Ioan Gruffudd first came to public attention as Fifth Officer Harold Lowe in Titanic, and then for his portrayal of Horatio Hornblower in the Hornblower series of television films.
19 Facts About Ioan Gruffudd
2.
Ioan Gruffudd was born on 6 October 1973 in Aberdare, the eldest of three siblings.
3.
Ioan Gruffudd's father was headmaster at two Welsh-language comprehensive schools in South Wales, first at Ysgol Gyfun Llanhari then later at Ysgol Gyfun Rhydfelen.
4.
Ioan Gruffudd has a brother, Alun, two years younger, and a sister, Siwan, who is seven years his junior.
5.
The Ioan Gruffudd siblings were raised in a Protestant non-conformist household.
6.
Ioan Gruffudd attended Ysgol Gynradd Gymraeg Aberdar, Ysgol Gymraeg Melin Gruffydd, and Ysgol Gyfun Gymraeg Glantaf.
7.
Ioan Gruffudd was an accomplished oboist in his teens, achieving a Grade 8 level in the ABRSM music examinations and playing in the South Glamorgan Youth Orchestra for several years, but gave it up once acting took up most of his time.
8.
Ioan Gruffudd won prizes for his high baritone singing while at school, including one at the National Eisteddfod.
9.
Ioan Gruffudd's parents are committed Christians, and in his early 20s he was a member of the London Church of Christ, but his mother later came to London to "sort [his] head out".
10.
Ioan Gruffudd started his acting career at the age of 13 in a Welsh television film, Austin, and later moved on to the Welsh language soap opera Pobol y Cwm from 1987 to 1994.
11.
Ioan Gruffudd played football with the Pobol y Cwm football team Cwmderi FC alongside co-stars Hywel Emrys, Gwyn Elfyn and Ieuan Rhys.
12.
Ioan Gruffudd has starred in the films 102 Dalmatians, Black Hawk Down and King Arthur.
13.
Ioan Gruffudd debuted his new male lead of Dr Andrew Earlham, a respected surgeon and widowed father of a teenage son, on 11 September 2017, in ITV's new 6-part thriller miniseries, Liar.
14.
In 2018, Ioan Gruffudd was cast as forensic pathologist Dr Daniel Harrow in the Australian TV show Harrow airing on the ABC.
15.
Ioan Gruffudd was inducted into the Gorsedd Beirdd Ynys Prydain at the highest rank of druid in the National Eisteddfod at Meifod, mid-Wales, on 4 August 2003, with the bardic name "Ioan".
16.
In early 2014, Ioan Gruffudd was among the stars of Wales in a short film from the BBC to mark the centenary of the birth of Welsh poet Dylan Thomas.
17.
Ioan Gruffudd and Evans have two daughters, born in 2009 and 2013.
18.
On 14 February 2022, Ioan Gruffudd filed for a domestic violence restraining order against Evans.
19.
On 2 August 2022, Ioan Gruffudd was granted a three-year permanent domestic violence restraining order against Evans.