A WalesOnline journalist has recalled how a single question revealed the true character of Matthew Rhys, the Hollywood A-lister who recently made history at the Emmy Awards.
Rhys, born and raised in Cardiff, became the first person to win two lead acting prizes in one night at the Emmys, for his roles in supernatural comedy Widow's Bay and psychological thriller The Beast In Me. He is also known for the spy thriller The Americans, for which he won a best actor Emmy, and has starred in acclaimed films and TV shows for years.
A humble response
Despite his success, interviews with Rhys show him as strikingly humble and modest. In a recent WalesOnline interview, he blushed at being called "Wales' greatest living actor" and pointed instead to Sir Anthony Hopkins and Michael Sheen. In a New York Times interview, he admitted he still struggles with self-confidence, saying: "I've just never felt that confidence, that self-assuredness that I always wished I had."
The journalist who interviewed him noted: "You would think two Emmy nominations for leading roles in the same year would make the actor Matthew Rhys feel very secure in himself and his career. But as I learned in our conversation, you would be wrong."
A favour for Wales
In 2019, Wales were preparing for the Rugby World Cup semi-final against South Africa. The WalesOnline team wanted to create something to inspire the team and fans, and decided the poem Now and Then by Owen Sheers would be the perfect message. They needed someone to deliver it with skill.
The journalist sent a message to Rhys, explaining who he was and recalling an interview from 2008, when The Edge of Love was released. He did not expect a reply. Rhys, by then an established star living in the USA with 75 episodes of The Americans and 109 episodes of Brothers and Sisters behind him, responded quickly: "Steffan!" He immediately agreed to do it and sent over the recording shortly afterwards.
The journalist then suggested one part wasn't quite right and asked if Rhys might do it again. Rhys politely replied he was "just busy filming at the moment" but would do it later if he could. The HBO remake of Perry Mason, in which he starred in the lead role, came out shortly afterwards.
A lasting impression
The journalist said Rhys' generosity left a deep impression, and doubted he would ever forget it. He added that it would be hard to think of another star at this level who would so kindly take time out of a frantic filming schedule to help out when he really didn't have to.
