John Rhys-Davies Height, Weight, Age, Body Statistics

John Rhys-Davies is a talented Welsh actor, voice actor, and producer. He is known for his roles in The Lord of the Rings series, Raiders of the Lost Ark, Best Revenge, Sahara, Indiana Jones and the Last Crusade, Aladdin and the King of Thieves, The Jungle Book 2, The Princess Diaries 2: Royal Engagement, and Sliders. He took acting lessons at the Royal Academy of Dramatic Art in London, England.

Born Name

John Rhys-Davies

Nick Name

John

Sun Sign

Taurus

Born Place

Salisbury, Wiltshire, England, United Kingdom

Residence

• New Zealand
• Isle of Man

Nationality

Education

John Rhys-Davies studied at the Truro School in Cornwall, England. After that, he joined the University of East Anglia in Norwich, England. Later, he attended the Royal Academy of Dramatic Art in London, England.

Occupation

Actor, Voice Actor, Producer

Family

• Father – Rhys Davies (Mechanical Engineer, Colonial Officer)
• Mother – Phyllis Jones (Nurse)
• Others – Sarah Emily Morris (Maternal Grandmother), Rees Morris (Maternal Great Grandfather), Mary Ann (Maternal Great Grandmother)

Manager

John Rhys-Davies is managed by –

• Jeff Goldberg Management, Talent Management Company, Beverly Hills, California, United States
• Johnson & Laird Management, Talent Agency, Auckland, New Zealand

Build

Average

Height

6 ft 1 in or 185.5 cm

Weight

88 kg or 194 lbs

Girlfriend / Spouse

John Rhys-Davies has dated –

1. Suzanne Wilkinson – John was in a relationship with Suzanne Wilkinson before marrying her in December 1966. They have 2 sons together named Ben Rhys-Davies and Tom Rhys-Davies. The couple separated in 1985. But, the two remained married until her death from Alzheimer’s disease in 2010.
2. Lisa Manning – John started a relationship with a much younger New Zealand reporter Lisa Manning after he fell for her while doing an interview. In 2004, they began living together. They have a daughter named Maia Rhys-Davies.

Race / Ethnicity

White

He is of Welsh descent.

Hair Color

Dark Brown

Eye Color

Green

Sexual Orientation

Straight

Distinctive Features

• Tall height
• Rough beard

Brand Endorsements

John Rhys-Davies has either promoted or appeared in a commercial for Isle of Man’s Tourism project.

Best Known For

His numerous roles in many popular films and TV series such as The Lord of the Rings trilogy (2001, 2002, 2003) as Gimli and the voice of Treebeard, Indiana Jones and the Last Crusade (1989) as Sallah, Shōgun (1980) as Vasco Rodrigues, Sliders (1995-1997) as Professor Maximillian Arturo, Star Trek: Voyager (1997) as Leonardo da Vinci, Robin of Sherwood (1984) as King Richard I of England, James Bond: The Living Daylights (1987) as General Leonid Pushkin, I, Claudius (1976) as Macro, and SpongeBob SquarePants (2000-2002) as the voice of Man Ray

First Film

In 1973, he made his theatrical film debut in the thriller drama film Penny Gold as Rugger Player No. 2.

In 1997, he made his theatrical film debut as a voice actor by lending his voice for the character of Woolie Mammoth in the animated family comedy film Cats Don’t Dance.

First TV Show

In 1964, he made his first TV show appearance on the drama series Crossroads as Gareth.

In 1992, he made his debut as a voice actor on the animated action-adventure show Batman: The Animated Series as ‘Baron’ Waclaw Jozek.

John Rhys-Davies Facts

1. He grew up in Tanganyika and Ammanford, Wales.
2. Due to his father’s nature of work, he lived in many places like Kongwa, Dar es Salaam, Moshi and Mwanza, and Tanzania, in the early 1950s.
3. At the University of East Anglia, he founded the Dramatic Society.
4. He began his career as a teacher working in Watton County Secondary School in Norfolk.
5. For his character as Gimli in The Lord Of The Rings trilogy, he had to sit 5 hours a day to do his makeup. As he was allergic to prosthetic, the makeup initially burned off the skin under his eyes, thereby restricting his makeup wear to every 3rd day.
6. It was his son who made him accept the role in The Lord of the Rings: The Fellowship of the Ring (2001).
7. He is known for developing new hobbies with each film.
8. In a crazy accident, while changing a van engine, he lost the end tip of his left middle finger.
9. Though he played the role of a dwarf in The Lord of the Rings series, in reality, he is taller than his co-stars Viggo Mortensen, Orlando Bloom, and Ian McKellen.
10. According to the BellaOnline body art website, John’s double, martial artist Brett Beattie spent more film hours performing stunts as Gimli the Dwarf in The Lord Of The Ring: Fellowship of the Ring (2001) that when the actors in the film decided to get a tattoo as a memento, John allowed Brett to have the tattoo done in his place.
11. John lost 70 pounds while working on The Lord of the Rings films such that when he went back for re-shoot, the makeup artists had to alter his Gimli makeup to match his slimmed facial features.
12. He was a supporter of the British Conservative Party in the ’60s.
13. He has appeared in many franchisee films including James Bond, Indiana Jones, and The Lord of the Rings.
14. John is known to resemble Italian singer Luciano Pavarotti, which has been projected in many of his roles, including The Great White Hype (1996) and Sliders: The King Is Back (1995).
15. He has been a part of numerous films that had been nominated for the “Best Picture” Oscar awards like Raiders of the Lost Ark (1981), The Lord of the Rings: The Fellowship of the Ring (2001), The Lord of the Rings: The Two Towers (2002), and The Lord of the Rings: The Return of the King (2003).
16. In 2004, he became the unknowing subject of an internet prank where he was targeted as the next General Grievous in Star Wars: Episode III – Revenge of the Sith (2005).
17. On April 25, 2019, he took part in the BBC’s Question Time (1979) as a panelist supporting the Brexit.
18. As an executive producer, he has worked on films like Aux (2018), The Apostle Peter: Redemption (2016), and Joseph and Mary (2016), among others.
19. He is not active on social media.

Featured Image by Eva Rinaldi / Flickr / CC BY-SA 2.0