Ioan Gruffudd facts for kids
Quick facts for kids
Ioan Gruffudd
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Gruffudd at 2011 Comic-Con International
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| Born | 6 October 1973 |
| Citizenship |
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| Education | Royal Academy of Dramatic Art |
| Occupation | Actor |
| Years active | 1986–present |
| Spouse(s) |
Alice Evans
(m. 2007; div. 2023)Bianca Wallace
(m. 2025) |
| Children | 2 |
Ioan Gruffudd (born 6 October 1973) is an actor from Wales. He is well-known for his roles in movies and TV shows. He has worked in the United Kingdom, the United States, and Australia.
Ioan Gruffudd became famous for playing Harold Lowe in the movie Titanic (1997). He also starred as Horatio Hornblower in the Hornblower TV series (1998–2003). Later, he played Lancelot in King Arthur (2004). He was also Reed Richards / Mister Fantastic in Fantastic Four (2005) and its sequel in 2007. He played William Wilberforce in Amazing Grace (2006). More recently, he appeared as Adam Lockwood in Bad Boys: Ride or Die (2024).
Early Life and Education
Ioan Gruffudd was born on October 6, 1973, in Aberdare, Wales. He is the oldest of three children. His parents, Gillian and Peter Griffiths, were both teachers. Ioan uses the Welsh spelling of his family name, Gruffudd.
His father was a headmaster at two Welsh-language schools in South Wales. Ioan grew up in a Christian home. His family moved to Cardiff when he was a child. He went to three Welsh-medium schools.
As a teenager, he was a talented oboist. He played in the South Glamorgan Youth Orchestra for several years. He also won awards for his singing. He once said that growing up in Wales, with its culture of singing, helped him gain confidence as an actor.
Acting Career Highlights
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Ioan Gruffudd started acting at age 13. His first role was in the Welsh TV film Austin (1986). He then appeared in the Welsh soap opera Pobol y Cwm from 1987 to 1994. He also played football with the show's team.
In 1992, at 18, he started studying at the Royal Academy of Dramatic Art (RADA) in London. He almost quit because he felt isolated. But in his final year, he got a role in a play called Hedda Gabler. This led to him being cast in the 1996 TV show Poldark.
After playing John Gray in the 1997 film Wilde, he got the role of Fifth Officer Harold Lowe in James Cameron's movie Titanic. He then became well-known for playing Horatio Hornblower in the Hornblower TV series (1998–2003). He said he was very thankful for the Hornblower role.
His TV work also includes playing Pip in the BBC's Great Expectations (1999). He was Lt. John Feeley in Warriors (1999). He also starred in The Forsyte Saga (2002). His movies include 102 Dalmatians (2000), Black Hawk Down (2001), and King Arthur (2004).
Ioan Gruffudd is a native Welsh speaker. In 2003, he was honored at the National Eisteddfod. He was given the bardic name "Ioan."
In 2007, he starred in the movie Amazing Grace. He played William Wilberforce, who worked to end slavery in Britain. He received praise for this role. Gruffudd has also played characters from both Marvel and DC Comics. He was Reed Richards / Mister Fantastic in Marvel's Fantastic Four (2005) and Fantastic Four: Rise of the Silver Surfer (2007). He also voiced Mister Miracle in DC's Justice League Unlimited (2005).
In 2008, he appeared in the film Fireflies in the Garden. He also starred in The Secret of Moonacre. In 2009, he played Tony Blair in W., a movie about US President George W Bush. In 2011, he was in Sanctum.
In 2017, Gruffudd began playing Andrew Earlham in the TV thriller Liar. He played a surgeon accused of a crime. The show was popular and aired in the US as well.
From 2018 to 2021, Gruffudd starred in the Australian TV show Harrow. He played Dr. Daniel Harrow, a forensic pathologist. This character did not always follow the rules but cared deeply for the dead. The show was filmed in Brisbane and was very successful.
Besides TV and film, he was in the music video for Westlife's song "Uptown Girl" (2001). He also presented at the Live Earth concert in London in 2007.
His other film roles include Horrible Bosses (2011) and San Andreas (2015). On television, he has been in Ringer (2011–2012), Forever (2014–2015), and UnREAL (2016).
Personal Life
Ioan Gruffudd met actress Alice Evans in 1999 while working on 102 Dalmatians. They moved to Los Angeles in 2003. They married in Mexico on September 14, 2007. His best man was his friend, actor Matthew Rhys.
Ioan and Alice have two daughters, born in 2009 and 2013. In January 2021, Alice Evans announced their separation. Ioan Gruffudd filed for divorce in March 2021. Their divorce was finalized on July 3, 2023.
In 2021, Ioan Gruffudd confirmed his relationship with Bianca Wallace. They became engaged in 2024 and married in April 2025. In June 2025, the couple announced they were expecting their first child.
See also
In Spanish: Ioan Gruffudd para niños
