31 Facts About Jonathan Pryce

Sir Jonathan Pryce was born on John Price; 1 June 1947 and is a Welsh actor who is known for his performances on stage and in film and television.

Jonathan Pryce has received numerous awards, including two Tony Awards and two Laurence Olivier Awards, and a knighthood for services to drama.

Jonathan Pryce has gained acclaim for his roles as Thomas Wolsey in the BBC limited series Wolf Hall, the High Sparrow in the HBO series Game of Thrones and Sir Stuart Strange in the series Taboo.

Jonathan Pryce was born John Price on 1 June 1947 in Carmel, Flintshire, the son of Margaret Ellen and Isaac Price, a former coal miner who ran a small general grocery shop with his wife.

Jonathan Pryce has two older sisters and was raised a Welsh Presbyterian.

Jonathan Pryce performed with the Royal Shakespeare Company and the Nottingham Playhouse.

Jonathan Pryce then starred in two television films directed by Stephen Frears: Daft as a Brush and Playthings.

Jonathan Pryce did not abandon the stage, appearing from 1978 to 1979 in the Royal Shakespeare Company's productions of The Taming of the Shrew as Petruchio, and Antony and Cleopatra as Octavius Caesar.

That year, Jonathan Pryce had a small but pivotal role as Zarniwoop in the 12th episode of the Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy radio series, one that he reprised for the Quintessential Phase which was broadcast in 2005.

In 1983, Jonathan Pryce played the role of the sinister Mr Dark in Something Wicked This Way Comes, based on the Ray Bradbury novel of the same title.

From 1986 to 1987 Jonathan Pryce played the lead part in the Royal Shakespeare Company's production of Macbeth, which starred Sinead Cusack as Lady Macbeth.

Jonathan Pryce worked with Gilliam in The Adventures of Baron Munchausen, playing "The Right Ordinary Horatio Jackson".

Jonathan Pryce successfully returned to the stage originating the role of The Engineer, a Eurasian pimp, in the West End musical Miss Saigon.

Jonathan Pryce won a Tony Award for his performance in 1991.

Jonathan Pryce returned to the London stage the following year to star for one night only at the Royal Festival Hall for an AIDS charity alongside Elaine Paige and Lilliane Montivecchi in the 1992 revival of the Federico Fellini-inspired musical Nine.

Jonathan Pryce featured, alongside Kathy Burke and Minnie Driver, in the BBC serial Mr Wroe's Virgins, directed by Danny Boyle.

Jonathan Pryce played Henry Kravis in the HBO produced made-for-TV movie Barbarians at the Gate.

Jonathan Pryce was nominated for a Primetime Emmy Award and for a Golden Globe Award for his role.

Also during 1993, Jonathan Pryce starred alongside River Phoenix and Judy Davis in the unfinished film Dark Blood, but production had to be shut down when, 11 days short of completion, Phoenix died from a drug overdose.

In one of these advertisements Jonathan Pryce appeared alongside jazz singer Nancy Wilson in a Prague nightclub.

Jonathan Pryce lost to Philip Quast, and McCutcheon won in her category.

Jonathan Pryce's performance was highly praised, but he lost the Olivier to Richard Griffiths.

Jonathan Pryce returned to the Broadway stage replacing John Lithgow, from January to July 2006, as Lawrence Jameson in the musical version of Dirty Rotten Scoundrels.

Jonathan Pryce admitted that one of the main reasons he took on the role was because of how influential the character is plot-wise.

In 2018, Jonathan Pryce starred alongside Dame Eileen Atkins in Florian Zeller's play, The Height of the Storm at Wyndham's Theatre in the West End to rapturous reviews.

Late that same year, Jonathan Pryce portrayed Pope Francis, opposite Anthony Hopkins playing Pope Benedict XVI, in the acclaimed Netflix film The Two Popes, directed by Fernando Meirelles, which was released that winter on Netflix.

Jonathan Pryce received his first ever Academy Award nomination for Best Actor for the film.

Jonathan Pryce was raised in the Christian faith, but is no longer religious.

In 2006, Jonathan Pryce was awarded an honorary doctorate by the University of Liverpool.

Jonathan Pryce was appointed Commander of the Order of the British Empire in the 2009 Birthday Honours.

Jonathan Pryce was knighted in the 2021 Birthday Honours for services to drama and charity.