Gwilym Meredith Edwards was born on 10 June 1917 in Rhosllannerchrugog, near Wrexham in Denbighshire, north Wales, the son of a coal miner. He was educated at Ruabon Grammar School for Boys and grew up as a Welsh speaker, later becoming a committed Welsh nationalist.
Edwards trained as an actor and made his stage debut in 1938 with the Welsh National Theatre Company before joining the Liverpool Playhouse. He went on to become one of the most familiar character actors on British cinema screens through the 1950s and 1960s, appearing in a string of well-loved films including A Run for Your Money (1949), The Blue Lamp (1950), The Magnet (1950), The Lavender Hill Mob (1951), The Cruel Sea (1953), The Long Arm (1956), Dunkirk (1958) and the Cardiff-set classic Tiger Bay (1959).
A lifelong Welsh nationalist and Welsh speaker, Edwards stood as the Plaid Cymru candidate for Denbigh in the 1966 general election, though he was not elected. He continued to work in film, television and radio for decades, remaining a well-known and well-liked figure among Welsh audiences.
Meredith Edwards died on 8 February 1999 in Denbighshire, aged 81. He is remembered both for his prolific film career and for his outspoken commitment to Wales and the Welsh language.