Rhys Ifans

Born: July 22 1968
Where: Rhuthun, Wales, UK

Ifans made an indelible impression when he confronted a crowd of photographers in his Y-fronts as Hugh Grant's flat mate Spike in Notting Hill.

Subsequent big screen roles have included serial stalker Jed in Enduring Love and spurned admirer William Dabbin in Vanity Fair.

The son of teachers, he learned to speak fluent Welsh as his first language after being educated at the Maes Garmon Welsh-speaking school.

At 13 he changed his name from Evans to Ifans "just to be difficult and different" and left for London aged 18 to study at the Guildhall School of Music and Drama.

For Rhys, acting had a simple appeal: "Once I knew I could get paid for showing off, I thought, well, this is easy. I'll have a go at that."

He joined a local youth theatre and acted on Welsh TV, going on to study at London's Guildhall School of Music and Drama.

In 1996 he featured in Anthony Hopkins' directorial debut August, a 19th-century adaptation of Chekhov's Uncle Vanya.

But his big breakthrough came a year later in Twin Town, a dark comedy in which he and brother Llyr starred as troublemaking brothers.

Rhys reached his widest audience and received the most notice as Hugh Grant's unkempt and uninhibited housemate Spike in the romantic comedy Notting Hill.

Following on from this came The Replacements, Human Nature, and The Shipping News, as well as a vocal part in the animated movie version of A Christmas Carol.