger.
On December 15, 2020, Jonathan became a father for the first time at age 39. His wife gave birth to a son, whom the couple named Wolf Rhys Meyers.
Jonathan Rhys Meyers now
Now Rhys Meyers continues his successful march to the Olympus of fame. In 2016, the artist played in the historical drama “Roots,” and he was also invited to the fifth season of the series “Vikings,” which is considered the most profitable project of the History channel.
Jonathan Rhys Meyers in the TV series "Vikings"
The first episodes with Jonathan will be released in the spring of 2020. The film "Night Moth", a remake of the French thriller of the same name, is in production. In addition to Jonathan, the new film will star Antonio Banderas, Piper Perabo and Abel Ferrara.
How did the actor's career develop?
After filming the commercial, the young man did not sit idly by, but tried his hand at castings and auditions. Over time, he received the coveted roles, and in three films at the same time.
The artist’s first popularity was brought to him by the painting “The Velvet Vein.” The transformation into a scandalous gay rocker brought the celebrity a nomination for a film award.
A year later, Reese was offered a role in the drama Titus, based on Shakespeare's play. Three years later, he appeared in the comedy film Bend It Like Beckham. Since then, Jonathan's acting career has skyrocketed. New projects with him were released annually.
In 2020, the artist was at the peak of popularity. The reason for this success was his work in the fifth season of the TV series Vikings.
