Nia Roberts

Cinema and TV actress whose credits include the Oscar-nominated film Solomon a Gaenor.

Born:

05 JUL 1972

Place of Birth:

Brecon

"Roberts has just the right combination of dignity and strength, and the sort of hard, old fashioned good looks contemporary women don't often possess" Film Journal International on Solomon a Gaenor, August 2000 Nia Roberts

Trivia:

Nia Roberts turned up to the audition for Solomon a Gaenor wearing hiking boots and an old baggy jumper that came down to her knees. She'd just returned from a two-month trip to South America!

Biography:

The youngest of three girls, Nia Roberts was born and brought up in Brecon in Powys. Her family were active members of the Brecon Little Theatre amateur dramatics group and this is where Nia's passion for acting began.

She was only seven years old when she first treaded the boards. Four years later, she landed her first television role as the lead girl in "The Farm", a 30-minute Jackanory play for BBC1.

Nia's first language was Welsh and she attended Brecon's Welsh-medium primary school Ysgol-y-Bannau from 1975 - 1983 before going on to secondary school, where she passed ten GCSEs and three A Levels. She also joined the National Youth Theatre of Wales and was then accepted to Birmingham University to follow a three year course in acting. She passed with distinction.

After graduating, Nia took up acting professionally in 1996 when she was offered a part in S4Cs drama series Halen yn y Gwaed.

Oscar Nomination

Her big break came in 1998 when she was cast in her first feature film. Directed by Paul Morrison, Solomon a Gaenor tells the tale of two star-crossed lovers. Nia Roberts plays Gaenor, a Welsh girl from a strict, chapel-going family, who falls in love with a Jewish man (played by Ioan Gruffudd).

The language of the film was Welsh and Yiddish, and it was on the shortlist of five nominations for Best Foreign Language Film in the 2000 Oscars ceremony. It didn't pick up an Academy Award but the film and its newcomer actress did receive critical acclaim on an international stage. Solomon a Gaenor also picked up other major awards, including Best Film at the Verona Film Festival 2000 and Best Director at the 1999 Cannes Film Festival.

Recognition at Home

For her part in the film "Lois", Nia won the Best Actress award at the 1999 BAFTA Cymru ceremony. "Winning the Welsh BAFTA for Best Actress was hugely gratifying. I felt a great sense of reward receiving acknowledgement from my home country", she said afterwards.

Nia has also appeared in a number of television dramas for Welsh and network companies. Her credits include Fondue, Rhyw a Deinosors!, Dr Terribles House of Horrible, Border Café, Newes of the Weeke, Y Palmant Aur, Glan Hafren, Pobl y Cwm.

Most recently Nia has been playing Kirsti O'Shea in S4C's Sopranos-by-the-sea, Y Pris. Filming the lives of Carmarthenshire gangsters was made even more challenging as Nia was pregnant!

Read more about Nia Roberts' hometown Brecon Life.

Moment of Glory:

Solomon a Gaenor's 2000 Oscar Nomination

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