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1-38 of 38
- Actor
- Director
- Producer
Ray Milland became one of Paramount's most bankable and durable stars, under contract from 1934 to 1948, yet little in his early life suggested a career as a motion picture actor.
Milland was born Alfred Reginald Jones in the Welsh town of Neath, Glamorgan, to Elizabeth Annie (Truscott) and Alfred Jones. He spent his youth in the pursuit of sports. He became an expert rider early on, working at his uncle's horse-breeding estate while studying at the King's College in Cardiff. At 21, he went to London as a member of the elite Household Cavalry (Guard for the Royal Family), undergoing a rigorous 19-months training, further honing his equestrian skills, as well as becoming adept at fencing, boxing and shooting. He won trophies, including the Bisley Match, with his unit's crack rifle team. However, after four years, he suddenly lost his means of financial support (independent income being a requirement as a Guardsman) when his stepfather discontinued his allowance. Broke, he tried his hand at acting in small parts on the London stage.
There are several stories as to how he derived his stage name. It is known, that during his teens he called himself "Mullane", using his stepfather's surname. He may later have suffused "Mullane" with "mill-lands", an area near his hometown. When he first appeared on screen in British films, he was billed first as Spike Milland, then Raymond Milland.
In 1929, Ray befriended the popular actress Estelle Brody at a party and, later that year, visited her on the set of her latest film, The Plaything (1929). While having lunch, they were joined by a producer who persuaded the handsome Welshman to appear in a motion picture bit part. Ray rose to the challenge and bigger roles followed, including the male lead in The Lady from the Sea (1929). The following year, he was signed by MGM and went to Hollywood, but was given little to work with, except for the role of Charles Laughton's ill-fated nephew in Payment Deferred (1932). After a year, Ray was out of his contract and returned to England.
His big break did not come until 1934 when he joined Paramount, where he was to remain for the better part of his Hollywood career. During the first few years, he served an apprenticeship playing second leads, usually as the debonair man-about-town, in light romantic comedies. He appeared with Burns and Allen in Many Happy Returns (1934), enjoyed third-billing as a British aristocrat in the Claudette Colbert farce The Gilded Lily (1935) and was described as "excellent" by reviewers for his role in the sentimental drama Alias Mary Dow (1935). By 1936, he had graduated to starring roles, first as the injured British hunter rescued on a tropical island by The Jungle Princess (1936), the film which launched Dorothy Lamour's sarong-clad career. After that, he was the titular hero of Bulldog Drummond Escapes (1937) and, finally, won the girl (rather than being the "other man") in Mitchell Leisen's screwball comedy Easy Living (1937). He also re-visited the tropics in Ebb Tide (1937), Her Jungle Love (1938) and Tropic Holiday (1938), as well as being one of the three valiant brothers of Beau Geste (1939).
In 1940, Ray was sent back to England to star in the screen adaptation of Terence Rattigan's French Without Tears (1940), for which he received his best critical reviews to date. He was top-billed (above John Wayne) running a ship salvage operation in Cecil B. DeMille's lavish Technicolor adventure drama Reap the Wild Wind (1942), besting Wayne in a fight - much to the "Duke's" personal chagrin - and later wrestling with a giant octopus. Also that year, he was directed by Billy Wilder in a charming comedy, The Major and the Minor (1942) (co-starred with Ginger Rogers), for which he garnered good notices from Bosley Crowther of the New York Times. Ray then played a ghost hunter in The Uninvited (1944), and the suave hero caught in a web of espionage in Fritz Lang's thriller Ministry of Fear (1944).
On the strength of his previous role as "Major Kirby", Billy Wilder chose to cast Ray against type in the ground-breaking drama The Lost Weekend (1945) as dipsomaniac writer "Don Birnam". Ray gave the defining performance of his career, his intensity catching critics, used to him as a lightweight leading man, by surprise. Crowther commented "Mr. Milland, in a splendid performance, catches all the ugly nature of a 'drunk', yet reveals the inner torment and degradation of a respectable man who knows his weakness and his shame" (New York Times, December 3, 1945). Arrived at the high point of his career, Ray Milland won the Oscar for Best Actor, as well as the New York Critic's Award. Rarely given such good material again, he nonetheless featured memorably in many more splendid films, often exploiting the newly discovered "darker side" of his personality: as the reporter framed for murder by Charles Laughton's heinous publishing magnate in The Big Clock (1948); as the sophisticated, manipulating art thief "Mark Bellis" in the Victorian melodrama So Evil My Love (1948) (for which producer Hal B. Wallis sent him back to England); as a Fedora-wearing, Armani-suited "Lucifer", trawling for the soul of an honest District Attorney in Alias Nick Beal (1949); and as a traitorous scientist in The Thief (1952), giving what critics described as a "sensitive" and "towering" performance. In 1954, Ray played calculating ex-tennis champ "Tony Wendice", who blackmails a former Cambridge chump into murdering his wife, in Alfred Hitchcock's Dial M for Murder (1954). He played the part with urbane sophistication and cold detachment throughout, even in the scene of denouement, calmly offering a drink to the arresting officers.
With Lisbon (1956), Ray Milland moved into another direction, turning out several off-beat, low-budget films with himself as the lead, notably High Flight (1957), The Safecracker (1958) and Panic in Year Zero! (1962). At the same time, he cheerfully made the transition to character parts, often in horror and sci-fi outings. In accordance with his own dictum of appearing in anything that had "any originality", he worked on two notable pictures with Roger Corman: first, as a man obsessed with catalepsy in The Premature Burial (1962); secondly, as obsessed self-destructive surgeon "Dr. Xavier" in X: The Man with the X-Ray Eyes (1963)-the Man with X-Ray Eyes, a film which, despite its low budget, won the 1963 Golden Asteroid in the Trieste Festival for Science Fiction.
As the years went on, Ray gradually disposed of his long-standing toupee, lending dignity through his presence to many run-of-the-mill television films, such as Cave in! (1983) and maudlin melodramas like Love Story (1970). He guest-starred in many anthology series on television and had notable roles in Rod Serling's Night Gallery (1969) and the original Battlestar Galactica (1978) (as Quorum member Sire Uri). He also enjoyed a brief run on Broadway, starring as "Simon Crawford" in "Hostile Witness" (1966), at the Music Box Theatre.
In his private life, Ray was an enthusiastic yachtsman, who loved fishing and collecting information by reading the Encyclopedia Brittanica. In later years, he became very popular with interviewers because of his candid spontaneity and humour. In the same self-deprecating vein he wrote an anecdotal biography, "Wide-Eyed in Babylon", in 1976. A film star, as well as an outstanding actor, Ray Milland died of cancer at the age of 79 in March 1986.- Paul Rhys was born on 19 December 1963 in Neath, Wales,to working class Catholic parents, Kathryn Ivory, and Richard Charles Rhys, a laborer. He received a Bernard Shaw Scholarship to study at RADA. In the first term he was spotted by Philip Prowse and was invited to perform in Oscar Wilde's A Woman of No Importance at the Glasgow Citizens Theatre. While still at RADA, he appeared in his first film role as Dean Swift in Julien Temple's film Absolute Beginners (1986).
He then was in Franklin J. Schaffner's Lionheart (1987), and played opposite Colin Firth in Richard Eyre's award-winning film Tumbledown (1988). Director Robert Altman cast him as Vincent van Gogh's younger brother Theo in Vincent & Theo (1990) He then played Sydney Chaplin opposite Robert Downey Jr.'s Charlie Chaplin in Richard Attenborough's Chaplin (1992), and Massis in Alan Bennett's 102 Boulevard Haussmann (1990). Next film roles include the part of the Photographer in Nina Takes a Lover (1994) and Dr Ferral in From Hell (2001). He appeared opposite Peter O'Toole in Rebecca's Daughters (1992). A series of films followed including From Hell (2001), Food of Love (2002), Love Lies Bleeding (1999), Becoming Colette (1991) and Hellraiser: Deader (2005).
Running parallel to Rhys's film work has been a diverse and notable television career, working in leading roles with directors such as Mike Hodges, Stephen Frears, Richard Eyre, Philip Martin, Christopher Morahan, Tom Vaughan, Edward Hall, Harry Bradbeer in productions including Tumbledown (1988), A Dance to the Music of Time (1997), The Heroes (1989), Ghosts, Mystery!: Gallowglass (1993), The Healer (1994), Anna Karenina (1997), The Deal, Beethoven (2005), The Ten Commandments (2005), Borgia (2011), Luther (2010), and [Spooks].
He played the lead as traitor Aldrich Ames in The Assets (2014) miniseries, as King George III in TURN: Washington's Spies (2014) and as Sir John Conroy in Victoria (2016). Rhys has made a minor industry out of playing vampires: Being Human (2008) (as Ivan);( as Vlad, the Prince of Wallachia, aka Dracula, in seasons 1-3 of the 2015 series Da Vinci's Demons (2013); and as Andrew Hubbard in two seasons of the 2020-22 hit, A Discovery of Witches (2018).
In 2022, Rhys appeared in three films for 2023 release: in Ridley Scott's Napoleon (2023), as Talleyrand, opposite Joaquin Phoenix; as Duncan in Emerald Fennell's Saltburn (2023); and as Droite in Widow Clicquot (2023).
Paul Rhys lives in London and New York. - Actress
- Writer
- Producer
Welsh Superstar Mezzo Soprano Katherine Jenkins OBE officially became the world's most successful classical singer after she was crowned 'The Biggest Selling Classical Artist of the Century' by Classic FM. She further cemented her title by gaining her 13th Number 1 Album - smashing the record books since signing to Universal Classics at the tender age of 23. Then a school teacher, Katherine burst onto the music scene in 2003 when she performed at Westminster Cathedral in honour of Pope John Paul II's Silver Jubilee, became the mascot for her much beloved Welsh Rugby Team, singing the anthem before important international matches & had her debut performance at the Sydney Opera House. Awards and accolades followed as well as invitations to sing for Popes, Presidents and Princes. Jenkins is a firm favourite of the British Royal Family having been invited to sing 'God Save The Queen' at Her Majesty's Diamond Jubilee, perform at The Queen's Coronation Concerts at Buckingham Palace and more recently at Her Majesty's 90th Birthday celebrations at Windsor Castle.
Born in South Wales, Katherine learned to sing as a chorister of St. David's Church choir, Neath. Her love of music was well nurtured in the Welsh Valleys, where she had the opportunity to join choral groups, perform with Welsh Male Voice Choirs as well as participate in Eisteddfods and other musical events. She has always accredited her down to earth nature to her Welsh roots and her amazing family who she lovingly calls 'The Taffia'. Sadly, Katherine's father Selwyn passed away from cancer when she was just 15 and since then his memory has been a driving force in her life every album, every award has been dedicated to him.
Within months of graduating from the Royal Academy of music, Katherine signed the 'biggest recording deal in UK classical music history' and released her debut album 'Premiere', which became her first classical number one album. 6 months later, her second album, 'Second Nature' also reached number 1 and went on to earn Katherine her first Classic BRIT Award for best album in 2005. The following year brought Katherine her second Classic BRIT award 'Album of the Year' for 'Living A Dream'.
Sold out tours followed, as did performances and recordings with Placido Domingo, Andrea Bocelli, Jose Carreras, David Foster, Dame Kiri te Kanawa, Sir Bryn Terfel, Rolando Villazon, Juan Diego Florez, Valery Gergiev & Il Divo. Not afraid of stepping outside of her comfort zone, Katherine has appeared as a mentor in ITV's 'Popstar to Operastar', played the role of Abigail in the BBC's iconic Dr Who Christmas Special, tap danced her way through 'Viva la Diva' with Prima Ballerina Darcey Bussell as well as, most notably, winning 2nd place in the U.S. hit TV show 'Dancing with the Stars' in 2012. After years as a guest performer, Katherine was delighted to officially join the BBC 'Songs of Praise' family as a regular presenter of the weekly religious programme.
Also known as the 'Forces Sweetheart', Charity work has always played an important role for Jenkins. After singing 'We'll Meet Again' with Dame Vera Lynn at the 60th Anniversary of VE Day, she travelled to Iraq, Afghanistan, Kosovo, Cyprus & Northern Ireland to entertain the troops. She was presented with an OBE by HRH Prince of Wales for services to Music and charity in 2013.
2017 saw Jenkins's debut on the West End stage playing Julie Jordan in Carousel with English National Opera at the London Coliseum, her performance earning her rave reviews from both the British and International press. In 2019, Katherine made her film role debut alongside Jonny Depp and Bill Nighy in 'Minamata', a movie scheduled for release later this year.
2020 will see new music from Katherine in the form of her 14th studio album as well as performances in Dubai, Tokyo, tours of Australia & New Zealand and a special one off performance on the Great Wall of China.- William Squire was born on 29 April 1917 in Neath, Glamorgan, Wales, UK. He was an actor, known for The Lord of the Rings (1978), Doctor Who (1963) and Where Eagles Dare (1968). He was married to Juliet Harmer and Betty P. Dixon. He died on 3 May 1989 in London, England, UK.
- Actor
- Director
Robert Gwilym was born in December 1956 in Neath, Glamorgan, Wales, UK. He is an actor and director, known for It Had to Be You (2023), Casualty (1986) and Soldier Soldier (1991).- Actor
- Soundtrack
Hywel Simons was born on 10 February 1970 in Neath, Glamorgan, Wales, UK. He is an actor, known for Shakespeare in Love (1998), Poldark (2015) and The Bill (1984). He has been married to Sarah Tansey since 8 August 2005.- Dennis Burgess was born on 18 February 1926 in Neath, Glamorgan, Wales, UK. He was an actor, known for The Elephant Man (1980), The Sandbaggers (1978) and Father Brown (1974). He died on 3 November 1980 in Dacorum, Hertfordshire, England, UK.
- Mike Gwilym was born on 5 March 1949 in Neath, Glamorgan, Wales, UK. He is an actor, known for Priest of Love (1981), The Theban Plays by Sophocles (1986) and Theatre Night (1985).
- Marshall Jones was born in 1928 in Neath, Wales, UK. He was an actor, known for Cry of the Banshee (1970), Flower of Evil (1961) and Scream and Scream Again (1970). He was married to Elizabeth Spriggs. He died on 31 August 2007 in Port Talbot, Wales, UK.
- Actress
- Music Department
- Soundtrack
Marian Davies was born on 23 November 1940 in Neath, Glamorgan, Wales, UK. She is an actress, known for Ryan and Ronnie (1971), The Benny Hill Show (1969) and Only When I Laugh (1979).- Actress
- Music Department
- Soundtrack
Maudie Edwards was born on 16 October 1906 in Neath, Glamorgan, Wales, UK. She was an actress, known for My Learned Friend (1943), I'll Be Your Sweetheart (1945) and Pink String and Sealing Wax (1945). She was married to Walter Galpin Nicholas-Marcy. She died on 24 March 1991 in London, England, UK.- Director
- Producer
- Writer
In 1991, after studying at the National Film and Television School, Styles started directing film documentaries for the BBC in Cardiff. He continued his relationship with BBC Cardiff for whom he produced and directed a string of high profile film dramas and documentary series including Last Days at Fforchwen and The Dream, for which he received a nomination for a BAFTA Cymru Best Director Award in 1995. In 1996, he received further nominations, this time for the television feature All Mixed Up, which went on to win a host of awards, including Best TV Feature at the San Francisco International Film Festival, the Award for Best Original Score at The Royal Television Society, a Writers Guild Award and three BAFTA Cymru Awards. His 1997 short film Birdbrain won the Kodak Award for Cinematography at the British Short Film Festival and has been screened at festivals including Toronto, Denmark, Clement Ferrond and Edinburgh. In 1997 Styles made four single film dramas for the BBC including Love In The House Of The Lord by Catherine Linstrum and Washed Up by Steve Gould. Washed Up went on to win the Best Drama Award at the BAFTA Cyrmu Awards. Relative Values is Stlyes' second feature in association with Christopher Milburn after his debut Dreaming Of Joseph Lees which was released to great critical acclaim in the Autumn of 1999 by Fox Searchlight.- Actor
- Writer
Stefan Pejic (born 5 June 1988) is a Welsh Actor, Comedian, Magician and award winning Writer. He started as a child performer and appeared in numerous stage shows, children's Television programs and commercials in the late 90s and early 2000s. Since then he continued to work on stage and in television, and became a regular name on the stand up scene in UK, France and Oslo. Since 2009, Stefan has been a comedy writer for various comedians, BBC, Comedy Central and Channel 4. Also a collaborator and director for various magicians. In 2009, Stefan celebrated the Birth of daughter Scarlet-Faye Pejic.- Steeve Arlen was born on 6 April 1934 in Neath, Wales, UK. He was an actor, known for NewsRadio (1995), Another World (1964) and Frasier (1993). He died on 6 January 2016 in Henderson, Nevada, USA.
- Gerallt Rosser was born in Crynant, Neath Port Talbot, Wales, UK. He is known for Aladdin (2001), Saturday Night Out (1988) and Opportunity Knocks (1956).
- Lloyd Davies was born in 1967 in Neath, Glamorgan, Wales, UK. He is an actor, known for Funny Girl (2018), Aladdin (2001) and Saturday Night Out (1988).
- Writer
- Producer
Michael Locke was born on 13 March 1979 in Neath, Wales, UK. He is a writer and producer, known for Dirty Sanchez (2003), Dirty Sanchez: The Movie (2006) and Balls of Steel (2005).- Sian Orrells was born in 1965 in Port Talbot, Neath Port Talbot, Wales, UK. She was a writer, known for EastEnders (1985), A Touch of Frost (1992) and Touching Evil (1997). She was married to Frank Watkins. She died on 11 June 2021 in Margam, Port Talbot, Neath Port Talbot, Wales, UK.
- Mavis Nicholson was born on 19 October 1930 in Briton Ferry, Neath, Glamorgan, Wales, UK. She was a producer, known for Insha'Allah (2011), French and Saunders (1987) and Medical Express (1979). She was married to Geoffrey Nicholson. She died on 8 September 2022 in the UK.
- Producer
- Director
- Writer
Joshua was born in South Wales, United Kingdom & grew up in Saudi Arabia & Bahrain for his teenage years. Graduating from Middlesex University in London with a BA in Advertising, Public Relations and Media, he fell into his first producing job at a Production Company in Bahrain. Shortly after, he left for Los Angeles to pursue his Masters degree in Film & Television Producing at the New York Film Academy. He now lives in Los Angeles full time producing various projects.- Producer
- Director
- Writer
Known for writing & directing The Stranger. Craig comes from a 17 year background in cinema. After leaving cinema he taught Creative Writing & Script Writing. He has a 1st class honours degree in Media Performance, specializing in Writing. He was a Semi-Finalist in both Shore Scripts and Screencraft Action & Thriller, and Quarter Finalist in Finish Line script competitions and placed in the Top 10% of the Academy Nicholl Fellowship. Also winner of Best Short Comedy at Wales International Film Festival.- Actress
- Soundtrack
Della Jones was born on 13 April 1946 in Neath, Glamorgan, Wales, UK. She is an actress, known for H.M.S. Pinafore (1982), The Yeomen of the Guard (1978) and Candide (1991).- Director
- Actor
- Producer
James Powell was born on 7 April 1981 in Neath, Glamorgan, Wales, UK. He is a director and actor, known for Mr Tumble's Tumble Tales (2020), A Very British Cover-Up (2009) and Epic CBBC Theme Tunes (2017).- "Welsh defender, Ben Davies, was born 24th April 1993 in Neath, Wales. Ben earned his first professional contract with Swansea in 2011 and excelled in their first team, winning their 'Young Player of the Year' accolade in 2013 and 2014. He made a total of 91 appearances for the Swans, including a start in their League Cup Final win against Bradford City in 2013.
Ben Davies joined Tottenham Hotspur in July, 2014 alongside his Swansea City teammate, Michel Vorm. Davies signed a five-year contract. In his debut season in North London, Davies played 29 times in all competitions. Towards the end of the season, he dislocated his shoulder against Southampton.
Ben became a regular in internationals for Wales, often operating on the left side of a back three. Wales qualified for their first major tournament finals since the 1958 FIFA World Cup by claiming a place at Euro 2016 in France, with Davies a regular feature during qualifying. He was instrumental in Wales' run to the semi-finals of Euro 2016, playing every minute of every game up until the last-four clash with Portugal, which he missed through suspension.
A Champions League debut came against AS Monaco in September, 2016 and he began to enjoy a sustained run in the Tottenham Hotspur starting XI during the second half of the 2016/17 season. He scored his first two goals for Tottenham Hotspur during that season.
Davies' attacking nous contributed to numerous assists during the 2017/18 campaign in which he featured 38 times in all competitions, scoring twice.
In his fifth season at Tottenham Hotspur, the defender played 39 times over the course of the 2018/19 season, including six starts in the run to the UEFA Champions League Final 2019.
In July, 2019 Davies committed himself to a new five-year contract at Tottenham Hotspur. " - Hugh Dalton was born on 16 August 1887 in Neath, Glamorgan, Wales, UK. He was married to Ruth Dalton. He died on 13 February 1962.
- C.W. Nicole was born on 17 July 1940 in Neath, Glamorgan, Wales, UK. He was an actor and writer, known for The Boy Who Saw the Wind (2000) and Matasaburo the Wind Boy (1988). He was married to Mariko Nicol and ???. He died on 3 April 2020 in Nagano, Japan.
- Actor
- Music Department
Stuart Kale was born on 27 October 1944 in Neath, Glamorgan, Wales, UK. He is an actor, known for Idomeneo (1991), La finta giardiniera (1988) and L'occasione fa il ladro (1992).- Jamie Jones was born on 14 February 1988 in Neath, West Glamorgan, Wales, UK.
- David Howells was born on 8 February 1997 in Neath, West Glamorgan, Wales, UK.
- Lady Doris Stapleton was born in 1896 in Neath, Glamorgan, Wales, UK. She was an actress, known for The Great London Mystery (1920). She was married to Miles Stapleton. She died on 20 December 1933 in Galmpton, Churston Ferrers, Devon, England, UK.
- Daniel Wells was born on 31 July 1988 in Neath, Glamorgan, Wales, UK.
- Director
- Writer
- Producer
Michael Bogdanov was born on 15 December 1938 in Neath, Glamorgan, Wales, UK. He was a director and writer, known for A Light in the Valley (1998), The Sherman Plays (1993) and The Thorn Birds (2009). He was married to Ulrike Engelbrecht and Patricia Ann Warwick. He died on 16 April 2017 in Paros, Greece.- Michael White was born on 5 July 1991 in Neath, West Glamorgan, Wales, UK.
- Harry James was born on 8 May 1923 in Neath, Wales, UK. He is known for Mummies: Tales from the Egyptian Crypts (1996), Ancient Mysteries (1994) and History's Mysteries (1998). He died on 16 December 2009 in London.
- Lyndon Holland was born on 23 March 1987 in Neath, Glamorgan, Wales, UK. He is an actor, known for The Wait Is So, So Long (2009).
- Mirabelle Thomas was born on 11 April 1939 in Neath, Wales, UK. She is an actress, known for The Forsyte Saga (1967), Great Expectations (1967) and Mogul (1965).
- Art Department
- Art Director
- Production Designer
Ward Richards was born on 22 March 1905 in Coedffranc, Neath Port Talbot, Wales, UK. He was an art director and production designer, known for We'll Smile Again (1942), London Town (1946) and Swiss Honeymoon (1947). He died in 1967 in Perth, Western Australia, Australia.- Catherine Dolan was born on 19 July 1926 in Neath, Wales, UK. She was an actress, known for Armchair Mystery Theatre (1960), Canterbury Tales (1969) and Under Milk Wood (1957). She died in 1991 in Swansea, Wales, UK.