Kai Owen facts for kids

Quick facts for kids Kai Owen
Owen in 2012
Born	(1975-09-04) 4 September 1975 (age 49) Llanrwst, Conwy, Wales
Occupation	Actor
Years active	1998–present

Kai Owen (born on September 4, 1975) is a Welsh actor. He is well-known in Wales for his many roles on Welsh-language TV shows. Around the world, people know him best as Rhys Williams from the show Torchwood. He also played Pete Buchanan in the soap opera Hollyoaks.

Kai Owen: A Look at His Life and Career

Growing Up and Learning to Act

Kai Owen was born in a town called Llanrwst in North Wales. His family still lives there. He went to primary school and then to Ysgol Dyffryn Conwy.

After school, he studied acting for three years. He went to Mountview Theatre School in London. He finished his studies in 1998. Kai Owen used to live in London, but in 2010, he moved to Warwickshire with his son, Bobby.

Helping Others Through Running

Kai Owen also likes to help others. He ran the London Marathon in 2009. He did this to raise money for CLIC Sargent, a charity that helps children with cancer. He ran the marathon again in 2010. He also supports the Llandudno Youth Musical Theatre group.

Kai Owen's TV Roles

Kai Owen first became known for playing Kev in Tipyn O Stad. This show was on the Welsh-language channel S4C. He was in many episodes of this popular Welsh TV program. He also appeared in another S4C show called Treflan. Later, he had guest roles in Y Pris and Pobol Y Cwm.

His first role on English TV in the UK was in 2001. He appeared in an episode of Fun at the Funeral Parlour. In 2003, he was in an episode of the BBC One show Casualty. In 2005, he played Dave 'Shiner' Owen in Rocket Man. This BBC One series was about a man trying to send his dead wife's ashes into space.

Becoming Famous: Torchwood and Hollyoaks

In 2006, Kai Owen got a big role as Rhys Williams in Torchwood. This show is a spin-off from the science fiction series Doctor Who. This role made him very famous. He became a main actor in the third series of Torchwood in 2009. He played Rhys Williams again in the fourth series, Torchwood: Miracle Day, in 2011.

In 2015, Kai Owen joined the cast of the Channel 4 soap opera Hollyoaks. He played a challenging character named Pete Buchanan. To prepare for this difficult role, he worked with the NSPCC. He played the role for about a year and returned briefly in 2018 and again in 2021.

Other TV Appearances

Kai Owen has also appeared in other TV shows. In 2011, he was in an episode of Being Human. He also played Ken Watling in Waterloo Road, a BBC school drama. In 2012, he was in the drama The Syndicate. More recently, he appeared in Doc Martin in 2015, Doctors in 2019, and returned to Casualty in 2022. In 2024, he was in Mr Bates vs The Post Office.

Acting on Radio and Stage

Kai Owen has also performed in radio plays and on stage.

Radio Work

He played Harry Secombe in the radio play Ying Tong: a Walk with the Goons in 2007. He also voiced his Torchwood character, Rhys Williams, in several Torchwood radio plays for BBC Radio 4. These include "The Dead Line" (2009) and "The Devil and Miss Carew" (2011). He narrated several Torchwood audiobooks like Ghost Train and Department X in 2011. Since 2015, he has continued to voice Rhys Williams for Big Finish Productions in their Torchwood audio drama series. In 2017, he was in Tracks for BBC Cymru Wales.

Stage Performances

Kai Owen has a background in theatre. In 1998, he played Ariel in The Tempest at Stafford Castle. Other stage roles include Ronnie in Life of Ryan... and Ronnie (2005) and Crispin Usher in A Chorus of Disapproval (2006). In 2008, he played Adam in Adam & Steve. In 2012, he was Charles in As You Like It at Clwyd Theatr Cymru.

What Else Has He Been In?

Here is a list of some of Kai Owen's acting roles:

Television Roles

Narration and Radio Roles

Stage Roles

See also

In Spanish: Kai Owen para niños