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Date of birth (location)
May 5, 1944
Salisbury, Wiltshire, England, UK
Mini-Biography
Rhys-Davies, who was raised in England, Africa and Wales, credits his early exposure to classic literature for his decision to pursue acting and writing. he later refined his craft at London's renowned Royal Academy of Dramatic Arts.
An avid collector of vintage automobiles, Rhys-Davies has a host of theater roles to his credit, including "the Misanthrope", "Hedda Gabler" and most of Shakespeare's works.
Interesting Facts
John Rhys-Davies spent up to 5 hours a day putting on makeup for the role of Gimli in the Lord of the Rings trilogy. It was discovered early on that he was allergic to the prosthetics, so he could only put them on and work about every third day. The first week, it burned off the skin under his eyes.