Famous For: A character actor from films such as 'The Lord of The Rings and 'Raiders of the Lost Ark'

Trivia: The costume he wore when playing Gimli in, "The Lord of The Rings", weighed more than 40 kilos and he needed two people to help him put it on.

Biography: John Rhys-Davies spent much of his early life in his mothers birthplace - Ammanford. He became interested in classic literature at an early age and believes that this interest led to him deciding to be both an actor and a writer.

At the age of fifteen he played his first Shakespearian role and it was then that he truly realised where his destiny laid.

On leaving school he attended the University of East Anglia in Norwich where he read English. Following graduation his path lead him to London where he was accepted as a student at the Royal Academy of Dramatic Arts.

Since finishing his studies he has become an experienced character acter who to date has starred in more than 80 films.

One of the recent highlights of his long career has been playing the role of the dwarf lord Gimli in the film adaptation of J R R Tolkein's "The Lord of the Rings".

The role of Gimli involved Rhys-Davies having five hours of make-up. This was filmed in New Zealand and directed by Peter Jackson. "The Fellowship of the Ring" which was released in 2001 was the first part of the Tolkein's trilogy, and it will be followed by "The Two Towers" and "The Return of the King".

Prior to starring in "The Fellowship of the Ring" he was probably best-known to cinema audiences for the roles he played in "Raiders of the Lost Ark" and "Indiana Jones and the Last Crusade". In these films he worked alongside Harrison Ford and Sean Connery.

Other film credits include "Victor, Victoria", "The Living Daylights" and "King Solomon's Mines".

He's also found fame in the medium of television - playing Professor Maximillian P. Arturo in the time-travelling series "Sliders".

He has also had a recurring role in "Star Trek: Voyager" as Leonardo da Vinci.

Other television credits include James Clavell's "Shogun" and "Noble House", "Great Expectations", "War and Rememberance" and "Archaeology".

Due to work commitments Rhys-Davies now has a base in Los Angeles and he also spends part of his time on the Isle of Man. He is an avid collector of vintage cars and holds a pilots license.

Grant Huw Phillips Sliders was about parallel universes and not time travel. Great actor though. Wed Mar 19 09:58:50 2008 sue joughin,castletown,isle of man i am a (very) long time fan he is a wonderful versitile hard working actor who seems to be able to put his hand to anything, Thu Jul 27 08:50:42 2006 M. Milnes, Burlington Last week I saw John Rhys-Davies playing a Harvard professor in a mini series called "Revelations." His character was in a wheel chair. If it hadn't been for his wonderful voice, I would have never recognized him!! Has he been very ill recently? Wed Apr 20 20:28:30 2005 Are you a fan of John Rhys Davies? What's your verdict on his films? Did you ever bump into him in Ammanford? Add your comments here. Your name, surname and location: (All these details MUST be included for publication) Comment: Your Email Address The BBC reserves the right to select and edit comments. Find out how to make sure your comments are published. To submit a larger contribution or if you require a response please contact us.