John Rhys-Davies

Age: 65
Height: 6' 1"

Birth Place: Salisbury, Wiltshire, England, UK
Born: May. 5th, 1944

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John Rhys-Davies' Main TV Roles

Show	Character(s)
Sliders	Prof. Maxim…
The Fantastic Four	Thor
Mortal Kombat: The Animated Series	Asgarth
The Untouchables	Agent Micha…
Enemy at the Door (UK)	George Tren…
The Quest	Sir Edward
Under Cover	Flynn

NOTE: Complete List of Works can be found at IMDB

BIOGRAPHY:

Acclaimed British actor John Rhys-Davies graduated from the University of East Anglia and is probably best known to film audiences for his roles in the blockbuster hits Raiders of the Lost Ark (1981) and Indiana Jones and the Last Crusade (1989). He has also had leading roles in Victor Victoria (1982), The Living Daylights (1987) and King Solomon's Mines (1985).

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. His television credits include James Clavell's "Shogun" (1980) and "Noble House" (1988), "Great Expectations" (1989), "War and Remembrance" (1988) and "Archaeology" (1991).

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. He divides his time between Los Angeles and the Isle of Man.

TRIVIA:

Before getting the role of Gimli, he auditioned for the role of Denethor. Orlando Bloom, who played Legolas, auditioned for the role of Denethor's other son, Faramir. In Helen of Troy, Rhys-Davies played Priam, and in _Troy (2004)_ (qv), Bloom played Paris, Priam's younger son.
Every film he has made with 'Kiran Shah' has been nominated for Best Picture: _Raiders of the Lost Ark (1981)_ (qv), _The Lord of the Rings: The Fellowship of the Ring (2001)_ (qv), _The Lord of the Rings: The Two Towers (2002)_ (qv), _The Lord of the Rings: The Return of the King (2003)_ (qv).
Parents: Rhys Davies (a mechanical engineer) and Mary Margaretta Phyllis Jones (a nurse).
Two of his television movies have been followed up with similarly themed theatrical films starring 'Eric Bana (I)' (qv). He played "The Kingpin" in _The Trial of the Incredible Hulk (1989) (TV)_ (qv); the film _Hulk (2003)_ (qv) starred Bana. He played "King Priam" in _Helen of Troy (2003) (TV)_ (qv); 'Eric Bana (I)' (qv) played "Hector" in _Troy (2004)_ (qv).
Ironically, he is actually taller than _The Lord of the Rings: The Fellowship of the Ring (2001)_ (qv) co-stars 'Viggo Mortensen' (qv), 'Orlando Bloom' (qv) and 'Ian McKellen' (qv), yet he plays the Dwarf.
Although a double needed to be used to make Rhys-Davies look much smaller than his shorter co-stars 'Viggo Mortensen' (qv) and 'Orlando Bloom' (qv), his height was exactly the right proportions to those of his hobbit co-stars and no body doubles were used in their shots together. The hobbits are supposed to average about 3' 6" (2 feet shorter than the actors who played them) and Gimli, at just over 4 feet tall, is about 2 feet shorter than the real Rhys-Davies.
Graduated from the University of East Anglia.
September 2004 - Attended the Armaggeddon Pulp Culture Expo Convention in Wellington, New Zealand as a Lord of the Rings guest