Mark Lewis Jones (born 31 August 1964) is a Welsh actor, whose roles include that of a First Order Captain Moden Canady in Star Wars: The Last Jedi, a police inspector in BBC drama series 55 Degrees North, a whaler in the film Master and Commander: The Far Side of the World, soldier Tecton in Troy and Rob Morgan in the series Stella. He is known for being the voice of Letho of Gulet the King Slayer in The Witcher 2 and 3.
Mark Lewis Jones | |
|---|---|
 | |
| Born | 31 August 1964 |
| Education | Royal Welsh College of Music & Drama |
| Occupation | Actor |
| Years active | 1985–present |
| Awards | BAFTA Cymru award for Best Actor in The Passing / Yr Ymadawiad |
Early life
editMark Lewis Jones was born in Rhosllannerchrugog near Wrexham, Wales.[1] He began acting as a teenager with the Clwyd Youth Theatre[2] and trained at the Royal Welsh College of Music & Drama.[3]
Career
editJones has acted with the Royal Shakespeare Company,[4] and at Shakespeare's Globe Theatre in London.
His television roles include appearances in This Life, Holby City, Spooks, Murphy's Law, Waking the Dead and Torchwood. Perhaps his most significant role for BBC television was as Detective Inspector Russell Bing in the police drama 55 Degrees North, in which he played an outspoken, opinionated and at times humorous police officer, in a complex and intricately crafted series.
He also played Detective Sergeant Ray Lloyd in police drama Murder Prevention.[5] His two most renowned appearances in Hollywood blockbusters were as Hogg the Whaler in Master and Commander: The Far Side of the World, and Tecton, a soldier in Troy.
In 2001, he portrayed Uther Pendragon, father of King Arthur and second husband of Igraine, in the American TV miniseries The Mists of Avalon. He played Irfon in S4C's Con Passionate, Josi in Sian James' Calon Gaeth,[6] and Bryan Jones in Y Pris.[7]
In 2009 he was a guest in the BBC Cardiff Singer of the World competition, broadcast on 11 June on BBC Two Wales.[8]
Jones auditioned for Star Wars: The Force Awakens (2015) but did not get the part. However, he was later offered the part of Captain Canady for the sequel, Star Wars: The Last Jedi. He appears prominently in the opening sequences and says he played the part with "a posh Welsh accent".[9]
In 2016, Jones won a BAFTA Cymru award for Best Actor in the 2015 film The Passing / Yr Ymadawiad. He was nominated in the same category at the 2013 Awards for Stella, 2017 Awards for The Lighthouse, 2018 Awards for Keeping Faith and in 2021 for Gangs of London.
Jones was awarded a Fellowship from the Royal Welsh College of Music & Drama in June 2022.
Personal life
editIn 2014, Jones took part in the Marathon des Sables, in the Sahara Desert, with fellow Welsh actor Richard Harrington.[10] In April 2018, he ran the inaugural Wales Marathon held in Newport.[11]
Jones was one of the athletes taking part in IronMan Wales[12] on 3 September 2023 to raise money for Head for Change,[13] which will go directly towards the education, care and support and potential treatments in rugby.
Jones is an ambassador for Believe Organ Donor Support,[14] Marie Curie UK, [15] and Cerebral Palsy Cymru.[16]
Filmography
editFilm
edit| Year | Title | Role | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1985 | Morons from Outer Space | Godfrey | Credited as Mark Jones |
| 1986 | Valhalla | Voice of Odin | English version |
| 1989 | The Angry Earth | Guto | |
| 1990 | Paper Mask | Dr. Lloyd | |
| 1999 | Solomon & Gaenor | Crad Rees | |
| 2003 | Master and Commander: The Far Side of the World | Mr. Hogg | |
| The Measure of My Days | Escapee | Short | |
| 2004 | Troy | Tecton | |
| 2006 | Little White Lies | James, Dr. | |
| Hydra | Jones | Short | |
| Daddy's Girl | Eisner | ||
| Calon Gaeth | Josi | ||
| 2007 | Olas de verano | Steve Baldini | Short |
| 2008 | The Other Boleyn Girl | Brandon | |
| Caught in the Act | Alan Williams | ||
| 2010 | Robin Hood | Stone Mason Longstride | |
| The Cursed Mirror | Sir Oswallt | Short[17] | |
| 2013 | A Viking Saga: The Darkest Day | Aethelwulf | |
| 2014 | Sniper: Legacy | Shope | |
| 2015 | Child 44 | Tortoise | |
| Queen of the Desert | Frank Lascelles | ||
| Just Jim | Donald | ||
| The Witcher 3: Wild Hunt - A Night to Remember | Letho of Gulet | Short | |
| Yr Ymadawiad | Stanley | [18] | |
| 2016 | Trespass Against Us | P.C. Pollock | |
| The Lighthouse | Thomas Griffiths | ||
| 2017 | Star Wars: The Last Jedi | Captain Moden Canady | |
| 2018 | Apostle | Quinn | |
| Gwen | Mr Wynne | ||
| Partridge in a Bear Tree | Bear | Short | |
| 2019 | The Good Liar | Bryn | |
| 2020 | Rebecca | Inspector Welch | |
| 2021 | Munich – The Edge of War | Sir Osmund Cleverly | |
| The Phantom of the Open | Cliff | ||
| 2022 | Murmur | Roy | Short[19] |
| 2023 | Bolan's Shoes | Geraint | [20] |
| Sweetland | Moses | ||
| TBA | Portraits of Dangerous Women | Jon | Post-production[21] |
Television
edit| Year | Title | Role | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1989 | The Shell Seekers | Danus | TV film |
| 1989, 1991 | The Play on One | Constable Davies / Ieuan | Two roles |
| 1991 | The Bill | Doctor | 1 episode |
| Heroes II: The Return | Royal Marine Maj. | ||
| 1992 | Between the Lines | P.C. Terry Gilzean | |
| 1995 | Casualty | Allsop | |
| A Mind to Kill | Geraint Humphries | ||
| 1996 | Soldier Soldier | Capt Jonathan Bell | |
| Dangerfield | DI Dicky Sutton | ||
| 1996–1997 | This Life | Dale Jones | Recurring role |
| 1997 | Bride of War | Platoon Commander | 1 episode |
| 1999 | The Knock | David Ancrom | 4th series; main role |
| 2000 | Where the Heart Is | Brian Price | |
| Jason and the Argonauts | Mopsus | Mini-series | |
| 2001 | The Infinite Worlds of H. G. Wells | Arthur Brownlow | Main role |
| Tales from Pleasure Beach | Dunk | Mini-series | |
| The Mists of Avalon | King Uther Pendragon | ||
| Score | Tony | Television film | |
| 2001–2002 | The Bench | Des Davies | Series regular |
| 2002 | A Mind to Kill | Gethin Purse | |
| Y Tŷ | Jim | Series regular | |
| Holby City | Reece King | ||
| Lenny Blue | DC Huw Morgan | ||
| 2003 | Spooks | Mark Whooley | |
| Red Cap | Sgt. Gary Jennings | ||
| Triongl | Dewi | S4C drama | |
| 2004 | Murder Prevention | DS Ray Lloyd | |
| Lie with Me | Paul Stebbing | ||
| Murphy's Law | Simpson | ||
| The Welsh in Shakespeare | Various | TV film[22] | |
| 2005 | Waking the Dead | Tom McQueen | |
| 55 Degrees North | DI Russell Bing | Main role | |
| 2005–2008 | Con Passionate | Irfon | Series regular |
| 2006 | Torchwood | John Ellis | Episode "Out of Time" |
| Torchwood Declassified | Self / John Ellis | TV series[23] | |
| Cravings | Eisner | ||
| Calon Gaeth | Josi Evans | ||
| Stick or Twist | Russ | Series regular | |
| Little White Lies | Dr. James | Series regular | |
| 2007–2008 | The Commander | DCI Doug James | |
| 2007–2009 | Y Pris | Chief Constable Bryan Jones | Main role |
| 2008 | The Passion | Apostle Marcus | |
| 2009 | A Child's Christmases in Wales | Geraint Rhys | |
| Merlin | King Olaf | 1 episode | |
| Merlin: Secrets & Magic | Self | TV series[24] | |
| Framed | Dafydd Hughes | ||
| Law and Order UK | Mark Powell | Episode: "Love and Loss" | |
| Top of the Cops | DCI Doug James | ||
| Zig Zag Love | Paul Carmichael | [25] | |
| Welsh Greats | Presenter | [26] | |
| Top of the Cops | Self / DCI Doug James | TV film[27] | |
| 2009–2010 | Crash | Mike Hill | |
| 2010 | Pen Talar | Max | Episode: "1.6" |
| Bouquet of Barbed Wire | Simon Clark | ||
| 2011 | Baker Boys | Pete | Series regular; 2 series |
| Game of Thrones | Shagga | 2 episodes | |
| Making of Game of Thrones | Shagga | Video[28] | |
| Being Human | Richard Hargreaves | ||
| Silent Witness | D.I. Frank Skipper | ||
| 2012 | Silk | Sergeant Major Chris Pierce | 1 episode |
| Casualty | Caleb Flack | ||
| Titanic | David Evans | ||
| Sinbad | Azdi | Episode: "Eye of the Tiger" | |
| 2012–2013, 2015–2017 | Stella | Rob Morgan | Main role; series 1–2, 4–6 |
| 2013 | Talking to the Dead | DCI Owen Jackson | |
| Atlantis | Mac | 1 episode | |
| 2014 | 37 Days | David Lloyd George | |
| Under Milk Wood | Neighbour | ||
| Puppy Love | Dave Wilson | ||
| 2015 | Hinterland | John Bell | 1 episode |
| Father Brown | Arnold Francis | ||
| 2016 | National Treasure | Gerry | Series regular |
| 2016–2018 | Byw Celwydd | Dylan Williams | Series regular; 3 series |
| 2017 | The Machine | Thompson | |
| 2017–2020 | Keeping Faith | Steve Baldini | 3 series[29] |
| 2018 | Hidden | Endaf Elwy | |
| Flex Lewis: Superstar Bodybuilder | Narrator | TV film[30] | |
| 2019 | Chernobyl | General Vladimir Pikalov | |
| Carnival Row | Magistrate Flute | Recurring role; series 1 | |
| The Accident | Iwan Bevan | ||
| The Crown | Dr. Edward Millward | "Tywysog Cymru" episode 6 | |
| 2020 | Gangs of London | Kinney Edwards | Main role |
| Cyswllt (Mewn COVID) | Daf | S4C drama | |
| The Third Day | Jason | ||
| 2021 | It's My Shout (I Am One) | Ron | Short Films from Wales[31] |
| The Pact | Father Martin | ||
| 2022–present | Outlander | Tom Christie | Season 6&7 |
| 2022 | The Tuckers | Mad Malcom | Series 3, episode 1: "Hard Man"[32] |
| Dal Y Mellt | Mici | S4C drama[33] | |
| 2023 | Y Sŵn | William Whitelaw | TV film[34] |
| Men Up | Eddie O'Connor | TV film[35] | |
| The Cleaner | Richard | Series 2, episode 6: "The Dead End" | |
| The Red King | Gruffudd Prosser | 5 episodes[36] | |
| The Reckoning | Charles Hullighan | 3 episodes[37] | |
| Bodies | Andrew Morley | 3 episodes[38] | |
| Men Up | Eddie O'Connor | Television film | |
| 2024 | Baby Reindeer | Gerald Dunn | 3 episodes |
| The Red King | Gruffud | 4 episodes[39] | |
| The Way | Glynn | 3 episodes | |
| Henry House | Daffyd Roberts | In-production | |
| TBA | Out There | Caleb Williams | Pre-production |
Theatre
edit- Lord Grey and Henry (Earl of Richmond), Richard III, Royal Shakespeare Company, London, 1993
- Leontes, The Winter's Tale, Globe Theatre, London, 1997
- Milantius, The Maid's Tragedy, Globe Theatre, 1997
- Mark Antony, Julius Caesar, Globe Theatre, 1999
- Taurus, Diomedes, and Sextus Pompeius, Antony and Cleopatra, Globe Theatre, 1999
- Appeared as Billy, Cardiff East, as Willy Nilly, Under Milk Wood, and as Bonario, Volpone, all National Theatre, London; as Costard, Love's Labour's Lost, as Lorenzo, The Merchant of Venice, and as Ferdinand, The Tempest, all Royal Shakespeare Company, Stratford-upon-Avon, England; as Tristram, Morte d'Arthur, and as Florizel and Antigonas, The Winter's Tale, both Lyric Theatre, London; as a pioneer, Ingolstadt, Gate Theatre; and as Danton and father, Snow Palace, Tricycle Theatre, Kilburn, Yorkshire, England
- Aston, The Caretaker, Sherman Theatre, Cardiff, 1990
- JB Feller in The Man Who Had All the Luck by Arthur Miller at The Donmar Warehouse, 28 February–5 April 2008
- Sergeant-Major Reg Drummond in Privates on Parade by Peter Nichols at Noël Coward Theatre, 1 December 2012–2 March 2013
Video games
edit| Year | Title | Role | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2011 | Dragon Age 2 | Emeric | Voice |
| The Witcher 2: Assassins of Kings | Letho of Gulet | Voice | |
| 2015 | The Witcher 3: Wild Hunt | Letho of Gulet | Voice |
Radio
edit- Appeared in radio broadcasts of Cadfael and Cocaine[40]
- Samson in Julian Simpson's The Listener[41]
References
edit- ^ "Rhos actor Mark Lewis Jones on starring in Star Wars, Keeping Faith and Game of Thrones ahead of Welsh BAFTAs". The Leader. 12 October 2018. Retrieved 3 September 2021.
- ^ "Clwyd Theatr Cymru". Archived from the original on 27 June 2007.
- ^ "Home | Royal Welsh College of Music & Drama". rwcmd.ac.uk. Archived from the original on 23 April 2009.
- ^ "Royal Shakespeare Company". Archived from the original on 28 June 2009.
- ^ "Murder Prevention". Archived from the original on 7 January 2009.
- ^ "Email Marketing Solutions and More". AWeber. Archived from the original on 1 March 2009.
- ^ S4/C-Y Pris Archived 13 May 2009 at the Wayback Machine
- ^ "BBC – BBC Cardiff Singer of the World, 2009, Highlights, Round 5". BBC. Retrieved 10 October 2019.
- ^ Nathan Bevan (16 December 2017). "Star Wars fans watching The Last Jedi might recognise a familiar Welsh face in the opening scenes". Wales Online. Retrieved 24 December 2017.
- ^ Williams, Kathryn (7 April 2015). "Get your daps on! Welsh celebrities are doing the London Marathon for charity". WalesOnline.
- ^ "Runner tackles marathon in bid as part of fitness challenges". Penarth Times.
- ^ "Head for IronMan Wales". JustGiving.
- ^ "Head For Change". Head For Change.
- ^ "Charity aiming to promote and support Organ Donation". Believe.
- ^ "Care and support at the end of life". Marie Curie UK.
- ^ "Therapy and support for children and their families". Cerebral Palsy Cymru.
- ^ The Cursed Mirror at IMDb
- ^ John DeFore (23 November 2015). "'The Passing' ('Yr Ymadawiad'): Film Review". The Hollywood Reporter. Retrieved 15 December 2017.
- ^ Murmur at IMDb
- ^ Bolan's Shoes at IMDb
- ^ Portraits of Dangerous Women at IMDb
- ^ The Welsh in Shakespeare at IMDb
- ^ Torchwood Declassified at IMDb
- ^ Merlin: Secrets & Magic at IMDb
- ^ Zig Zag Love at IMDb
- ^ Welsh Greats Emlyn Williams (2009), BBC.
- ^ Top of the Cops at IMDb
- ^ Making of Game of Thrones at IMDb
- ^ "Keeping Faith to return for final series". BBC News. 24 January 2020.
- ^ Flex Lewis: Superstar Bodybuilder at IMDb
- ^ I Am One at IMDb
- ^ The Tuckers at IMDb
- ^ Dal Y Mellt at IMDb
- ^ Y Sŵn at IMDb
- ^ Men Up at IMDb
- ^ The Red King at IMDb
- ^ "The Reckoning – Episode 1 of 4".
- ^ Bodies at IMDb
- ^ Cormack, Morgan (15 April 2024). "The Red King: Release date, trailer and latest news for Alibi drama". Radio Times. Retrieved 17 April 2024.
- ^ "Jones, Mark Lewis | Encyclopedia.com". encyclopedia.com.
- ^ "radio plays drama,bbc,Julian Simpson , DIVERSITY website, science fiction, journey into space". suttonelms.org.uk.