Welsh actor Matthew Rhys Evans was born on November 4, 1974 in Cardiff, Wales. Educated entirely through the Welsh language, he eventually entered the Royal Academy of Dramatic Art in London after appearing as Elvis Presley in a school musical at age 17. He entered the school through a Patricia Rothermere Scholarship; during his time at RADA, he took several acting roles, including a recurring role in the British police drama Back-up. His later performance in the Welsh-language film Bydd yn Wrol earned him the Welsh BAFTA award for best actor.
Rhys made his name through projects across the world. In 1998, he joined the cast of the New Zealand costume drama Greenstone. This was followed by a supporting role in Titus, a 1999 film adaptation of Shakespeare’s work; he appeared alongside Anthony Hopkins and Jessica Lange. In 2000, he played the lead role in the British dramatic miniseries Metropolis, which revolves around the lives of six twentysomethings living in London. He appeared in the stage adaptation to the film The Graduate in 2000; the premiere, where he also appeared, opened to critical acclaim.
Rhys later appeared in other films, such as Peaches, The Abduction Club and Love and Other Disasters. In 2006, he broke into the American entertainment scene, when he took a regular role in the drama series Brothers & Sisters. There, he played the role of Kevin Walker, the fourth of five Walker children, who worked as a lawyer. His role as the executor of his father’s (Tom Skerritt) estate led to him meeting Scotty Wandell (Luke Macfarlane), and he would later reveal his homosexual orientation. His character was involved in a remarkable storyline; his marriage to Scotty was the first such scene on American television, and received praise from numerous gay rights groups.
Despite his success as an actor, however, Rhys admitted that he’d be willing to forego all of this for a chance to represent Wales as a rugby player.