Jonathan Rhys Meyers

Jonathan Rhys Meyers, born Jonathan Michael Francis O'Keeffe on 27 July 1977 in Dublin, Ireland, is an Irish actor and musician. Raised in County Cork in a Catholic family, he is the eldest of four boys born to Geraldine Myers and folk musician John O'Keeffe. His three younger brothers are professional musicians. He attended North Monastery Christian Brothers School before being expelled for truancy. Afterwards, he spent time working and socialising in pool halls. Casting agents searching for Irish boys for the film War of the Buttons spotted him at the Victoria Sporting Club in Cork. Although he was passed over for that film, the agents encouraged him to pursue an acting career, leading him to adopt the stage name Jonathan Rhys Meyers.

Meyers made his acting debut in the 1994 film A Man of No Importance. In 1996, he portrayed an Anti-Treaty IRA sniper in Michael Collins. He went on to play a David Bowie-inspired glam rock star in Velvet Goldmine in 1998, Bruno in B. Monkey, Pitt Mackeson in Ride with the Devil, and Chiron in Titus in 1999. In 2000, he starred as Steerpike in the BBC miniseries Gormenghast. His subsequent screen roles included playing a girls' football coach in Bend It Like Beckham in 2002, appearing in Vanity Fair in 2004, and playing Cassander in Oliver Stone's Alexander. His breakthrough came in 2005 when he starred in Woody Allen's drama Match Point and portrayed Elvis Presley in the CBS miniseries Elvis, followed by a role in Mission: Impossible III in 2006.

From 2007 to 2010, Meyers starred as King Henry VIII in the historical drama series The Tudors. During this period, his film projects included August Rush, The Children of Huang Shi, Shelter, From Paris with Love, Albert Nobbs, and Belle du Seigneur. In 2013, he starred as the title character in NBC's Dracula and played Valentine Morgenstern in The Mortal Instruments: City of Bones. He later appeared in Stonewall, played Bishop Heahmund in Vikings, and starred in Black Butterfly and The 12th Man. Alongside acting, Meyers is a self-taught singer and guitarist who performed songs for Velvet Goldmine and August Rush, participated in recording his brothers' 2014 album Blossom, and played instruments in other screen projects.

In 2018, Meyers starred as the lead in the spy thriller Damascus Cover. He was also cast as Patrick Pearse in the historical biopic film The Rising. His subsequent film credits include Edge of the World, American Night, Yakuza Princess, Hide and Seek, The Good Neighbour, Wifelike, Disquiet, and 97 Minutes. Additionally, he joined the cast of the thriller Altitude. Over his career, Meyers has been featured as the face of several Hugo Boss advertising campaigns.

Throughout his career, Meyers has earned multiple recognitions. For his performance in Elvis, he won a Golden Globe Award and earned a Primetime Emmy Award nomination. He received a Chopard Trophy at the Cannes Film Festival for Match Point and secured two Golden Globe nominations for The Tudors. In 2008, he received an Honorary Patronage from the Trinity College Philosophical Society. He won Best Actor awards at the Manchester and Boston film festivals for Damascus Cover. In 2014, he received The Irish Post Legend Award, and in 2020, he was listed at number 44 on The Irish Times' list of Ireland's greatest film actors. Beyond entertainment, Meyers serves as an ambassador for the Hope Foundation and the Irish children's charity Barretstown.

Meyers married Mara Lane in 2016, and the couple has one son born in December 2016 before separating in 2022. He previously dated actress Toni Collette and was in a long-term relationship with Reena Hammer. His mother passed away in 2007. As of 2026, Meyers resides in Wexford, Ireland.