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Luke Evans
Luke Evans attending Queen Elizabeth's II birthday party held at the Royal Albert Hall in 2018.
Evans in 2018
Born
Luke George Evans

(1979-04-15) 15 April 1979 (age 45)
Pontypool, Torfaen, Wales
Alma mater London Studio Centre
Occupation
  • Actor
  • singer
Years active 2000–present
Musical career
Genres
Labels BMG

Luke George Evans (born 15 April 1979) is a Welsh actor and singer. He began his career on the stage, performing in many of London's West End productions such as Rent, Miss Saigon, and Piaf before making his film breakthrough in the Clash of the Titans 2010 remake. Following his debut, Evans was cast in such action and thriller films as Immortals (2011), The Raven (2012), and the re-imagined The Three Musketeers (2011).

In 2013, Evans starred as the antagonist Owen Shaw in the blockbuster Fast & Furious 6, and also played Bard the Bowman in Peter Jackson's three-part adaptation of J. R. R. Tolkien's The Hobbit. Evans also portrayed the vampire Dracula in the character's 2014 film origin story Dracula Untold. Evans then portrayed Gaston in Disney's live-action adaptation of Beauty and the Beast (2017), psychologist William Moulton Marston in the biographical drama Professor Marston and the Wonder Women (2017), and the Coachman in Disney's live-action remake of Pinocchio (2022). He released his debut album, At Last, on 22 November 2019. In 2020, he starred in a three-part miniseries The Pembrokeshire Murders. In 2021, he had a main role in the Hulu drama miniseries Nine Perfect Strangers. He then starred in the black ops military series Echo 3 (2022).

Early life and education

Luke George Evans was born on Easter Sunday, 15 April 1979, in Pontypool, and brought up in Aberbargoed, a small village in the Rhymney Valley, Wales, the only child of Yvonne and David Evans. He was raised as a Jehovah's Witness, though he left the religion when he was 16 and left school at the same time.

At age 17, he moved to Cardiff, where he studied with singing coach Louise Ryan. In 1997, he won a scholarship to London Studio Centre, then in Kings Cross, London. He graduated in 2000.

Career

Luke Evans 2014 Comic Con (cropped)
Evans at the 2014 San Diego Comic-Con

From 2000 to 2008, Evans starred in many West End productions including La Cava, Taboo, Rent, Miss Saigon and Avenue Q, as well as several fringe shows in London and at the Edinburgh Festival.

In 2008, he landed his most significant stage role playing Vincent in the play Small Change written and directed by Peter Gill at the Donmar Warehouse. His performance drew attention from film casting directors and U.S. talent agencies, and he was nominated for the Evening Standard Award for Outstanding Newcomer. Later that same year he did his second show at the Donmar Warehouse, Piaf, in which he played Yves Montand.

Evans had his first film audition at age thirty. In 2009, he landed his first film role, playing the Greek god Apollo in the 2010 remake Clash of the Titans. Also in 2010, he appeared as as the Sheriff of Nottingham's thug in Robin Hood, alongside Matthew Macfadyen (whom he would later play alongside again in The Three Musketeers), and played handyman and good guy Andy, in director Stephen Frears' film Tamara Drewe, based on Posy Simmond's comic strip. Evans went on to portray DI Craig Stokes in Blitz (2011), the film adaptation of Ken Bruen's novel of the same name, in which he starred with Jason Statham and Paddy Considine. In early 2010, he shot the independent film, Flutter, directed by Giles Borg.

Evans played the Musketeer Aramis in Paul W. S. Anderson's version of The Three Musketeers (filmed in 2010 and released in 2011). He was cast in a lead role in Tarsem Singh's Greek epic, Immortals (2011), in which he played the King of the Gods, Zeus. And at the end of 2010, he took a role opposite John Cusack in James McTeigue's film The Raven, replacing Jeremy Renner. In the film, released in 2012 and set in mid-nineteenth century Baltimore, Evans played Detective Emmett Fields, who investigates a series of murders inspired by the poetry and short stories of Edgar Allan Poe. Shooting took place in Budapest and Serbia in November 2010. In 2011, he shot No One Lives, a psychological horror film directed by Ryuhei Kitamura, in New Orleans, and began filming a role in Peter Jackson's three-part adaptation of J. R. R. Tolkien's The Hobbit, playing the role of Bard the Bowman.

High Rise PC 02 (21475265016)
Evans at the 2015 Toronto International Film Festival

In 2013, Evans played the antagonist Owen Shaw in Fast & Furious 6, and in 2014, he played Dracula in the film Dracula Untold. Evans was cast as Eric Draven in the reboot of The Crow. In June 2014, he joined the cast of the film High-Rise with Tom Hiddleston and Jeremy Irons. In January 2015, Evans officially exited The Crow to pursue other projects. The same year, GQ named him one of the 50 best dressed British men.

In 2016, Evans appeared in the thriller film The Girl on the Train, co-starring Emily Blunt. In 2017, he had the villainous role of Gaston in Disney's live-action adaptation of Beauty and the Beast, directed by Bill Condon and co-starring Emma Watson and Dan Stevens. Evans was also set to reprise his role as Gaston in a Beauty and the Beast prequel limited series for Disney+, alongside Josh Gad, who was serving as co-creator, co-writer and executive producer).

He also played the lead role, William Moulton Marston, the creator of Wonder Woman, in the film Professor Marston and the Wonder Women.

In 2018, Evans starred in TNT drama The Alienist, as newspaper illustrator John Moore. The following year, he announced the release of his debut studio album, At Last, which was released on 22 November 2019.

On 8 November 2019, Evans starred in Roland Emmerich's epic war movie Midway, alongside Ed Skrein, Patrick Wilson, Mandy Moore, Aaron Eckhart, Nick Jonas, Dennis Quaid, and Woody Harrelson.

In 2021, Evans played Lars Lee in the Hulu miniseries, Nine Perfect Strangers, based on the novel of the same name by Liane Moriarty, which features Nicole Kidman in the lead role, alongside Melissa McCarthy, Michael Shannon, Samara Weaving, Asher Keddie, and Bobby Cannavale.

He also played The Coachman in Robert Zemeckis' live-action film adaptation of Disney's Pinocchio, with Tom Hanks.

Evans was awarded Man of the Year at the ninth annual Virgin Atlantic Attitude Awards.

Personal life

Though Evans is openly gay. He is unwilling to discuss it in the press, asserting his personal life to be private. He deliberately shields his family from the press. He believes that his private life is not connected to Hollywood and that "Talent, success, what you do in your personal life – I don't see how one should have an effect on the other."

Between 2014 and 2016, Evans dated actor and model Jon Kortajarena. He and Fran Tomas have been sharing their relationship on Instagram since they started dating in 2021.

Discography

Studio albums

Title Details Peak chart positions Certifications
UK
AUS
Dig.
IRE
At Last
  • Released: 22 November 2019
  • Label: Luke Evans, BMG
11 30 84
A Song for You
  • Released: 4 November 2022
  • Label: Luke Evans, BMG
4

Soundtrack albums

Title Release date
Beauty and the Beast 10 March 2017

Singles

Title Year Album
"Love Is a Battlefield" 2019 At Last
"Changing"
"Horizons Blue" 2022 A Song for You
"Come What May"
(featuring Charlotte Church)
"Say Something"
(featuring Nicole Kidman)

Tours

  • At Last! The Live Tour (2021)

Filmography

Key
Not yet released Denotes works that have not yet been released

Film

Year Film Role Director Notes
2002 Taboo Billy N/A Musical
2009 Don't Press Benjamin's Buttons Benjamin's Father Short film
2010 Cowards and Monsters Paul
Clash of the Titans Apollo Louis Leterrier
Robin Hood Sheriff's Thug Ridley Scott
Tamara Drewe Andy Cobb Stephen Frears
2011 Blitz DI Craig Stokes Elliott Lester
The Three Musketeers Aramis Paul W. S. Anderson
Immortals Zeus Tarsem Singh
Flutter Adrian Giles Borg
2012 Ashes Crewcut Mat Whitecross
The Raven Inspector Emmett Fields James McTeigue
No One Lives Driver Ryuhei Kitamura
The Hobbit: An Unexpected Journey Bard, son of Girion, Lord of Dale Peter Jackson Extended edition only
2013 Fast & Furious 6 Owen Shaw Justin Lin
The Hobbit: The Desolation of Smaug Bard and Girion, Lord of Dale Peter Jackson Dual role
2014 Dracula Untold Vlad III Țepeș / Dracula Gary Shore
The Hobbit: The Battle of the Five Armies Bard Peter Jackson
2015 Furious 7 Owen Shaw James Wan Cameo
High-Rise Richard Wilder Ben Wheatley
2016 Message from the King Dr. Paul Wentworth Fabrice Du Welz
The Girl on the Train Scott Hipwell Tate Taylor
2017 Beauty and the Beast Gaston Bill Condon
The Fate of the Furious Owen Shaw F. Gary Gray Cameo
Professor Marston and the Wonder Women William Moulton Marston Angela Robinson
2018 State Like Sleep Emile Meredith Danluck
10x10 Lewis Suzi Ewing
2019 Ma Ben Hawkins Tate Taylor
Murder Mystery Charles Cavendish Kyle Newacheck
Anna Alex Tchenkov Luc Besson
StarDog and TurboCat Felix (voice) Ben Smith
Angel of Mine Mike Kim Farrant
Midway Commander Wade McClusky Roland Emmerich
2021 Crisis Bill Simmons Nicholas Jarecki
2022 Pinocchio The Coachman Robert Zemeckis
Scrooge: A Christmas Carol Ebeneezer Scrooge Stephen Donnelly Voice
2023 Our Son Bill Oliver Completed
TBA Good Grief dagger TBA Dan Levy Post-production

Television

Year Title Role Notes
2013 The Great Train Robbery Bruce Reynolds Miniseries
2016, 2018 Robot Chicken Various characters (voices) 2 episodes
2017 The Grand Tour Himself Episode: "Jaaaaaaaags"
2018–2020 The Alienist John Moore Main role
2020–2021 Crossing Swords King Merriman (voice) Main role; 20 episodes
2021 The Pembrokeshire Murders Steve Wilkins Miniseries; 3 episodes
Nine Perfect Strangers Lars Lee Miniseries
2022–present Echo 3 Bambi Main role
TBA The Way dagger TBA Filming

Video games

Year Title Voice role Notes
2013 Fast & Furious: Showdown Owen Shaw

Theme park rides

Year Title Voice role Notes
2015 Fast & Furious: Supercharged Owen Shaw

Awards and nominations

Year Award Category Nominee / work Result
2014 Monte-Carlo Television Festival Outstanding Actor in a Mini-Series The Great Train Robbery Nominated
Acapulco Black Film Festival Best Ensemble Cast Fast & Furious 6 Nominated
2015 British Independent Film Awards Best Supporting Actor High Rise Nominated
2017 MTV Movie & TV Awards Best Duo (with Josh Gad) Beauty and the Beast Nominated
Teen Choice Awards Choice Movie: Villain Won
Choice Hissy Fit Nominated
2020 Virgin Atlantic Attitude Awards The Man of the Year Himself Won
2023 BAFTA Cymru Awards Entertainment Programme Luke Evans: Showtime! Won

See also

Kids robot.svg In Spanish: Luke Evans para niños

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