Jonathan Pryce
A Welsh actor of formidable, chameleonic range, moving from menacing intensity to paternal warmth with effortless, Shakespearean command.
Born 1947 (age 79)·Welsh actor·Birthday: June 1·Baby Boomers
Biography
Jonathan Pryce's career is a lesson in transformative power. Born in rural Wales, he initially trained to be a teacher before a chance encounter with a drama tutor steered him to RADA. He first made his mark on the London stage, winning acclaim for his dangerous, magnetic performance as a manipulative hotel manager in 'Comedians.' This capacity for unsettling charisma defined early film roles, most famously as the sinister Mr. Dark in 'Something Wicked This Way Comes' and the chilling, samurai-obsessed villain in 'The Age of Innocence.' Yet Pryce possesses a profound versatility. He brought tragic depth to the transgender performer in 'Miss Saigon' on Broadway, won a Tony for 'Hamlet,' and delivered a masterclass in quiet desperation as a husband in 'The Wife.' For a global audience, he became the dignified, weary High Sparrow in 'Game of Thrones' and, in a late-career triumph, embodied Pope Francis with startling empathy in 'The Two Popes,' earning an Oscar nomination.
Baby Boomers
1946–1964
The largest generation in history at the time. Shaped by postwar prosperity, the Vietnam War, the sexual revolution, and Watergate. They questioned every institution their parents built — then ran them.
Jonathan was born in 1947, placing them squarely in the Baby Boomers. The events that shaped this generation — postwar prosperity, civil rights, Vietnam, and the counterculture — shaped the world they entered and the choices available to them.
#1 When Jonathan Was Born
The biggest hits of 1947
#1 Movie
The Egg and I
Best Picture
Gentleman's Agreement
Jonathan's Life & Times
The world at every milestone
1947Born
India gains independence; the Dead Sea Scrolls found
Gas: $0.23/galHome: $6,600Min wage: $0.40/hrPresident: Harry S. Truman"Near You" — Francis CraigBest Picture: Gentleman's Agreement
1952Started school
Queen Elizabeth II ascends the throne
Gas: $0.27/galHome: $8,350Min wage: $0.75/hrPresident: Harry S. Truman"Blue Tango" — Leroy AndersonBest Picture: The Greatest Show on Earth
1960Became a teenager
Kennedy-Nixon debates become first televised presidential debates
Gas: $0.31/galHome: $11,900Min wage: $1.00/hrPresident: Dwight D. Eisenhower"Theme from A Summer Place" — Percy FaithBest Picture: The Apartment
1963Could drive
JFK assassinated in Dallas; Martin Luther King's 'I Have a Dream' speech
Gas: $0.31/galHome: $13,100Min wage: $1.25/hrPresident: Lyndon B. Johnson"Sugar Shack" — Jimmy Gilmer & The FireballsBest Picture: Tom Jones
1965Could vote
US sends combat troops to Vietnam
Gas: $0.31/galHome: $13,600Min wage: $1.25/hrPresident: Lyndon B. Johnson"(I Can't Get No) Satisfaction" — The Rolling StonesBest Picture: The Sound of Music
1968Turned 21
Martin Luther King Jr. and Robert Kennedy assassinated
Gas: $0.34/galHome: $14,950Min wage: $1.60/hrPresident: Lyndon B. Johnson"Hey Jude" — The BeatlesBest Picture: Oliver!
1977Turned 30
Star Wars premieres; Elvis dies
Gas: $0.62/galHome: $31,800Min wage: $2.30/hrPresident: Jimmy Carter"Tonight's the Night" — Rod StewartBest Picture: Annie Hall
1987Turned 40
Black Monday stock market crash
Gas: $0.90/galHome: $72,400Min wage: $3.35/hrPresident: Ronald Reagan"Walk Like an Egyptian" — The BanglesBest Picture: The Last Emperor
1997Turned 50
Princess Diana dies in Paris car crash; Harry Potter published
Gas: $1.23/galHome: $104,100Min wage: $5.15/hrPresident: Bill Clinton"Candle in the Wind 1997" — Elton JohnBest Picture: Titanic
2007Turned 60
iPhone released; Great Recession begins
Gas: $2.80/galHome: $172,600Min wage: $5.85/hrPresident: George W. Bush"Irreplaceable" — BeyonceBest Picture: No Country for Old Men
2017Turned 70
#MeToo movement; solar eclipse crosses the US
Gas: $2.42/galHome: $195,000Min wage: $7.25/hrPresident: Donald Trump"Shape of You" — Ed SheeranBest Picture: The Shape of Water
2026Age 79 today
Gas: $3.91/galPresident: Donald Trump
Key Achievements
- Won two Tony Awards, for his performances in 'Comedians' on Broadway and for 'Miss Saigon.'
- Received a knighthood from Queen Elizabeth II in 2021 for his services to drama.
- Earned an Academy Award nomination for Best Actor for his role as Cardinal Bergoglio/Pope Francis in 'The Two Popes.'
- Served as the first non-American President of the Royal Academy of Dramatic Art (RADA).
- Delivered a landmark performance as 'The Engineer' in the original London production of 'Miss Saigon,' a role that showcased his dramatic and musical prowess.
Did You Know?
He was once a student teacher and worked in a steel mill before pursuing acting.
He is a fluent Welsh speaker and has performed in Welsh-language theatre productions.
He turned down the role of James Bond in the 1980s, a decision he has said he does not regret.
He provided the voice and motion-capture performance for the character of the Three Weird Sisters in the video game 'The Witcher 3: Wild Hunt.'
He is a passionate supporter of Welsh rugby and is often seen attending international matches.
““I’m not a character actor; I’m an actor who plays characters.””
