The creation of Ramsay Bolton, music and other facts about Iwan Rheon

Ivan Rheon's childhood

Ivan Rheon was born in the rather large port city of Carmarthen (Great Britain), in the family of ordinary office workers Thomas and Einir. He was the second child in the family: Ivan has an older brother, Aled. In 1990, their parents decided to move to Cardiff, the capital of Wales, which, of course, opened up more opportunities for development for the boys.

Iwan Rheon in his youth and now

As a child, Ivan was no different from his peers. The boy was short and had the most ordinary appearance. However, Reon's creative abilities manifested themselves quite early - while still at school, Ivan became interested in theater. He participated in school productions, sincerely enjoying such an exciting activity. In addition, the boy was interested in travel, biology and music. The latter became an important part of his life in high school - from the age of 16 the guy began writing lyrics and performing his works. He became a member of the musical group The Convictions, but later pushed music into the background for an acting career.

A turning point in the life of Ivan Rheon was participation in the national literary and musical festival. The very fact of his performance at an event of this level testified to the guy’s considerable talents and his obvious ambitions. After his stage debut, Reon set himself the goal of going to London to enter the Academy of Musical and Dramatic Arts.

Personal life

Despite his choice of profession, Reon does not intend to give up his other passion, which is music. For several years he remained among the members of the group The Convictions, but said goodbye to it in 2010. After leaving the group, where he worked as a soloist, Ivan creates his own project. At the moment, they have already released two albums to the public. Interestingly, he is the author of all the songs included in them. This is not surprising, given that the young man has been interested in writing songs since he was 16 years old.

Many actors like to reveal the smallest details of their romances to journalists, but Iwan Rheon is not one of them. The star’s personal life has remained “behind the scenes” for many years; he invariably refuses to answer questions related to it. All that is known for sure is that the actor has never married and has no children.

Iwan Rheon has only turned 30 years old, he does not stop actively acting, therefore, fans can safely hope for new bright projects with the participation of the rising star.

Iwan Rheon's first roles

After graduating from the academy, Ivan began working at the Royal Liverpool Theater and very quickly received a not least important role in the production of Eight Miles High. A year later, Rheon performed brilliantly in the original musical Spring Awakening. The talent of the young actor did not go unnoticed, and he was soon awarded the most prestigious award for British theatergoers - Laurence Olivier.

Ivan Rheon in his youth

Rheon's film career began in 2004 with a cameo role in one of the oldest Welsh soap operas, Pobol y Cwm (translated from Welsh as "People of the Valley", aired since 1974).

Star of "Misfits" and "Game of Thrones"

Iwan Rheon, son of Einir and Rheon Thomas, was born on May 13, 1985 in Carmarthen, southwest Wales. He has an older brother named Aled. The family moved to Cardiff when Ivan was five. He studied at the Ysgol Gyfun Gymraeg Glantaf school and began acting in school plays at the age of 17. The guy was noticed at the National Eisteddfod in Wales before he entered the London Academy of Music and Dramatic Art (LAMDA).

Ivan Rheon photography

On the small screen, Rheon appeared in the Welsh soap opera 'Pobol Y Cwm' ('People of the Valley'), but then abandoned acting to study at LAMDA.
One of his first notable appearances on the theater stage was his participation in the production of 'Eight Miles High' at the Royal Court Theater in Liverpool (Royal Court Theatre, Liverpool). In 2008, Ivan received a role in the rock musical 'Spring Awakening'. The project turned out to be long-lived, and Rheon was even nominated for the What's On Stage Awards, which ultimately went to Oliver Thornton. However, Ivan was not very upset, because... received the prestigious Laurence Olivier Award. Advertising:
Literally immediately after 'Spring Awakening', Reon was invited to 'Scum' ('Bad'), a series that 247 Magazine called a mixture of 'Skins' ('Skins') and 'Heroes' ('Heroes'). In it, he played the nervous and shy Simon Bellamy, who in the first seasons was endowed with the superpower of becoming invisible. In the third season, Simon already had the gift of foresight, moved into the past and was immune to other people's abilities.

Ivan Rheon photography

On December 20, 2011, Rheon announced on Twitter that he was leaving Misfits with Antonia Thomas. For his role as Simon, the actor was nominated for an award at the Monte Carlo TV Festival known as 'Golden Nymph'. In the same year, Ivan starred in the last episode of the series 'Secret Diary of a Call Girl'. He also made two appearances in Simon Amstell's comedy series Grandma's House, where he played Ben Theodore.

In early 2012, Rheon starred in the crime thriller 'The Rise'/'Wasteland' with Luke Treadaway and Matthew Lewis. In the spring of 2012, he began filming Alberto Arvelo's drama 'Libertador' with Edgar Ramirez and Erich Wildpret. The world premiere of Arvelo's film took place in September 2013. According to rumors, the newest projects with Rheon's participation are called 'Residue' and 'Driven'.

Ivan Rheon photography

Relatively recently, Ivan began playing Ramsay Snow in the TV series Game of Thrones and Ash Weston in the sitcom Vicious. In 2013, the actor played the leading role in Tom Stoppard's radio drama Darkside, which was based on the album The Dark Side of the Moon by Pink Floyd.

Reon began singing and composing songs at the age of 16. He was the lead singer of the group 'The Convictions', which he left for an acting career. In 2010, Rheon recorded his solo mini-album 'Tongue Tied' with four tracks. In April 2011, his second mini-album, 'Changing Times', was ready, and by April 2013, his third, 'Bang! Bang!'. For the song 'Bang! Bang!' a video clip was shot.

Ivan Rheon photography

Ivan promised that his first full-length album would be released in 2014.

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The rise of Iwan Rheon's career: the series "Misfits"

Significant changes in Iwan Rheon's film career occurred after his name appeared on the list of actors approved for key roles in the TV series Misfits (2009-2011) along with Robert Sheen, Lauren Soca, Antonia Thomas and Nathan Jarrett.

Simon is the first world-famous role of Iwan Rheon

The film was based on the story of six guys who were punished with correctional labor for various minor offenses. One day, while cleaning the streets, they were caught in a terrible thunderstorm, and after a strong lightning strike, all the juvenile delinquents received supernatural abilities. "Misfits": Iwan Rheon as Simon Iwan Rheon excelled in the role of Simon Bellamy, the quietest and most unsociable member of this company. Over time, his character “opened up” and became almost the main character of the story. The series, thanks to copious doses of dark humor and an intricate storyline, won the love of viewers around the world, instantly making Iwan Rheon famous.

Still from the film “Wasteland” (2012)

In 2012, he got the main role in the feature film “Wasteland”. Perhaps it was thanks to his talent that the low-budget crime drama collected good box office. A project of a similar genre with his participation, a film called “Wild Bill,” became no less successful.

Iwan Rheon in Game of Thrones

In 2011, after the end of Season 3 of Misfits, Reon, along with the actors from the “first cast,” left the project. Even during the filming of “The Misfits,” he simultaneously starred in many other films (“Rise,” “Granny’s House,” “Resistance,” “On the Outskirts”), which, however, did not receive any resonance among the audience, with the exception of the comedy series "The Secret Life of a Call Girl" starring Billie Piper.

Iwan Rheon appeared in the series “The Secret Life of a Call Girl”

It seemed that Ivan was destined to be forever remembered by the audience as “Simon from Misfits,” but in 2012 he received an invitation to cast for the series Game of Thrones.

Iwan Rheon as Ramsay Bolton

His charismatic appearance, coupled with his outstanding talent, sharply honed on the theater stage, brought him the role of Ramsay Bolton, the bastard of one of the lords of the North. The charming young man turned out to be a cruel sadistic psychopath who kills people with a smile on his face. And his favorite pastime was hunting people in the company of hungry hounds. In short, Iwan Rheon’s character was incredibly curious and evoked a storm of emotions even among the most detached viewers. Even the actor himself stated that his character deserves death like no other. This was confirmed by Sophie Turner and Alfie Allen, whose characters were forced into close contact with Ramsay Bolton. 50 Shades of Ramsay Bolton The guy was also involved in two seasons of the British TV series “Sinners.” He played a young man who, by coincidence, moved into the family nest of two elderly homosexuals. It's funny that they were played by Derek Jacobi and Ian McKellen, who are actually gay.

"Sinners": Iwan Rheon and older homosexuals

In addition to filming films, the young actor also studied his favorite music. In four years, he managed to prepare three small music albums: “Tongue Tied” (2010), “Changing Times” (2011) and “Bang Bang!” (2013). Iwan Rheon – “Bang! Bang! It is not surprising that Iwan Rheon, who played such a complex character as Ramsay Bolton, soon found himself bombarded with offers. In 2020, in addition to season 6 of Thrones, he was busy on three projects. These include the historical comedy "Moving Pictures", the sci-fi film "Sum1" and the drama "Daisy Winters".

Iwan Rheon in the science fiction film "Sum1"

Filming takes a lot of time from the actor, but he manages to pay attention to his favorite hobby - music. At the beginning of 2020, Ivan presented a full-length album called “Dinard”. Iwan Rheon - “Bang! Bang! Iwan Rheon - “Bang! Bang!

Iwan Rheon: “In real life, the struggle for power bypasses me”

Known for his roles in Game of Thrones and Misfits, Iwan Rheon combined both sides of his two most successful characters in his new project. His hero in Supermen has superpowers (at least he had them) and many sinister plans. We talked to Rheon about his post-Game of Thrones career, his lust for power in real life, and his first role (spoiler alert: it was as a reed in a school play).

- “Game of Thrones”, “Misfits”, the not yet released series “Supermen” - the most high-profile projects with your participation belong to the fantasy genre. Is this a coincidence or a conscious choice?

— It’s difficult to say why this happens. They offered me - I agreed, it just happened to be at hand. Probably fate.

— It seems that you know how to choose potentially successful projects. What do you look for when deciding to participate?

— The most important thing for me is trust in the people who make the project. In most cases, I know who is offering me the role. In this case, it’s easier for me to make a decision. If not, then you need to get to know each other and discuss a lot. Naturally, there must be a good script, a clear, well-written character. The rest is luck and a lot of work. And the belief that you agreed to the right role and promising project. Yes, the hardest thing is to make a decision, the rest is just luck and trust.

Still from the series “Game of Thrones”

— In September, the new Marvel series “Inhumans” is coming out, where you play one of the main roles, Maximus Boltagon. He has mental problems. Your other character, Ramsay Bolton from Game of Thrones, is a sadist and rapist. How do you get used to such roles?

— Maximus has no mental problems! He's almost a saint. Perhaps in some literature where this character was encountered, he was a psychopath, but the story we tell in the series is different. I studied the hero, I knew him as if he were my own, and after that I simply tried to convey the truth about him. You just get used to who your hero is, what and how he does, imagine how he grew up, his family, everything down to the smells and after that you play like any other role.

— Did such psychologically complex roles somehow influence real life?

- No never. I finish the film and forget, return to everyday life and become ordinary Ivan.

— Your characters often have a thirst for power. Does this have something to do with your character or life situation?

— (Laughs.)

Don't think. Indeed, I often encounter this in my characters, but in real life the struggle for power bypasses me.

Iwan Rheon as Maximus

— What was your first role?

— At the age of 19, I played a small role in the soap opera Pobol y Cwm (“People of the Valley.” — Note Buro 24/7) — a Welsh series.

— And never the role of, for example, a tree in a school play?

- It was so! At the age of 10 I played reed. But I don’t consider this the beginning of my professional career. (Laughs.)

— Your first and last full-length music album, Dinard, was released in 2015; before that there were three mini-albums. What are your future musical plans?

— I hope to return to the music scene in the near future. Now I have enough material to record a new album. I don’t know when I’ll finally find the time between endless trips to do this. But of course you need to write it down!

Album "Dinard"

— What kind of music do you listen to on your player? Who do you look up to?

— Recently I fell head over heels in love with the band Everything Everything. I'm also a crazy fan of Radiohead and Alt-J. Let's stop there, but, of course, there are many other wonderful bands in my player.

— Since we’re talking about colleagues, name three favorite directors and three actors.

- Oh, there are a lot more than three, but good. Directors: Christopher Nolan, Ben Wheatley and Darren Aronofsky. And the actors who inspire me today are Michael Fassbender and Cillian Murphy - and I also love John Turturro endlessly.

— What are your acting plans and dreams for the near future?

— I would like to play more in the theater. Almost all actors dream of playing one of Shakespeare's roles - I am no exception. I would also really like to work with Christopher Nolan. But there are also many people here besides me. (Laughs.)

Personal life of Iwan Rheon

Almost nothing is known about Iwan Rheon’s personal life. It is precisely established that he has neither a wife nor children. For some time, the tabloids were talking about Ivan’s affair with the actress of the series “Misfits” Antonia Thomas. However, even the ubiquitous paparazzi could not catch them together.

Iwan Rheon and Antonia Thomas met on the set of Misfits

There were reports in the press about a possible relationship between Ivan and Sophie Turner. At the same time, at many events the actor was noticed in the company of actress Zoe Grisdale, which also gave rise to conversation.

In the photo: Iwan Rheon and Zoe Grisdale

The lack of information became the reason for a variety of gossip, including hints at the actor’s homosexuality. After all, a guy with an attractive appearance, excellent acting skills, a beautiful voice and enormous popularity simply could not help but enjoy success with women.

Iwan Rheon and Robert Sheen

Numerous fans haunt Reon. He is already accustomed to constant declarations of love. But Ivan does not answer personal questions that journalists so often ask. It does not seek to prove, confirm or explain any information. Perhaps he has not yet found the girl whom he would like to introduce to everyone as his beloved.

Iwan Rheon now

After Game of Thrones, the career of this charismatic actor skyrocketed. In 2020, he, along with Julia Stiles, played one of the key characters in the series “Riviera”, appeared in an episode of the mini-series “Urban Legends” and in the full-length drama “Daisy Winters”, which also starred top 90s model Brooke Shields.

“Riviera”: Iwan Rheon and Julia Stiles
In 2020, he worked on the film anthology “Berlin, I Love You” and the war film “Hurricane”, which premiered in 2020.