While it looks like someone’s just dozed off on their keyboard, “Llanfairpwllgwyngyllgogerychwyrndrobwllllantysiliogogogoch” is actually the longest name on any European map. Remarkably, it translates to “St Mary’s Church in the Hollow of the White Hazel near a Rapid Whirlpool and the Church of St. Tysilio near the Red Cave,” which in itself sounds like a mystical land, somewhere between Mordor and Ered Mithrim. It’s in fact nowhere near middle-earth, though, but a real place in northwest Wales on the Island of Anglesey.
Wales is a tiny country, roughly the size of New Jersey, home to picturesque national parks, mountain ranges, the mythical Welsh Dragon, and to some true acting greats, from Anthony Hopkins, Michael Sheen, and Catherine Zeta-Jones to Richard Burton and Rhys Ifans. The country with a population of just three million certainly punches well above its weight.
Ifans has arguably been the most recent acting success story from Wales to have reached the shores of Hollywood, with notable appearances in movies like The Boat that Rocked, Notting Hill, and most recently, The King’s Man and the new Game of Thrones prequel, House of the Dragon. While he commonly appears in supporting roles, he rarely fails to leave his mark on a movie. Here are some of Rhys Ifans' best films...
5 The King’s Man
In this prequel to the celebrated Kingsman films, director Matthew Vaughn takes us on an exploration of the original founding members of the Kingsman Secret Service, and how the organization came into existence. Starring Ralph Fiennes as the bereft Duke of Oxford; having lost his wife, and then son, Conrad (Harris Dickinson), he must attempt to prevent the outbreak of another deadly war at the hands of a tyrannical dictatorship.
Ifans assumes the role of the historical figure, Grigori Rasputin, a Russian socialite and influential figure in Tsar Nicholas II’s regime. Famously flamboyant, and considered somewhat of a mystic, Ifans brings his wacky and wonderful personality to the fore, playing Rasputin in an appropriately over-the-top way that's truly delightful to behold.
4 The Amazing Spider-Man
The 2012 installment of Peter Parker’s escapades as Spider-Man is Andrew Garfield’s first run out as the superhero, who is tasked with preventing the Lizard (Rhys Ifans) from turning the whole of mankind into reptiles. Initially a man and doctor of immaculate principle, Dr. Conners (Ifans) refuses to test an untested drug on the general population which has been manufactured to grow back limbs people have lost. Conners resorts to trialing the drug on himself which works, but it soon turns out he has made a grave error. Ifans does a memorable job here as one of the best Spider-Man villains.
3 Notting Hill
This classic rom-com features Julia Roberts and Hugh Grant in the main roles, which are a fabulous mix of the stereotypes of British reservation and American forwardness. A-list actress Anna Scott (Roberts) visits the UK for the premiere of her new movie, and inadvertently, and then quite literally bumps into William Thacker (Grant), a bookshop owner, who spills his orange juice on her.
The pair then go on to become romantically involved in a charming love story, where a star falls for a nobody. Spiked (Rhys Ifans), William’s strange, eccentric, yet endearing housemate, is a source of constant amusement and gifts Richard Curtis’s screenplay its quirkiness.
2 The Boat that Rocked (Pirate Road)
In 1960s England, radio stations were restricted to just an hour of pop music a day. The Boat that Rocked (or Pirate Radio in North America) tells the story of a boat in the North Sea, off the coast of England, and its housing of a pioneering group of radio DJs and broadcasters as they play non-stop rock ‘n roll music to the masses on land, all of which comes under the remit of illegality.
With the government and local authorities on their coattails, the decrepit old ship, anchored upon the perilous waters of the North Sea has a decision to make; keep broadcasting and risk arrest and closure, or cease altogether. With an assembly of big personalities featured in the film’s ensemble cast, including Philip Seymour Hoffman, Bill Nighy, Nick Frost, Kenneth Branagh, Emma Thompson, and Rhys Ifans, we are treated to a delightful, fun movie with emphatic performances throughout.
1 Mr. Nice
In this kaleidoscopic haze of a film, Ifans delivers tremendously as international drug trafficker Howard Marks. Based on the autobiographical book of the same name, Mr. Nice tells the story of unassuming Oxford University student Howard, who through his own love for smoking hashish and God’s green bush, as well as partaking in the consumption of hallucinogenics, finds himself in the midst of the international drug trade.
Crossing borders with carful after carful of illicit drugs, the smuggler finds himself in deep water with both the IRA, MI6, and world law enforcement bodies, wanted by the FBI. Ifans, with his rugged, coolly disheveled look, and trippy-hippy persona oozes this real rock ‘n roll energy that makes his hellish lifestyle almost seem desirable. His performance is evidence of his ability to put in a commanding, vigorous display as a film’s leading protagonist. Plus, Crispin Glover and David Thewlis give excellent supporting performances.