Welsh actor Matthew Rhys talks to Karen Price about his new low budget film

May 1 2009 by Karen Price, Western Mail

Add a commentRecommend Welsh actor Matthew Rhys has taken a break from his life in Hollywood to shoot a low budget film in Patagonia. Karen Price quizzes the star about his latest project and finds out if he has plans to swap LA for Wales in the not too distant future

MATTHEW Rhys is in Buenos Aires with his bags packed ready for his flight back to Los Angeles.

Waiting for him at LAX airport will be his close friends – and fellow Welsh actors – Andrew Howard and Jason Hughes who will no doubt be keen to hear about his latest adventure.

For the last five weeks, Rhys has swapped the bright lights of Hollywood life for the far more rugged terrain of Patagonia.

“For five nights we slept on lilos in a gym in the desert,” he says, highlighting that life as an actor isn’t all glamour. “It was pretty basic.”

But Cardiff-born Rhys has been enjoying roughing it a little in the Welsh-speaking region of Argentina where he has been filming his latest project.

His new feature, Patagonia, is directed by Marc Evans and also features fellow Welsh stars Nia Roberts and Matthew Gravelle.

The ambitious but relatively low budget film is told in Welsh and Spanish and the action alternates between a 30-something Welsh couple (Roberts and Gravelle) who travel to Argentina to reassess their relationship, and an elderly woman who is venturing in the opposite direction.

For the last three years, Rhys has been based in LA where he films his leading role in ABC’s hit series Brothers & Sisters, which also stars Sally Field, Calista Flockhart and Rob Lowe.

He has won plenty of praise for his portrayal of gay former lawyer Kevin and people have been particularly impressed by his true-to-life American accent.

But after the cameras stopped rolling on season three, he was happy to leave the swanky locations and A-list parties behind to head to Patagonia where he could work in his first language – Welsh – once more.

“It’s been great working with Marc and Nia again and it was a good excuse to go back to Patagonia – I’ve been four times now,” says the 34-year-old. “One of the draws was to play a different character and work in my own language. It’s a completely different mould to LA.”

The versatile actor, who was last seen on the big screen as Dylan Thomas in the biopic The Edge of Love, plays Argentinean Welsh-speaker Mateo who puts a “spanner in the works” when he meets the young couple from Wales.

“He is a bit of an innocent but causes a bit of trouble in their relationship – he acts from the heart.”

Rhys is no stranger to Patagonia. He once travelled there to make the TV documentary Matthew Rhys: Hollywood Gaucho, when he joined the Rifleros, a group of men from the Welsh settlement who were tracing a route on horseback that their forefathers took 120 years earlier.

He says his previous experience of the country and the natives helped him identify with his latest character.

Although shooting in Patagonia has been wrapped, some scenes will now be filmed in Wales. Although Rhys isn’t needed for them, he’s hoping to get in on the act.

“I want to play the Cardiff taxi driver,” he laughs. “You won’t have to see my face, you can just hear his voice.”

Ah Cardiff. Despite now living in sunny LA, where he has a $1m pad, down-to-earth Rhys still calls the Welsh capital home – and always will.

“My mam would kill me if I said LA was my home,” he jokes.

On his return to California, the ever-busy Rhys will shoot a short film before flying to New York to promote the latest season of Brothers & Sisters and then he will be heading back to Cardiff for a break with his mam and dad.

“I can’t wait,” he says. “I’m looking forward to some home cooking.”

He will also be pulling on his best suit and heading to the Wales Millennium Centre for the Bafta Cymru ceremony. A previous winner of the Best Actor category, he’s been shortlisted once again for his critically-acclaimed portrayal of Dylan Thomas. The film was produced by Rebekah Gilbertson, who’s also behind Patagonia.

“Playing Dylan was one of the most nerve-wracking, challenging parts I’ve ever tackled, as I was most nervous about the reaction from those at home. So to receive a nomination from Bafta Cymru is a great honour.”

After catching up with family and friends, Rhys will return to LA in June ready to start filming the fourth season of Brothers & Sisters. While his heart may be in Wales, he clearly enjoys the Hollywood lifestyle, although he admits he’s no longer partying as he used to.

“I have quietened down a bit,” he laughs. “Initially you get lots of invites so you do get carried away and go to everything. But now I’d rather be home watching a video.”

While Rhys, who is single, may not be partying as hard, he’s certainly embracing the LA lifestyle and socialising a lot – mainly with other Welsh actors.

It seems Hollywood has now become a mecca for our talented young stars with the likes of Owain Yeoman, who’s in The Mentalist, Andrew Howard and Rhys’ best friend Ioan Gruffudd now all living there. Midsomer Murders actor Jason Hughes and his family have also been enjoying the Californian sunshine while Rhys has been in Patagonia as they have been house-sitting for him.

“Every Sunday we all go to Andrew’s for lunch,” says Rhys. “He’s got the most amazing house with a lovely pool. He will be cooking us something while we all sit around chatting and swimming.”

Soon the group will be expanding as Gruffudd has announced that he and his wife, Alice Evans, are expecting their first baby.

“He is just over the moon and we are all very happy as they have wanted this to happen for ages.”

But he’s not sure yet whether or not he will be the godfather.

“I was lucky enough to be best man so I don’t know.”

Rhys is also still enjoying working on Brothers & Sisters and spending time with colleagues.

“It’s a great cast and crew. We have a real laugh making it. I work with Rob Lowe a lot and he’s got the most amazing stories. I just sit there with my mouth open. And Sally’s (Field) also got amazing stories because of all the films she’s done.

“I think my character has evolved nicely. I’ve not got bored as he’s moved jobs and had relationship stuff going on.

“I’m lucky doing what I do as I film Brothers & Sisters and then during time off I can do other great projects like Patagonia.”

Rhys’ American visa expires in two years and he says he has no plans for after that.

“It’s fun living here now but it’s not going to be forever – that’s why I enjoy it.”

source: WalseOnline.co.uk, May 1, 2009
http://www.walesonline.co.uk/showbiz-and-lifestyle/2009/05/01/welsh-actor-matthew-rhys-talks-to-karen-price-about-his-new-low-budget-film-91466-23515779/