Ivan Rheon: Conquering Fears, Tackling Violence, and Beloved Characters

Ivan Rheon: A Multifaceted Talent

Ivan Rheon, the charming British actor with a distinctive and endearing appearance, yet a mysterious danger lurking in his eyes, is a star of popular TV series like “Misfits” and “Game of Thrones.” We admire Ivan Rheon for his ability to transform from kind, tender, and romantic characters into psychopaths and sadists, all while maintaining an incredible depth in every role he undertakes. However, Rheon is not just an actor; he is a versatile creative personality who has also made a name for himself as a talented musician, songwriter, and singer.

Early Life and Family

Ivan Rheon was born in the port town of Carmarthen in the UK and grew up in Cardiff, the capital of Wales. His family was not particularly talented; his parents were simple office workers. Despite his parents not being involved in any creative fields, Ivan grew up to be an exceptionally talented and versatile individual. In his youth, he developed an interest in music, writing songs, and performing as a member of the band The Convictions. In his senior years, Rheon became fascinated with theater, finding genuine pleasure in attending classes and mastering new skills. After graduating from school, he set his sights on moving to London to attend the Academy of Dramatic and Musical Arts.

Speaking about his childhood and family, Ivan says:

My parents were not artists, musicians, or any other kind of performers, but if you grow up in Wales and speak the language, you should be familiar with the concept of Eisteddfod. Literally, it translates to “the ability to master all creative fields simultaneously.” From a very young age, this concept was the foundation of my upbringing.

The Beginning of the Journey

Ivan Rheon decided to try his hand at acting at the age of 17, while still in high school. It was at this age, as the actor himself says, that teenagers are often asked what they want to become after graduation. Rheon decided to give acting a shot. He auditioned for a local series called “Pobol y Cwm,” which translates from Welsh as “Children of the Valley.” The series’ producer, Bethan Jones, asked Rheon to come to her office, where during their conversation, Rheon realized that acting was something he definitely wanted to pursue. Jones advised the actor to continue developing his skills and even helped him with auditions at a theater where he had to read Shakespeare in English, which was quite challenging with a Welsh accent.

I could have stayed in “Children of the Valley” and just made money, but Jones obviously meant that I should develop myself if I wanted to become a real actor. She spent her own time helping me with my audition speech. She was just incredible.

Rheon’s first paid job after graduating from university was a rather ambiguous project. He was invited to participate in a workshop for a musical by Yusuf Islam, known as Cat Stevens. Rheon had to play the role of a street musician, and the entire work process was quite chaotic and random; moreover, the musical never saw the light of day. Nevertheless, Rheon enjoyed the experience as he was a big fan of Stevens and considered him a legend.

“Game of Thrones” and “Misfits”

The first major series that brought Rheon fame and recognition was “Misfits.” The show was very popular among young people for a long time, and Rheon had the opportunity to play the ambiguous character of Simon, who initially seemed like a timid and somewhat unhealthy young man but later became one of the main characters of the series. He had a touching love story and a complex plot conflict. However, after some changes in the cast, Rheon left the show.

Rheon had enough work to keep him busy without looking for new auditions, but fate had other plans. He ended up auditioning for “Game of Thrones.” As Rheon himself says, he initially did not know which role he was auditioning for, as actors are not allowed to disclose information about new plot twists. Until the moment of signing the contract, Rheon thought he was auditioning for the role of “Boy,” as that was what he was told during the audition. Interestingly, Rheon auditioned not only for the role of Ramsay Bolton, as it later turned out. The actor also read for the part of Jon Snow. According to Ivan, it would have been a completely different character if he had played it. The producers also asked him to read for the character of Daario Naharis, so Rheon is confident that he could have played any role.

In “Game of Thrones,” as is well known, Rheon was given a special role—that of Ramsay Bolton, a psychopath, sadist, pervert, and undoubtedly a villain. Before this, Rheon had not had the chance to play such dark characters, which was both interesting and exciting. As the actor himself says, he worried that after playing Ramsay, he would only be offered villain roles. As role models to help him get into character, he chose Heath Ledger, Dennis the Menace, and Liam Gallagher, the vocalist of the band Oasis.

I tried to feel my character, to understand how he behaves in space. The image of the Joker played by Ledger helped me, as Ramsay is an obvious psychopath, unpredictable and abrupt. Dennis the Menace came to me later. It’s the image of a naughty child, and the naughtier he becomes, the more pleasure he gets. I like Liam Gallagher’s gait. It feels like he has braces inside. His image helped me develop a special style of movement. And in general, I’m a big fan of Liam; if I met him on the street, I would probably shit my pants.

Violence on Screen

In “Game of Thrones,” Rheon had to deal with a large number of violent scenes, which became a significant psychological challenge for the actor. It’s one thing to watch these scenes on screen and another to be the one committing the violence. According to the actor, there were scenes on set that did not feel violent at all. For example, the scene with the hounds attacking a girl whom Ramsay and his lover had frightened in the forest. Rheon says that no dogs were used in the filming of this scene, and no one was harmed. It was all well-edited so that no one was hurt. In other words, the actors knew that the scene would be terrible, and they had to play it as if it were terrible, but nothing terrible happened on set.

Another matter is the scene of violence against Sansa Stark. Here, Ivan admits that despite the fact that he and Sophie Turner are great professionals, the very thought of what was supposed to happen was unbearable for the actor.

I slept poorly and worried a lot about this scene. But it turned out to be a little easier than I thought. The scene, despite all its horror, was not as frank and cruel as it would have been if any other female character had been in Sansa’s place. The fact is that Sansa is the viewers’ favorite character, and her fate concerns everyone; the screenwriters had to make the situation at least somehow easier, not forcing her and everyone with her to go through such horror. But in any case, the scene was not eroticized or dramatized; it was just very difficult. But I understood that I needed to be a professional. Sophie and I knew in advance that there would be such a scene and gave our consent. Sophie was magnificent; the way she skillfully showed herself during such difficult work amazes me.

This topic generally seriously worries me. It seems to me that if people paid more attention to how women suffer from violence in real life, rather than discussing a fantasy show on social networks, something could be changed in this world.