Matthew Rhys's school hails 'loyal pupil' after double Emmy — SkimNews
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- Matthew Rhys made Emmy history as the first actor to win two best lead Emmy awards in one night, taking the prize for Apple's Widow's Bay and Netflix's The Beast in Me — and used his acceptance speech to thank 'the great and good people of Wales' in Welsh.
- Ysgol Gyfun Gymraeg Glantaf headteacher Matthew Evans told the Guardian that Rhys is 'a very loyal former pupil' who remains in contact with the school, including talks with pupils during Covid and a virtual farewell for his former music and drama teacher.
- BBC's Morning Live host Gethin Jones, a fellow pupil, recalled performing with 17-year-old Rhys in an Elvis show, noting that because Welsh has no 'v,' their shirts read 'Elfis.'
- Rhys credits Welsh heroes Richard Burton and Anthony Hopkins as his inspirations and credits Welsh cultural activities like the Eisteddfod — choirs and ensembles from a young age — as a 'great stepping stone' for his career.
- Rhys serves as an ambassador for Into Film Cymru, which helps educators teach film as part of the curriculum in Wales, giving back after career droughts where he considered joining the British army.
- Rhys's upcoming slate includes a second series of Widow's Bay to film in 2027, BBC drama Dragon Slayers as former Sunday Times editor Harry Evans, Mark Jenkins's one-man play Playing Burton off-Broadway, and voicing Han Solo in Welsh for Star Wars: A New Hope on S4C this Christmas.
- Ahead of Monday's ceremony, Rhys told Wales Online that his 'Welsh pessimist' side declared: 'this is the height of it all, it's downhill from now on.'
Why it matters: Rhys's historic double Emmy win — the first best lead awards in one night by any actor — is being leveraged by his Welsh-speaking alma mater as a platform for the Welsh-medium cultural pipeline, with Rhys already serving as ambassador for Into Film Cymru's push to embed film into Wales's curriculum.
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