Jonathan Rhys-Meyers gyrated his hips into Hollywood stardom Jan. 17, playing Elvis Presley in the TV miniseries Elvis. Rhys-Meyers won a Golden Globe award for Best Actor in a Mini-Series or TV Movie.

Starring in Bend it Like Beckham, Mission: Impossible III and The Last Unicorn this year, Rhys-Meyers has kept himself busy by acting in an average of three films per year since 1996.

Rhys-Meyers was born July 27, 1977, in Dublin, Ireland. His family moved to County Cork soon afterwards where Rhys-Meyers still resides. After his father abandoned his family, Rhys-Meyers had a rough childhood, spending time in an orphanage and eventually being permanently expelled from school at age 16.

Being expelled freed his schedule so he was able to spend a lot of time at the local pool hall, where Hubbard Casting agents discovered him while preparing for the David Puttnam production of War of the Buttons.

Although Rhys-Meyers did not make the cut for the role, he soon received a call for a national ad campaign for Knorr Soup.

The first film Rhys-Meyers was in was a very small role in Man of No Importance. From there his career in the film industry took off.

Rhys-Meyers considers acting a natural talent. “Being an actor is the easiest job. Just say the lines,” Rhys-Meyers said.

Rhys-Meyers changed his last name to his mother’s maiden name when he took up acting.