Western Mail
Karen Price
February 12, 2000
Is there a young heterosexual man anywhere who hasn't fantasised about being seduced by Anne Bancroft's Mrs Robinson? For Matthew Rhys the fantasy is about to come to life when he stars opposite Kathleen Turner in the stage version of the Oscar-winning film The Graduate. Rhys will take on Dustin Hoffman's role of Benjamin Braddock, who has a secret, torrid affair with Mrs Robinson, the wife of his father's boss.
"I am feeling a little scared," admitted the Cardiff-born actor. "It's a part that's been set in stone. When I was offered it I thought, 'Oh my God - how do I make the part my own?' I felt nervous but very excited. I am extremely lucky to be given the opportunity to play that part on stage with Kathleen Turner."
Rhys has already met Turner as he auditioned with her. "She was lovely - I felt quite intimidated but excited at the same time."
Rehearsals for The Graduate will start on February 21 and it will open for previews on March 23. The play will run at the Gielgud Theatre for 12 weeks. There are as yet no plans to tour with the production when the London performances come to an end.
Rhys has never watched the film version of the movie. "I will probably watch it after we finish - you feel the pressure when it's been a big film."
Apart from Turner, Rhys says he would have loved to have starred opposite Audrey Hepburn. "She had it all - she was classy and sexy."
When Matthew Rhys landed his first major film role opposite his hero Sir Anthony Hopkins it is fair to say he was feeling a little nervous. But the Oscar-winning actor soon put Rhys at ease with his comic impersonations. The actors worked together on the film Titus, which is based on Shakespeare's gory play. "Working with him scared the hell out of me," said Rhys, who plays the role of Demetrius and bleached his dark hair blond for the part. To come up in front of one of your heroes and actually act with him is amazing. I got blown away by it all. He is quite a quiet man, quite personal, but he works very hard. He is an amazing mimic who can do lots of different voices - he did his Tommy Cooper and Marlon Brando impressions."
Titus has already been released in America and has received mixed reviews. It is due to be screened in the UK later this year. It has been described by director Julie Taymor as "the Pulp Fiction of its day." "It's quite a diverse film - it's not your average cinema film," said Rhys.
Rhys is on the verge of becoming another international Welsh star following in the footsteps of his hero Sir Anthony, Catherine Zeta Jones and Rhys Ifans. But he still remains incredibly down to earth. A rather apologetic and sleepy sounding Rhys rang me 30 minutes later than our scheduled interview time after ignoring his alarm clock. "I'm really sorry but I hit the snooze button. You know how it is?" he said.
Rhys bought his London home last year with fellow actor Ioan Gruffudd. Between their hectic work schedules, they have been unpacking boxes and settling in. "It's slowly coming together. We are trying desperately to find the right shaped sofa at the moment," he said.
So what is life like at the home of two of the acting world's hottest young talents? Do they live like the flatmates Tony and Gary on the BBC hit comedy Men Behaving Badly, knocking back cans of lager and entertaining strings of women? "We are men behaving relatively badly," laughed Rhys. We are not tearaways but we have a good time. We have our days of being messy but then we get a bit fed up. We are just normal lads when we are not working. I am sad to say we have got a Nintendo and we make a habit of supporting our local pubs!"
Rhys, 25, even admitted that they clean up their own mess rather than employ a cleaner. "Yes, we do our own cleaning," he said. The pair have been close friends since their days together at Ysgol Gyfun Gymraeg Glantaf in Cardiff. In the past, Gruffudd has spoken of their "deep friendship" and admitted to being "insanely jealous" when his housemate worked alongside Sir Anthony.
As well as being best mates, Rhys and Gruffudd have worked together professionally. They star together in Welsh director Sara Sugarman's latest movie, Untitled Wales, which is due to be released later this year. The film, which was shot in Wales, also stars Jonathan Pryce.
As well as Titus and Untitled Wales, Rhys has also managed to find the time to play his first film leads in productions which will be released this summer - Sorted and Peaches. He is also starring in ITV's Metropolis, hailed the new This Life. "I had a succession of small parts in a number of films - I was lucky enough to get my first lead at the end of last summer." That was in Sorted, a contemporary thriller set in the London club scene. Rhys plays northerner Carl who arrives in London after his brother, a successful lawyer who lived in the city, is killed in an accident. He teams up with his brother's girlfriend Sunny and together they try to unravel the mystery surrounding his death.
"In Peaches I play a cocky, confident, almost arrogant Cockney who believes he has a God given talent for women but never quite pulls it off," said Rhys.
It seems that he is enjoying the best of both worlds at the moment - coveted roles in both theatre and film. So what line of work does he prefer? "There are aspects of both film and theatre that I enjoy - they both have their attractions," he said. "They both hold their own sets of challenges."
One thing he would love to do is star in a production on Broadway. "I would jump at the chance to take The Graduate to Broadway. But I think there's a long way to go before I go there."
Rhys does not yet know what he will do once the London run of The Graduate finishes. "There is nothing set in stone," said Rhys. "On a personal level I would like to do a bit of travelling - Argentina or Chile are the favourites but I don't know why."
But he is obviously delighted with the way his career is going. "I can't believe how well things have gone for me," he said. "I would be more than happy if things just carried on the way they were. I have no plans or aspirations. I am lucky enough to be working."
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