Luke Evans is a Welsh actor primed to turn heads among U.S. moviegoers and the film industry with his upcoming starring roles in notable studio films. Evans will next be seen in Paul W.S. Anderson’s star-studded 3-D spectacle The Three Musketeers. Evans stars as Aramis, one of the disgraced musketeers taking on Cardinal Richelieu (Christoph Waltz) and The Duke of Buckingham (Orlando Bloom) in the hope of restoring their reputation as a force to be reckoned with. The film also stars Logan Lerman and Milla Jovovich.
Soon thereafter, Evans again graces multiplexes as the Greek god Zeus in Tarsem Singh’s Immortals, a stylish and spectacular 3-D action adventure starring Mickey Rourke, Henry Cavill, Freida Pinto and Isabel Lucas.
Evans recently completed his second turn with director Mat Whitecross in the contemporary film noir Ashes, starring alongside Ray Winstone, Jim Sturgess, Lesley Manville and Jodie Whittaker. The actor has also completed production on No One Lives, directed by Ryûhei Kitamura. This horror film focuses on a ruthless gang of killers who are surprised by their victims’ resistance. Next, Evans begins filming his role as Bard the Bowman in Peter Jackson’s The Hobbit: An Unexpected Journey.
Evans is slated to play music maestro Antonio Vivaldi opposite Jessica Biel in the period romance Vivaldi, directed by Patricia Riggen. He has also signed on to play an American in Paris framed for a murder in filmmaker Ross Katz’s The Amateur American.
Prior to his breakthrough in film, Evans had carved out an enviable career on London’s West End, starring in such plays and musicals as La Cava, Boy George’s Taboo, Avenue Q, Dickens Unplugged, A Girl Called Dusty and, at the acclaimed Donmar Warehouse, Small Change and Piaf. His powerful, trained voice and engaging stage presence made him the perfect choice for leading roles such as Chris in Miss Saigon and Roger in Rent.
Evans made his feature film debut in Sex & Drugs & Rock & Roll, Mat Whitecross’ BAFTA-nominated biopic about Ian Dury, a founder of the London punk scene. It was the American blockbuster Clash of the Titans, however, that put Evans on the map when he portrayed charismatic god Apollo. He was next seen in Ridley Scott’s Robin Hood, playing the Sheriff’s top henchman opposite Russell Crowe.
In 2010, Evans returned to his British roots by playing a lead role in acclaimed director Stephen Frears’ Tamara Drewe, based on the hugely successful Guardian newspaper comic strip and graphic novel of the same name. This romantic comedy told the story of a young newspaper reporter (Gemma Arterton) who returned to the town she grew up in when her family sold her childhood home. Evans earned many fans among critics and journalists both stateside and internationally with his charming performance.
Evans currently lives in London.
This biography/filmography of Luke Evans is courtesy of Relativity Media and The Raven
