John Rhys-Davies facts for kids

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Quick facts for kids John Rhys-Davies
Rhys-Davies in 2018
Born	(1944-05-05) 5 May 1944 (age 81) Salisbury, Wiltshire, England
Alma mater	University of East Anglia
Occupation	Actor
Years active	1964–present
Spouse(s)	Suzanne Wilkinson (m. 1966; separated 1985)
Partner(s)	Lisa Manning (2004–present)
Children	3
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John Rhys-Davies is a famous Welsh actor, born on May 5, 1944. He is most recognized for playing the dwarf Gimli in The Lord of the Rings movies. He also played Sallah in the Indiana Jones adventure films.

He has been nominated for several awards, including three Screen Actors Guild Awards, winning one. He also received a Primetime Emmy Award nomination for his acting.

John Rhys-Davies at Galaxy Con Richmond in 2023

Rhys-Davies has appeared in many other films like Sahara (1983) and The Living Daylights (1987). He also did a lot of voice acting for movies and TV shows. These include Cats Don't Dance (1997) and SpongeBob SquarePants (2000–2002).

On television, he was known for his roles in I, Claudius (1976) and Shōgun (1980). From 1995 to 1997, he starred as Professor Maximillian Arturo in the series Sliders.

Early Life and Education
Acting Career Highlights
Personal Life
- Family and Relationships
- Beliefs and Views
Awards and Nominations
Audio Work
Images for kids
See also

Early Life and Education

John Rhys-Davies was born in Salisbury, England, on May 5, 1944. His parents were from Wales. His mother, Phyllis Jones, was a nurse, and his father, Rhys Davies, was an engineer and colonial officer.

Because of his father's job, John spent his early years in Tanganyika (now part of Tanzania). His family lived in different places there, like Dar es Salaam and Moshi. Later, they moved to Ammanford, a town in Wales.

He attended Truro School in Cornwall, England. Then, he went to the University of East Anglia, where he was one of the first students. He even helped start the university's drama club. After teaching at a school for a short time, he earned a spot at the Royal Academy of Dramatic Art in London. This is a very famous acting school.

Acting Career Highlights

Rhys-Davies (right) at SciFiWorld Malmö, Sweden in May 2005

John Rhys-Davies started appearing on British TV in the early 1970s. One of his early roles was as a gangster in the show Budgie. He later played a Roman officer named Macro in the historical TV series I, Claudius.

He began getting more roles, not just in the UK. He played a Portuguese navigator named Rodrigues in the 1980 TV miniseries Shōgun. In 1989, he played the Marvel Comics character Kingpin in The Trial of the Incredible Hulk.

Rhys-Davies also starred in Noble House, set in Hong Kong. He played Agent Michael Malone in The Untouchables TV series in 1993. From 1995 to 1997, he had a main role as Professor Maximillian Arturo in the science fiction series Sliders.

John Rhys Davies at Galaxy Con Richmond in 2023

He also appeared in Star Trek: Voyager as a holodeck version of Leonardo da Vinci. He was an ally of James Bond in the movie The Living Daylights. John Rhys-Davies has played the character Porthos from The Three Musketeers in two different projects. He also did voice work for computer games like Ripper (1996) and Dune 2000 (1998).

In 2014, he joined the cast of the TV show Metal Hurlant Chronicles. In 2015, he had a role in the PC game Star Citizen, working with actors like Mark Hamill.

Indiana Jones Films

Rhys-Davies first played the character Sallah in the 1981 film Raiders of the Lost Ark. Sallah was a loyal friend to the main character, Indiana Jones. He returned to play Sallah in two more Indiana Jones movies, including Indiana Jones and the Last Crusade and Indiana Jones and the Dial of Destiny.

The Lord of the Rings Films

John Rhys-Davies is widely known for his role as the dwarf Gimli in The Lord of the Rings film trilogy. Even though Gimli is a short character, Rhys-Davies is actually quite tall, standing at 6 feet 1 inch. This helped the filmmakers because it made it easier to show him next to the actors playing hobbits, who were much shorter.

He is the only actor from the nine members of the Fellowship of the Ring who did not get a matching tattoo. His stunt double, Brett Beattie, got the tattoo instead.

Playing Gimli was tough for Rhys-Davies because of the heavy prosthetics he had to wear. His eyes sometimes swelled shut from it. Because of this, he decided not to return as Gimli for The Hobbit movies. He said his face couldn't handle that kind of discomfort again. However, he did offer to help as an advisor for the dwarf characters.

Voice Acting Work

Rhys-Davies in September 2012

Besides voicing the Ent Treebeard in The Lord of the Rings, John Rhys-Davies has used his unique voice for many video games and animated TV shows. He voiced Hades in Justice League. He was also the original voice of Man Ray in SpongeBob SquarePants.

He also voiced characters in Gargoyles (1994–1996), including Macbeth. His voice can be heard in games like Freelancer (2003) and Quest for Glory IV: Shadows of Darkness (1995). He also narrated a documentary called The Glory of Macedonia.

In 2009, he narrated Reclaiming The Blade, a documentary about swords and fight choreography. This was a topic he knew well from his work in The Lord of the Rings, where Gimli used an axe.

In 2011, he presented KJB: The Book That Changed The World, where he read parts from the King James Version of the Bible. He also provided voice-over work for Breathe Bible. In 2016, he spoke words for the album Voices of Fire by the band van Canto.

Since 1988, John Rhys-Davies has lived on the Isle of Man. He provides the voice-over for the island's Castle Rushen, a well-preserved medieval castle. In 2018, he lent his voice to a tourism commercial for the Isle of Man.

In 2023, he returned to voice Gimli in the video game The Lord of the Rings: Return to Moria.

Personal Life

Family and Relationships

Rhys-Davies in April 2013

John Rhys-Davies married Suzanne Wilkinson in December 1966. They had two sons together. They separated in 1985 but remained married until Suzanne passed away in 2010 from Alzheimer's disease. He cared for her in her final years.

In 2004, Rhys-Davies started a relationship with Lisa Manning. They have a daughter together. They divide their time between homes in Waikato, New Zealand, and on the Isle of Man.

Beliefs and Views

While John Rhys-Davies does not follow a specific religion himself, he greatly respects Christianity. He has said that he believes "Christian civilization has made the world a better place." He feels that important ideas like free speech and individual freedom developed from Christian beliefs.

John Rhys-Davies is not a member of any political party. He was more left-leaning as a student in the 1960s. He has expressed support for Brexit, which was the United Kingdom's decision to leave the European Union.

Awards and Nominations

Year	Association	Category	Project	Result
1980	Primetime Emmy Award	Outstanding Supporting Actor in a Miniseries or Movie	Shōgun	Nominated
2001	Screen Actors Guild Award	Outstanding Cast in a Motion Picture	The Lord of the Rings: The Fellowship of the Ring	Nominated
2001	Phoenix Film Critics Society Award	Best Cast	The Lord of the Rings: The Fellowship of the Ring	Won
2002	Screen Actors Guild Award	Outstanding by a Cast in a Motion Picture	The Lord of the Rings: The Two Towers	Nominated
2002	Phoenix Film Critics Society Award	Best Cast	The Lord of the Rings: The Two Towers	Won
2003	Broadcast Film Critics Association	Best Cast	The Lord of the Rings: The Return of the King	Won
	National Board of Review	Best Cast		Won
	Screen Actors Guild Award	Outstanding Cast in a Motion Picture		Won
	Phoenix Film Critics Society Award	Best Cast		Nominated