John Rhys-Davies
Highest Rated: 96% Victor Victoria (1982)
Lowest Rated: 4% In the Name of the King: A Dungeon Siege Tale (2006)
Birthday: May 5, 1944
Birthplace: Salisbury, Wiltshire, England, UK
John Rhys-Davies is one of modern cinema's most recognizable character actors. While best known for his work as Indiana Jones' (Harrison Ford) comic sidekick, Sallah, in two of Paramount's Indiana Jones adventure films, the actor has appeared in over 100 television shows and films since the early '70s. He has built an impressive onscreen career, especially for a stage actor who once swore that he would never perform in front of a camera. Born in Wales on May 5, 1944, Rhys-Davies grew up in England, Wales, and East Africa. He studied English and History at the University of East Anglia at Norwich, where he became interested in theater while reading classical literature. Upon graduating, Rhys-Davies earned a scholarship to study acting at London's prestigious Academy of Dramatic Art. He then worked briefly as a schoolteacher before joining the Madder-Market Theatre in Norwich. The actor, who eventually advanced to the Royal Shakespeare Company, performed in over 100 plays. His theatrical credits include starring roles in Shakespeare's Othello, The Tempest, Hamlet, Macbeth, and Henry the Fourth, Ibsen's Hedda Gabler, and Moliere's The Misanthrope. Rhys-Davies was 28 when he made his television debut in 1972 as Laughing Spam Fritter in the BBC's Budgie, a comedy starring former British pop star Adam Faith as an amusing ne'er-do-well. In 1975, he joined John Hurt in the cast of the television show The Naked Civil Servant, which chronicled the rich life of Quentin Crisp. One year later, Rhys-Davies re-teamed with Hurt, as well as Derek Jacobi and Patrick Stewart, for the BBC's unforgettable three-part adaptation of Robert Graves' I, Claudius and Claudius the God. Titled I, Claudius, the television miniseries appeared on PBS's Masterpiece Theater and gave American audiences their first glimpse of the actor. He subsequently starred as Vasco Rodrigues in NBC's adaptation of James Clavell's Shogun, which told the adventures of an English sailor stranded in Japan during the early 17th century. Rhys-Davies' performance earned him both an Emmy nomination and the attention of director Steven Spielberg. In 1981, Spielberg cast Rhys-Davies as the comic, fez-wearing Sallah in Raiders of the Lost Ark, the first installment of the Indiana Jones movies. The film was an instant success and Rhys-Davies' comedic skill made Sallah an audience favorite. He went on to film Victor/Victoria (1982) with Julie Andrews, James Garner, Robert Preston, Leslie Ann Warren, and former pro-football player Alex Karras. For the next two decades, the actor worked on numerous films and television shows and made memorable guest appearances on ChiPs, The Scarecrow and Mrs. King, Murder, She Wrote, Perry Mason, Tales From the Crypt, Star Trek: Voyager, and The Secret Adventures of Jules Verne. In 1987, he portrayed Front de Boeuf in the television adaptation of Sir Walter Scott's Ivanhoe that starred James Mason and Sam Neill. That same year, he played the evil Russian General Koskov in the Timothy Dalton-helmed James Bond film The Living Daylights. 1989 saw Rhys-Davies playing Joe Gargery in the Disney Channel's adaptation of Dickens' Great Expectations, starring in the miniseries version of War and Remembrance with Robert Mitchum, David Dukes, and Jane Seymour, and returning as Sallah in Indiana Jones and the Last Crusade. In 1990, he wrote and starred in the safari adventure film Tusks. In 1991, he hosted the documentary Archaeology. In 1993, he signed onto the series The Untouchables, based on Brian De Palma's hit film. The show was short-lived and Rhys-Davies did not work on a successful television series until 1995's Sliders with Jerry O'Connell. The sci-fi venture accrued a rather large fan base: Audience members were openly upset when Rhys-Davies' character, the bombastic Professor Maximillian P. Arturo, left the series after only three seasons. After appearing with Damon Wayans in The Great White Hype (1996), Rhys-Davies recorded voice work for the animated film

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Highest Rated Movies

Filmography

MOVIES

CREDIT
No Score Yet Soldier of War Jack — 2018
No Score Yet I Am Israel Actor — 2017
No Score Yet Camera Store Pinky Steuben — 2016
No Score Yet Peter - The Redemption Peter Executive Producer — 2016
90% Raiders!: The Story of the Greatest Fan Film Ever Made Actor $72.4K 2016
No Score Yet Winter Thaw Martin Avdeitch — 2016
No Score Yet Volcano Returns Col. Carlo Dillard — 2016
No Score Yet Saul: The Journey to Damascus Caiphas Executive Producer — 2015
76% Time Lapse Mr. Bezzerides — 2015
23% Beyond The Mask Charles Kemp $1.3M 2015
No Score Yet Many Beautiful Things John Ruskin — 2015
43% Killing Jesus Annas — 2015
No Score Yet The Red Dress Angelo — 2015
No Score Yet Return to the Hiding Place Eusi — 2014
No Score Yet The Watchmaker's Apprentice Actor — 2014
No Score Yet Golden Shoes Burt — 2013
No Score Yet Concrete Blondes Actor — 2013
No Score Yet Concrete Blondes Kostas Jakobatos — 2013
No Score Yet Scooby-Doo! Adventures: The Mystery Map Actor — 2013
No Score Yet 100 Degrees Below Zero Ralph — 2013
No Score Yet Prisoners Of The Sun Actor — 2013
No Score Yet Escape Malcolm — 2012
No Score Yet Kjb: The Book That Changed The World Actor — 2011
No Score Yet Sophie Alistair Winston — 2011
No Score Yet Ferocious Planet Senator Crenshaw — 2011
No Score Yet Tom And Jerry Meet Sherlock Holmes Dr. Watson — 2010
No Score Yet The Precious One Actor — 2010
No Score Yet Medium Raw: Night of the Wolf Elliot Carbon — 2010
8% 31 North 62 East (Too Close to the Truth) John Hammond — 2009
No Score Yet Anacondas: Trail of Blood Murdoch — 2009
No Score Yet Reclaiming the Blade Narrator — 2008
No Score Yet Fire & Ice: The Dragon Chronicles Sangimel — 2008
No Score Yet Anaconda III Murdoch — 2008
No Score Yet Cyborg Soldier Kessel — 2008
No Score Yet Kiss Me Deadly Yale — 2008
No Score Yet Medium Raw Actor — 2008
No Score Yet The Ferryman The Greek — 2007
4% In the Name of the King: A Dungeon Siege Tale Merick $4.6M 2006
19% One Night With the King Mordecai $13.4M 2006
No Score Yet Shark Bait Thorton — 2006
No Score Yet The Legend of Sasquatch Ranger Steve — 2006
No Score Yet Prophecies of the Passion Actor — 2005
43% Shadows in the Sun Mr. Benton — 2005
No Score Yet The King Maker Phillippe — 2005
No Score Yet The Lost Angel Father Kevin — 2005
26% Le match de leur vie Bill Jeffrey $0.4M 2005
No Score Yet Chupacabra Terror Capt. Randolph — 2005
No Score Yet Ringers - Lord of the Fans Actor — 2005
No Score Yet Endangered Species (Earth Alien) Actor — 2004
25% The Princess Diaries 2 - Royal Engagement Viscount Mabrey $95.2M 2004
No Score Yet Dragon Storm King Fastrad — 2004
No Score Yet Coronado Actor — 2004
No Score Yet The Privileged Planet Narrator — 2004
No Score Yet Dragonstorm Actor — 2004
No Score Yet 12 Days of Terror Actor — 2004
93% The Lord of the Rings: The Return of the King Gimli/Voice of Treebeard $364.1M 2003
No Score Yet La Femme Musketeer Actor — 2003
17% The Medallion Hammerstock-Smythe $22M 2003
No Score Yet Coronado Presidente Hugo Luis Ramos — 2003
No Score Yet Helen of Troy King Priam — 2003
19% The Jungle Book 2 Mowgli's father $47.9M 2003
No Score Yet The Search for the Real Mt. Sinai Actor — 2003
95% The Lord of the Rings: The Two Towers Treebeard Gimli $339.8M 2002
20% Sabretooth Anthony Bricklin — 2002
No Score Yet Scorcher Sallin — 2002
No Score Yet Endangered Species Police Lt. Wyznowski — 2002
91% The Lord of the Rings: The Fellowship of the Ring Gimli $314.1M 2001
No Score Yet Secret of the Andes Father Claver — 2001
No Score Yet Catherine the Great Pugachev — 2000
No Score Yet Sinbad: Beyond the Veil of Mists King Akron — 2000
No Score Yet Britannic Captain Barrett — 2000
No Score Yet Au Pair Nigel Kent — 1999
No Score Yet The Protector (Body Armor) Rasheed — 1997
No Score Yet Bloodsport III Jacques Duvalier — 1997
74% Cats Don't Dance Woolie the Elephant — 1997
No Score Yet High Crusade Actor — 1997
No Score Yet Marquis de Sade Inpsector Marais — 1996
No Score Yet Glory Daze Luther — 1996
45% The Great White Hype Johnny Windsor — 1996
No Score Yet Echo of Blue Actor — 1996
27% Aladdin and the King of Thieves Cassim — 1995
No Score Yet Beyond Forgiveness Actor — 1995
No Score Yet A Flintstones Christmas Carol Actor — 1994
No Score Yet The High Crusade Bruder Parvus — 1994
No Score Yet Robot In The Family Actor — 1994
No Score Yet Ring of the Musketeers Maurice Treville — 1994
No Score Yet Cyborg Cop Actor — 1993
No Score Yet South Beach Actor — 1993
No Score Yet The Seventh Coin Galil — 1993
No Score Yet Sunset Grill Stockton — 1993
No Score Yet Return to the Lost World Challenger — 1993
No Score Yet Canvas Nick — 1992
No Score Yet Perry Mason: The Case of the Fatal Framing Phillip Graff — 1992
No Score Yet The Lost World Prof. Challenger — 1992
No Score Yet The Double 0 Kid Actor — 1992
No Score Yet The Double O Kid Rudi Von Kseenbaum — 1992
No Score Yet The Unnamable II Professor Warren — 1992
No Score Yet Shogun Mayeda El Zaidan — 1991
No Score Yet Secret Weapon Mossad Chief — 1990
No Score Yet Rising Storm Don Waldo — 1990
No Score Yet The Gifted One Carl Boardman — 1989
88% Indiana Jones and the Last Crusade Sallah — 1989
No Score Yet The Trial of the Incredible Hulk Wilson Fisk — 1989
No Score Yet Tusks Roger Singh Screenwriter — 1989
No Score Yet Desperado: Badlands Justice Marriott — 1989
No Score Yet Goddess of Love Zeus — 1988
No Score Yet Higher Ground Lt. Smight — 1988
60% Waxwork Anton Weber — 1988
No Score Yet James Clavell's 'Noble House' Quillan Gornt — 1988
No Score Yet Perry Mason: The Case of the Murdered Madam Ed Tremaine — 1987
71% The Living Daylights Gen. Leonid Pushkin — 1987
No Score Yet The Little Match Girl Actor — 1987
8% Firewalker Corky — 1986
No Score Yet In the Shadow of Kilimanjaro Chris Tucker — 1986
8% King Solomon's Mines Dogati — 1985
No Score Yet Best Revenge (Misdeal) Mustapha — 1984
No Score Yet Nairobi Affair Simon — 1984
No Score Yet Sword of the Valiant Baron Fortinbras — 1984
No Score Yet Sahara Rasoul — 1984
No Score Yet Kim Babu — 1984
No Score Yet Sadat Actor — 1983
No Score Yet Grizzly II: The Concert Actor — 1983
96% Victor Victoria Andre Cassell — 1982
No Score Yet Ivanhoe Front de Boeuf — 1982
95% Raiders of the Lost Ark Sallah — 1981
No Score Yet Peter and Paul Actor — 1981
No Score Yet Sphinx Stephanos Markoulis — 1981
No Score Yet Island of Adventure Actor — 1981
83% Shogun Vasco Rodrigues — 1980
No Score Yet The Merchant Of Venice Actor — 1980
No Score Yet A Nightingale Sang in Berkeley Square (The Big Scam) Solicitor — 1979
No Score Yet The Nativity Actor — 1978
No Score Yet The Naked Civil Servant Barndoor — 1975
No Score Yet The Black Windmill Special Policeman — 1974

TV

CREDIT
78% The Shannara Chronicles
2016-2017
King Eventine
  • 2017
  • 2016
No Score Yet Metal Hurlant Chronicles
2012-2014
Holgarth
  • 2014
80% Once Upon a Time
2011-2018
Voice Narrator Grand Pabbie
  • 2014
No Score Yet Face Off
2011-2017
Judge
  • 2013
92% Psych
2006-2014
  • 2012
42% Legend of the Seeker
2008-2010
Horace
  • 2010
No Score Yet Krod Mandoon and the Flaming Sword of Fire
2009
Grimshank
  • 2009
No Score Yet Revelations
2005
Lampley Jonah Lampley
  • 2005
No Score Yet Arli$$
1996-2002
Davey Owen Jones
  • 2002
95% Justice League
2004
Voice Lord Hades
  • 2002
No Score Yet SpongeBob SquarePants
1999
Voice
  • 2002
  • 2001
  • 2000
No Score Yet Sliders
1995-2000
Prof. Maximillian Arturo Arturo
  • 2000
  • 1999
  • 1997
  • 1996
  • 1995
77% Star Trek: Voyager
1995-2001
Da Vinci Leonardo da Vinci
  • 1997
No Score Yet Gargoyles
1994-1997
Voice
  • 1995
No Score Yet Murder, She Wrote
1984-1996
Harry Waverly Lancaster Harry Mordecai
  • 1994
  • 1989
  • 1988
82% Tales from the Crypt
1989-1996
Guest
  • 1991
No Score Yet War and Remembrance
1988-1989
Sammy Mutterperl
  • 1988
No Score Yet Fresh Eggs
2019
Cutter
100% Under Cover
1991
Flynn

QUOTES FROM John Rhys-Davies CHARACTERS