"There is an energetic ferocity in Gimli that the film needs. It's often these minor characters who really have to
impart a sense of energy and dynamism to a film so that the heroes can actually take their time to
respond and be thoughtful and reflective."
impart a sense of energy and dynamism to a film so that the heroes can actually take their time to
respond and be thoughtful and reflective."
QUICK BIO
BIOGRAPHY
Parents of Rhys Davies (A mechanical engineer and Colonial Officer) and Mary Margaretta Phyllis Jones (A nurse), John Rhys-Davies has led a very full on, but interesting life. Rhys-Davies was raised in England, Africa and Wales, and credits his early exposure to classic literature for his decision to pursue acting and writing.
He was educated at Truro School, has graduated from the University of East Anglia and has attended the Royal Academy of Dramatic Art (RADA) for which he is an associate member. It was after teaching at Watton County Secondary School in Norfolk that he won a place at RADA, and was one of the first 87 students admitted there.
He appeared sporadically on UK television in the early 1970s, and has now gone on to star in some old school greats such as James Clavell's Shogun (1980) and Noble House (1988), Great Expectations (1989), War and Remembrance (1988) and Archaeology (1991).
Some of his more notable roles include Victor Victoria (1982), The Living Daylights (1987), King Solomon’s Mines (1985) and Harrison Fords Indiana Jones where he portrayed Sallah in The Last Crusade and Raiders of the Lost Ark. He is the only one to star in James Bond, Indiana Jones and The Lord of the Rings movie franchises.
He was educated at Truro School, has graduated from the University of East Anglia and has attended the Royal Academy of Dramatic Art (RADA) for which he is an associate member. It was after teaching at Watton County Secondary School in Norfolk that he won a place at RADA, and was one of the first 87 students admitted there.
He appeared sporadically on UK television in the early 1970s, and has now gone on to star in some old school greats such as James Clavell's Shogun (1980) and Noble House (1988), Great Expectations (1989), War and Remembrance (1988) and Archaeology (1991).
Some of his more notable roles include Victor Victoria (1982), The Living Daylights (1987), King Solomon’s Mines (1985) and Harrison Fords Indiana Jones where he portrayed Sallah in The Last Crusade and Raiders of the Lost Ark. He is the only one to star in James Bond, Indiana Jones and The Lord of the Rings movie franchises.
Rhys-Davies has voiced many characters in television such as Man Ray in SpongeBob Squarepants, Hades in Justice League and Macbeth in Gargoyles. Other than the Lord of the Rings franchised games, he has also worked on Ripper (1996), Dune 2000 (1998) and the Wing Commander Series.
Rhys-Davies is no stranger to theatre. Some of his notable roles include The Misanthrope, Hedda Gabler and most of Shakespeare’s works.
John Rhys-Davies originally auditioned for the role of Denethor, but Peter Jackson had him in mind to play Gimli. It was Rhys-Davies’ son that urged him to star in The Lord of the Rings. Which makes him the tallest Dwarf at 6”.
There were a couple of complications while on the set for Rings. One of them was that he had previously lost the end tip of his left hand middle finger to the knuckle while changing a van engine. This caused the crew to fit him with a gel tip. He also suffered from severe allergic reactions from the prosthetics that caused his eyes to sometimes swell shut.
Rhys-Davies is no stranger to theatre. Some of his notable roles include The Misanthrope, Hedda Gabler and most of Shakespeare’s works.
John Rhys-Davies originally auditioned for the role of Denethor, but Peter Jackson had him in mind to play Gimli. It was Rhys-Davies’ son that urged him to star in The Lord of the Rings. Which makes him the tallest Dwarf at 6”.
There were a couple of complications while on the set for Rings. One of them was that he had previously lost the end tip of his left hand middle finger to the knuckle while changing a van engine. This caused the crew to fit him with a gel tip. He also suffered from severe allergic reactions from the prosthetics that caused his eyes to sometimes swell shut.
While working on the set of Rings, Rhys-Davies lost 70 pounds and when he went back for reshoots, the makeup artist had to alter his Gimli mask to better fit his slimmed-down facial features.
Rhys-Davies was the only member of the 9 in the Fellowship that did not get the tattoo… Instead, he pushed his stunt double, Brett Beattie, to get it instead. He was too disinclined to get it himself.
Every film that he has co-starred with Kiran Shah in has been nominated for Best Picture.
He’s lived with Lisa Manning since 2004 and they have a daughter Maia. He separated from his wife Susie, he hasn’t divorced her and has no plans to do so. She was diagnosed with Alzheimer’s in 1995 and he still remains close to her.
He also portrayed Gloin, his father, in The Lord of the Rings: The Fellowship of the Ring
John Rhys-Davies is an avid collector of vintage automobiles, and his trademark is his rather distinctive sounding voice.
Rhys-Davies was the only member of the 9 in the Fellowship that did not get the tattoo… Instead, he pushed his stunt double, Brett Beattie, to get it instead. He was too disinclined to get it himself.
Every film that he has co-starred with Kiran Shah in has been nominated for Best Picture.
He’s lived with Lisa Manning since 2004 and they have a daughter Maia. He separated from his wife Susie, he hasn’t divorced her and has no plans to do so. She was diagnosed with Alzheimer’s in 1995 and he still remains close to her.
He also portrayed Gloin, his father, in The Lord of the Rings: The Fellowship of the Ring
John Rhys-Davies is an avid collector of vintage automobiles, and his trademark is his rather distinctive sounding voice.
AWARDS
YEAR
|
WORK
|
AWARD
|
CATEGORY
|
RESULT
|
1981
2012 |
Shogun
- KJB: The Book That Changed The World |
Primetime Emmy Awards
Louisville Fright Night Film Festival MovieGuide Awards |
Outstanding Supporting Actor in a Limited Series or a Special
Lifetime Achievement Award Most Inspiring Television Acting |
Nominated
WON Nominated |
MOST NOTABLE MILESTONES:
1976
1989 1993 2002 2004 2009 2010 2011 2013 2014 |
Gained widespread popularity for his role on I, Claudius as Praetorian officer, Naevius Sutorius Macro
Rhys-Davies starred alongside Harrison Ford in Indiana Jones and the Last Crusade (1989) and Indiana Jones: Raiders of the Lost Ark (1981) Played the character of Malone in The Untouchables Voiced Treebeard, the Ent, in The Lord of the Ring In April and September he appeared as the special Lord of the Rings guest at the Armageddon Sci-Fi and Comics Convention in Auckland and Wellington, New Zealand Starred in The Privileged Planet, a documentary that makes the case for intelligent design. John Rhys-Davies' voice can be heard on the documentary Reclaiming The Blade. In the narration, Rhys-Davies explores swords, historical European swordsmanship and fight choreography on film, a topic very familiar to him from his experiences in The Lord of the Rings trilogy, where his character Gimli wielded an axe in many scenes. Read Sir Malcom and the Missing Prince for the audiobook. Rhys-Davies is the narrator of The Truth & Life Dramatized audio New Testament Bible, a 22-hour, celebrity-voiced, fully dramatized audiobook version of the New Testament which uses the RSV-CE translation. Played a cameo in Legend of the Seeker as Horace He presented KJB: The Book That Changed The World, which features him reading diverse snippets from the King James Version. Appeared in the family history program Coming Home where he discovered information about his grandfather’s life, in the Carmathenshire coal mines Rhys-Davies has a few films coming out soon such as To Have and To Hold, Beyond the Mask, The Half Dead, Golden Shoes, Nameless and Lantern City which has just been announced |