Biography
Who is John Rhys-Davies?
Early life
John Rhys-Davies was born in Salisbury on May 5, 1944. His mother, Phyllis Jones, worked as a nurse, while his father, Rhys Davies, served as a mechanical engineer and colonial officer. Due to his father's career, he spent part of his childhood living in Tanganyika before his family settled in the Welsh town of Ammanford.
He attended Truro School in Cornwall for his early education. He later studied at the University of East Anglia, where he was among the initial group of students admitted and helped establish the campus drama club. Following a brief period teaching at a secondary school in Watton, Norfolk, he trained at the Royal Academy of Dramatic Art in London.
Film and television career
John made sporadic appearances on television in the UK during the early 1970s. He gained wider recognition for his role as Macro in the television miniseries I, Claudius in 1976. He subsequently appeared as Vasco Rodrigues in the 1980 television adaptation of ShÅgun and played Agent Michael Malone in a 1993 remake of The Untouchables.
From 1995 to 1997, he starred as Professor Maximillian Arturo in the science fiction television series Sliders. He also took on recurring roles in various other productions, including portraying a holodeck version of Leonardo da Vinci in Star Trek: Voyager and playing Porthos in television projects.
Major movie roles
In cinema, John achieved worldwide prominence by playing the Egyptian excavator Sallah in Raiders of the Lost Ark in 1981. He later reprised this role in two additional films within the Indiana Jones franchise. His involvement in major franchises further secured his career in Hollywood.
He is equally famous for portraying the dwarf Gimli in Peter Jackson's The Lord of the Rings trilogy. Standing 6 feet 1 inch tall, he stood well above the actors playing hobbits, which helped create correct visual proportions during filming without requiring complex camera work. He also voiced the Ent Treebeard in the same film series.
Voice work and narration
Beyond his on-screen performances, John has provided voice acting and narration for numerous video games and animated series. His voice credits include characters in SpongeBob SquarePants, Gargoyles, and Justice League. He also recorded voice lines for video games such as Dune 2000 and Wing Commander.
He has narrated several documentaries and audio projects, including the 22-hour audio version of the New proof titled The Truth & Life Dramatized audio New proof Bible. Since 1988, he has lived on the Isle of Man, where he recorded promotional voice work and audio tours for local historical landmarks.
Birthday and age
John Rhys-Davies was born on May 5, 1944, which makes John 82 years old today. That birthday falls under the Taurus sign. John shares the date with 61 other famous people.
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