Thespian, vocalist and consummate professional, Ioan Gruffudd (Yo’-an Grih’-fith), is a classically trained, dramatic and comedic actor with a wide theatrical range and an award-winning high baritone voice.
Acting found Ioan at age 13 when he was recruited from school to test for the part of Gareth Wyn Harries on the long-running Welsh soap opera POBOL Y CWM (1989-1994). The five-year role led him to pursue a career in acting and attend the Royal Academy of Dramatic Art (1992-1995) after which he appeared on the London stage in HEDDA GABLER, TROUBLE SLEEPING and THE DECAMERON.
His linguistic propensity for dialect, diction and comportment at such a young age quickly won him many prized parts in historic and literary, period costume dramas such as POLDARK (1996), WILDE (1997), TITANIC (1997), and the lead role of Pip in GREAT EXPECTATIONS (1999). He further proved his leading man status and honed his action star chops in the title role of the eight-part television movie franchise HORACIO HORNBLOWER (1998-2003) complete with nine audiobooks.
The Academy Award Nominated SOLOMON & GAENOR showed an intimate facet of Ioan’s range in the lead role of Solomon, a Jewish boy in a forbidden love affair with a Christian girl. Ioan demonstrated his commitment to storytelling by learning Yiddish for the role.
In the wrenching critically acclaimed film WARRIORS/PEACEKEEPERS (1999) about the Serbian ethnic cleansing in Bosnia, Ioan fashions the nuanced young commanding officer, Lt. John Feeley, as stoic and noble. Though clearly set in Lt. Feeley’s point of view, Ioan leads as the character and as acting colleague, keeping watch on his platoon and equally making room for the stellar cast (Matthew McFaden, Damien Lewis, Cal MacAninch) to deliver a their own diverse reactions to the horror of genocide. His portrayal allows the film feel like an ensemble piece right up to the final revelations, that make certain it was Lt. Feeley’s story all along.
For a change at the new millennium, Ioan returned to the London stage in THE PLAY WHAT I WROTE. He accepted a broad comedy leading role and found his future wife and co-star, Alice Evans, on the set of the now Disney comedy classic, 102 DALMATIANS (2000) which perennially brings new young fans to his base.
Genre hopping to suspense, drama, and horror, Ioan bookends a return to the British period drama in THE FORSYTE SAGA (2002), as an arrogant architect who cuckolds his client, but before and after delivers frightening turns in murderous true-crime thriller ANOTHER LIFE (2001) and a creepy, seductive, lurking lead in THE GATHERING/LES TÉMOIN (2003) with Christina Ricci.
Two excellent, but little know films starring Ioan were British releases during this time, HAPPY NOW (2001) a quirky Welsh murder mystery and MAN AND BOY (2002) the contemporary tale of personal reclamation in the wake of a family torn apart by adultery.
Ioan returned to wide critical acclaim in true historical epics, first with action in the true tale that inspired the Arthurian legends as Lancelot in KING ARTHUR (2004). He followed with the drama AMAZING GRACE (2006) inspired by the story of the classic hymn he sings in the film, as he renders the life of British anti-slavery abolitionist William Wilberforce . Director Michael Apted lauded Ioan for his acting prowess and bravely performing a yeoman’s acting job, having carried nearly the entire film on his back.
Equally at home in action, adventure, science fiction/fantasy features, Ioan went on to star in the Marvel film and video game FANTASTIC FOUR (2005) / FANTASTIC 4: RISE OF THE SILVER SURFER (2007) franchise. his next roles, THE SECRET OF MOONACRE (2008) and THE ADVENTURER: THE CURSE OF THE MIDAS BOX thrilled and delighted young audiences and cosplayers alike.
Refusing to be pigeon holed, Ioan plays heroes and villains with equal aplomb. In back-to-back films he chose to play the compassionate teacher of a poverty stricken youth in THE KID (2010) and in a complete reversal signed on to play an abrasive, thrill-seeking, adrenaline junkie in the action suspense thriller SANCTUM (2011).
Throughout his career, Ioan has demonstrated an ego-free collaborative nature, working as often in television as film, taking guest starring roles, voice-over for animation, and regular cameos in independent productions for the joy of character work, or because he believed in the project and people involved.
On television most recently, Ioan played a billionaire network executive in the reality TV send-up series, UNREAL, solved murder mysteries as Dr. Henry Morgan an immortal medical examiner FOREVER (2014-2015), played a compromised finance managers in RINGER (2011-2012), a television executive and industry insider in THE TV SET (2006), a legal eagle in the drama CENTURY CITY (2004), as well as many guest starring roles such as MONDAY MORNINGS (2013) CASTLE (2013), NECESSARY ROUGHNESS (2013) and the youth hit GLEE (2013) where he sang the Funny Girl love song ‘You are Woman, I am Man‘, opposite vocal sensation, Lea Michele.
Always up for a bit of fun, Ioan has voiced numerous animated characters in comedy and action: FAMILY GUY (2010-2012), AMERICAN DAD (2006-2010), BATMAN: THE BRAVE & THE BOLD (2010), AGENT CRUSH (2008) and JUSTICE LEAGUE: WAR (2005).
Some of his notable cameo’s include, BLACK HAWK DOWN (2001), SHOOTERS (2002), HORRIBLE BOSSES (2011), a turn as Prime Minister Tony Blair in W. (2008), and most recently in the short film EDDIE (2013).
Look for Ioan in his upcoming films in the family musical BUTTONS (2016) with Dick Van Dyke and the murderous home invasion thriller KEEP WATCHING (In theaters Friday, December 2, 2016).
Family:
Born 6 October 1973 in Wales, Ioan enjoys rugby, futbol, golf and tennis. He married September 14, 2007 in Mexico and resides with his wife Alice Evans (Follow her on Twitter/Instagram) and their two daughters, Ella and Elsie in Los Angeles, California. He has a brother, Alun, who is two years his junior, and has a sportswear company in Wales OesGafrEto.cymru, and a sister, Siwan, who is seven years younger.
