Jonathan Tudor Owen(born 4 July 1971 inMerthyr Tydfil,Mid Glamorgan) is a Welsh producer, actor and writer who has appeared in TV shows includingShameless,Murphy's LawandMy Family.Owen won a Welsh BAFTA in 2007 for the documentaryThe Aberfan Disaster,which he co-produced with Judith Davies.[1]
Jonny Owen | |
|---|---|
| Born | Jonathan Tudor Owen 4 July 1971 Merthyr Tydfil,Wales |
| Other names | Jonathan Lewis Owen Lewis Owen |
| Occupations |
|
| Years active | 1991–2001 (as musician) 2001–present (as actor) |
| Spouse | |
| Children | 1 |
Career
editIn his later teens he was in the 1990sindieband The Pocket Devils as bass player and lead singer/songwriter.[2]Signed toSanctuary Recordsin the UK and Pop Music Records in the US, they split after Sanctuary Records and The Pocket Devils came to a mutual termination.
Owen landed the part of Richey in the Welsh drama seriesNuts and Boltsin 1999. FromNuts and Boltshe landed parts in UK Network series includingMurphy's LawandDirty Work.
His meeting withIrvine Welshwhen filming theGenevideo "Is it over?" led to Owen working with Welsh (and his writing partnerDean Cavanagh) on several dramas includingDosefor theBBC,Wedding BellesforC4andGood ArrowsforITV(which Owen also produced).
His 2006 filmLittle White Lies[3]won several film festival awards and was featured at theMoscow Film Festival.He played aBNPthug. In 2007 he appeared as Banana Boat inTorchwood.
Owen has also worked extensively as a writer and producer forITV Wales,including winning the Gwyn Alf Williams Award[4]at the Welsh BAFTAs for the 40th anniversary documentary of theAberfan disaster.[5]It was revealed during shooting that Owen's father had been one of the first Welsh miners on the scene in the recovery operation.
Owen also did a piece forCardiff City F.C.'s appearance in theFA Cup finalforMatch of the Dayin 2008. It received positive reviews in the media, includingThe Guardiancalling it the best part of the day's coverage apart from the football.[6]
In 2009 Owen appeared as regular character Ady in Channel 4'sShameless,[7]and continued in the role in 2010.
2009 also saw the release of the independent filmA Bit of Tom Jones?,[8]with Owen in the lead role. The film spread from a limited release in Wales to being shown in selected markets throughout the UK byVue.
He is the writer and creator ofSvengali,[9]a cult internet series which theEvening Standardand NME called 'the best series on the net'. The series, in which he plays the manager of an up-and-coming band, is based on his experiences in the music industry; he named one character 'Choop' after the manager of his own band. FormerCreation RecordsheadAlan McGeeplays the Svengali whom character 'Dixie' pursues in an effort to get the band he manages signed. The work was adapted into the 2013 feature filmSvengali,the debut release from Root Films. It was selected to show at the 67thEdinburgh International Film Festival,and was also nominated for the Michael Powell Award, a prize which honours the best British feature film.
Owen has written forThe Guardian,Telegraph,MetroandWestern Mail.He also was the voice for ITV Wales'sSoccer Sundayprogramme from 2002 to 2008 and did weekly reports from France for ITV during the2007 Rugby World Cup.[citation needed]
In 2014 he played in the seriesGlueonE4.
On 10 March 2018, Owen was appointed as a director atNottingham Forest F.C.to control the club's media output and video production, having previously directed the 2015 filmI Believe In Miracleschronicling Forest's glory years underBrian Cloughin the 1970s and 80s.[10]
Personal life
editWhen Owen was a teenager, he was a Welsh Boys Club Boxing champion.[11]
Owen and his wife, actressVicky McClure,live in Nottingham, where they relocated to live nearer her family.[12][13]As of 2017 they were engaged.[14]On 11 August 2023, they married in Nottingham.[15]
He is a director of Nottingham Forest Football Club and investor inMerthyr Town F.C.,the town in which he was born.[16]
He has one child from his first marriage.[17]
Filmography
editThis section of abiography of a living persondoes notincludeanyreferences or sources.(September 2016) |
- TV
- Glue
- Shameless
- Svengali
- This Is England '90
- Torchwood
- Wedding Belles
- Murphy's Law
- Dose
- A Mind to Kill
- Nuts and Bolts
- Soccer Sunday,ITV Wales,2004–2008
- Soccer Special, ITV Wales, 2004–2008
- Icons of Football 2:2 John Robertson,BBC Scotland2024
- Top Sport, ITV Wales, 2004–2006
- Hot Pursuit, ITV Wales, 2002
- Rugby World Cup Special, ITV Wales, 2003
- Rugby World Cup Special, ITV Wales, 2007
- Cancer Awareness,BBC Wales,2003
- Film
- One of the Crowd
- A Bit of Tom Jones?
- Cow
- Good Arrows
- Little White Lies
- Decidedly Bloody Dodgy
- Svengali(2013)
- I Believe in Miracles (film)(director)
- Don't Take Me Home(2017)
- The Three Kings(2020)
- Voice
- FA Cup Final Match of the Day,BBC Sport,2008
- Wales the Week promos,ITV Sport,2008
- Hospital 24/7, BBC Wales, 2008
- Aberystwyth Soccer Seven's,Sky Sports,2005
- Producer
- Svengali
- Good Arrows
- Aberfan, ITV Wales/Sky News,2006
- The Last Miner, The Tower Colliery Story,ITV Wales, 2007
- Soccer Sunday, ITV Wales, 2004–2008
- The Story of the NHS, ITV Wales, 2008
- Others
References
edit- ^"2007 Cymru Gwyn Alf Williams Award | BAFTA Awards".awards.bafta.org.Retrieved29 September2020.
- ^Williams, Sally (16 October 2009),"'Svengali' Owen about to sign a major TV deal ",Wales Online,retrieved17 March2010
- ^Price, Karen (18 October 2008),"Darkly comic film set to be highlight of festival",Western Mail/WalesOnline,retrieved13 March2010
- ^BAFTA Cymru Winners 2006,retrieved23 March2010
- ^"'Good fun' being a Gullible husband and wife team ",Western Mail,5 May 2007, archived fromthe originalon 3 November 2012,retrieved17 March2010
- ^Kelner, Martin (19 May 2008),"People's Final at dangerous level of specialness",The Guardian,retrieved23 March2010
- ^Mainwaring, Rachel (24 January 2009),"Merthyr born actor Jonathan Owen lands great role in Channel 4's latest series of Shameless",WalesOnline,retrieved18 January2010
- ^Morse, Steven (22 November 2009),"It is unusual: low-budget Welsh film outperforms big hitters",The Guardian,retrieved12 March2010
- ^Youngs, Ian (5 May 2009),"Rock stars sign up for web comedy",BBC News,retrieved12 March2010
- ^"Nottingham Forest FC".
- ^Williams, Kathryn (12 September 2014),"Jonny Owen sticking to drama with E4's Glue",Wales Online,retrieved30 August2018
- ^Piers, Candice (16 March 2014)."Actors Vicky McClure and Jonny Owen on being in love".The Guardian.Retrieved12 May2021.
- ^Gorman, Rachel (30 April 2017)."At home with Line Of Duty's Vicky McClure and Husband Jonny Owen".NottinghamshireLive.Retrieved12 May2021.
- ^Gorman, Rachel (5 March 2018)."Vicky McClure reveals how boyfriend popped the question on Christmas Day".NottinghamshireLive.Retrieved12 May2021.
- ^Stolworthy, Jacob (12 August 2023)."Line of Duty fans celebrate as lead stars reunite for co-star's wedding".The Independent.Retrieved12 August2023.
- ^Jonny Owen Merthyr
- ^Owens, David (30 January 2018)."The rising Merthyr star who's one of the UK's most in-demand DJs".WalesOnline.Retrieved23 July2021.
