Sir Jonathan Pryce was born John Price on 1 June 1947 in Carmel, Flintshire, the son of Isaac Price, a former coal miner who ran a small grocery shop, and Margaret Ellen Price. Raised a Welsh Presbyterian, he was educated at Holywell Grammar School before training as a teacher and, after taking part in a college theatre production, winning a scholarship to the Royal Academy of Dramatic Art, from which he graduated in 1971. He adopted the stage name Jonathan Pryce because his birth name was already registered with Equity.
Pryce built a formidable stage career, winning an Olivier Award for the title role in Hamlet at the Royal Court Theatre in 1980 and two Tony Awards on Broadway — for Comedians (1977) and for originating the role of the Engineer in Miss Saigon, which transferred to Broadway in 1991.
His screen breakthrough came as the harried bureaucrat Sam Lowry in Terry Gilliam's Brazil (1985). He went on to appear in Evita (1996), as a Bond villain in Tomorrow Never Dies (1997), across the Pirates of the Caribbean series (2003-2007), and in The Two Popes (2019), for which his portrayal of Pope Francis earned him an Academy Award nomination.
Pryce was appointed CBE in 2009 and was knighted in the 2021 Birthday Honours for services to drama and charity. He has spoken often of his Welsh upbringing and has kept a home in Wales alongside his career on the London and international stage.
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Knighted Welsh actor from Carmel, Flintshire, known for Brazil, Evita, and his Oscar-nominated turn as Pope Francis in The Two Popes.
Sir Jonathan Pryce
Actor from Carmel, Flintshire
Born and raised in Carmel, Flintshire, the son of a Welsh grocer; educated at Holywell Grammar School before training as an actor in London.
Pryce took his stage name from a near-clash with an actor already registered with the actors' union Equity, dropping the birth surname Price for the similar-sounding Pryce. Despite his international career, his voice has retained a distinct Welsh lilt, and he has often spoken of the influence of his Flintshire upbringing on his work.
Career Highlights
Won two Tony Awards on Broadway, for Comedians (1977) and Miss Saigon (1991).
Won an Olivier Award for his title-role performance in Hamlet at the Royal Court Theatre (1980).
Earned an Academy Award nomination for Best Actor for playing Pope Francis in The Two Popes (2019).
Knighted in the 2021 Birthday Honours for services to drama and charity.
ℹ️ Born John Price, 1 June 1947, Carmel, Flintshire, Wales.
Born and raised in Carmel, Flintshire, the son of a Welsh grocer; educated at Holywell Grammar School before training as an actor in London.