February 17, 2011
By Staff Reporter
But Irish actor Jonathan Rhys-Meyers maintains that despite more than a decade in “the industry,” and all his recent accolades, he still feels like a bit of an outsider amidst the bold and beautiful stars of Tinseltown.
“I never believed I could be an actor. I thought people on TV were different. Came from different places and had a different genetic makeup,” the 28-year-old actor told the Irish Echo with a laugh.
So, at what point did he realize he had made it to the big league?
“No. I still haven’t,” he insisted. “I still think they are different people, with different genetic makeup. I can’t ever be in it. I think movie stars are fantastical people who, you know, never use the loo.”
Asked how he has managed to overcome those feelings and work with some of the most talented people in film today, Rhys-Meyers says he hasn’t quite gotten past them and finds he relates a lot better to filmmakers than he does to his fellow actors.
“I deal with directors a hell of a lot easier than I deal with actors, to tell you the truth, because I am so competitive. I get very competitive with people,” he confided.
Born in Dublin, raised in Co. Cork and best-known for his roles in “Alexander,” “Vanity Fair,” “Bend It Like Beckham” and “Velvet Goldmine,” Rhys-Meyers made his film debut in 1994’s “A Man of No Importance,” but really caught the public’s attention when he played the young assassin in Neil Jordan’s 1996 film, “Michael Collins.”
Match Point
In “Match Point,” Allen’s first movie set and shot in London, Rhys-Meyers plays Chris, a former tennis pro who marries Chloe, the beautiful sister (played by Emily Mortimer) of his wealthy British friend, Tom (played by Matthew Goode). Just as it seems Chris has everything he could possibly want, he finds himself lusting after Nola, Tom’s sexy American actress fianc