Matthew Rhys: Five Lesser-Known Facts About the Emmy Record-Breaker

Matthew Rhys has made history at the Emmys by becoming the first individual to win two leading acting awards in a single evening. The Cardiff-born actor took home the prizes for best lead actor in a limited series for his role in the psychological thriller *The Beast In Me*, and best lead actor in a comedy for his performance in *Widow’s Bay*.

Beyond the awards, the 51-year-old star holds a number of interesting personal details. Here are five things you may not know about him.

1. A Near Miss With the British Army

Early in his career, Rhys struggled to find work and considered enlisting in the British Army. In 2000, he had recently starred alongside Kathleen Turner in the West End production of *The Graduate*, but faced nearly two years of unemployment afterward.

He met with an army officer who was reportedly suspicious of his profession and promised to get back to him. A week later, Rhys received a rejection letter thanking him for his interest. “I went, ‘oh my God, I can’t even join the army’,” Rhys recalled.

2. The Creation of the ‘LA Tafia’

After moving to Hollywood in 2006, Rhys lived with fellow Welsh actors Michael Sheen and Ioan Gruffudd. Rhys and Gruffudd were schoolfriends from Ysgol Glantaf in Cardiff, while Sheen was from Newport.

Rhys affectionately dubbed their group the ‘LA Tafia’. Speaking to *The Independent* in 2012, he described how the trio would speak Welsh together, watch rugby in British pubs, and long for fish and chips despite living in Los Angeles.

3. Romance With Co-Star Keri Russell

Rhys met actress Keri Russell a decade before they began dating, but the pair only became a couple after being cast together in the spy drama *The Americans* in 2013. They portrayed a married couple of Russian spies on screen from 2013 to 2018.

Their real-life relationship began in 2014, and they welcomed a son, Sam, in 2016. Rhys has stated that he speaks Welsh to Sam to ensure he retains a connection to the language. Rhys is also a stepfather to Russell’s children, River and Willa.

3. A Boat Named After a Welsh Dish

Rhys owns a 1939 wooden cruiser named *Rarebit*, a nod to the traditional Welsh meal of melted cheese sauce on toast. He admitted to the *Today* show that he did not fully appreciate the difficulties of maintaining an old wooden vessel before purchasing it.

The boat is historically significant as being the same class owned by author Ernest Hemingway. Although Rhys initially attempted to sell it, he now hopes to collaborate with Brooklyn Boatworks to restore it for future use in New York.

5. Welsh Is His First Language

Rhys is a native Welsh speaker who continues to speak the language at home in New York. He dedicated his second Emmy win to the people of Wales, calling it “a small but mighty nation,” and concluded his speech with “diolch yn fawr iawn” (thank you very much).

His commitment to the language extends to voice work; he will provide the voice of Han Solo in a Welsh-language adaptation of *Star Wars* marking the franchise’s 50th anniversary. Additionally, in 2025, he performed as Richard Burton in the one-man show *Playing Burton* to raise funds for the Welsh National Theatre.