Jonathan Pryce

• 1. From Coal To The Stage

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  John Price was born on the 1st of June 1947 in Carmel, Flintshire. His father Isaac worked as a coal miner before running a small grocery shop with his wife Margaret. Pryce attended Holywell Grammar School and later studied at art college. He then trained to be a teacher at Edge Hill College in Ormskirk, Lancashire. A college theatre production changed his path completely. He applied to the Royal Academy of Dramatic Art and won a scholarship there. He graduated in 1971 with an Acting Diploma. While studying he sold velvet paintings door-to-door to earn money. He joined Equity and adopted the name Jonathan Pryce because his birth name was too similar to another performer.

• 2. The Everyman And The RSC

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  Pryce joined the Everyman Theatre in Liverpool immediately after graduation from drama school. He eventually became its artistic director while working there in 1972. He met actress Kate Fahy during this time though they did not marry until decades later. He performed with the Royal Shakespeare Company and the Nottingham Playhouse. His first screen appearance came in a minor role in Fire & Brimstone in 1972. Stephen Frears directed two television films starring him called Daft as a Brush and Playthings. Trevor Griffiths wrote Comedians specifically for Pryce at the Nottingham Playhouse. The production moved to the Old Vic Theatre in London before transferring to Broadway. Mike Nichols directed the Broadway version which opened in 1976. Pryce won the Tony Award for Best Featured Actor in a Play that year.

• 3. Hamlet And The Dystopian Dream

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  His performance in Hamlet at the Royal Court Theatre in 1980 won him an Olivier Award. Critics called it the definitive Hamlet of his generation. That same year he voiced Zarniwoop in the Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy radio series. He played Mr Dark in Something Wicked This Way Comes based on Ray Bradbury's novel. Terry Gilliam cast him as Sam Lowry in Brazil released in 1985. The film became a cult classic described as a satirical dystopian dark comedy. He appeared in The Doctor and the Devils also in 1985. He starred in Haunted Honeymoon directed by Gene Wilder in 1986. He returned to the stage playing Trigorin in Anton Chekhov's The Seagull in late 1985. He then played Macbeth opposite Sinéad Cusack in the Royal Shakespeare Company from 1986 to 1987. He worked with Gilliam again in The Adventures of Baron Munchausen which cost over $40 million to produce.

• 4. The Miss Saigon Dispute

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  Pryce originated the role of The Engineer in the West End musical Miss Saigon in 1990. His performance won both the Olivier Award and Variety Club awards in England. When the production transferred to Broadway the Actors' Equity Association tried to stop him. Executive secretary Mervyn Rothstein stated that casting a Caucasian actor made up to appear Asian was an affront to the Asian community. Pryce wore yellowface makeup and prosthetics to alter his eyes and skin color for the London run. Producer Cameron Mackintosh decided to cancel the New York production worth $10 million. Charlton Heston and John Malkovich threatened to leave the union if Pryce was not allowed to perform. The union eventually made a deal allowing Pryce to appear in the show. He won a Tony Award for Best Actor in a Musical in 1991. Playwright David Henry Hwang later used this controversy as inspiration for Face Value and Yellow Face.

• 5. Franchises And Independent Films

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  He returned to non-musical stage work with A Reckoning written by Wesley Moore in April 2003. Disney Studios cast him as Governor Weatherby Swann in Pirates of the Caribbean: The Curse of the Black Pearl released in 2003. He reprised the role for Dead Man's Chest in 2006 and At World's End in 2007. Both sequels were filmed simultaneously but released a year apart. He appeared in De-Lovely covering Cole Porter songs alongside Kevin Kline. His third completed film with Terry Gilliam was The Brothers Grimm starring Matt Damon and Heath Ledger. He played King James I in The New World also in 2005. He received an Olivier nomination for playing Martin in The Goat or Who is Sylvia? at the Almeida Theatre in 2004. He lost that award to Richard Griffiths despite high praise from critics.

• 6. Television Resurgence And Acclaim

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  Pryce played Thomas Wolsey in Wolf Hall broadcast on BBC in 2015. That same year he joined Game of Thrones as the High Sparrow appearing in twelve episodes. He admitted taking the role because the character influenced the plot significantly. He later changed his mind about sword and sorcery shows after positive experiences on set. He portrayed Pope Francis opposite Anthony Hopkins in The Two Popes released by Netflix in 2019. Stephen Farber of The Hollywood Reporter praised their chemistry and Pryce's subtlety. This performance earned him his first Academy Award nomination for Best Actor. He portrayed Prince Philip in The Crown starting with season five in August 2020. He won a Golden Globe nomination for this role and received an Emmy nomination for season six. From 2022 to 2024 he starred as David Cartwright in Slow Horses on Apple TV+.

• 7. Knighthood And Industry Recognition

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  He was appointed Commander of the Order of the British Empire in the 2009 Birthday Honours. An honorary doctorate came from the University of Liverpool in 2006. He became a fellow of the Royal Welsh College of Music & Drama. He also serves as a Companion of the Liverpool Institute for Performing Arts. Pryce was knighted in the 2021 Birthday Honours for services to drama and charity. His awards include two Tony Awards and two Laurence Olivier Awards. He has received three BAFTA Award nominations and five Emmy Award nominations. He earned an Academy Award nomination for The Two Popes in 2019. He won the Best Actor Award at the 1995 Cannes Film Festival for Carrington. He continues to work across film theatre and television into the present day.