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Kai Owen

From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
For the rugby union player, seeKai Owen (rugby union).

Kai Owen
Owen in 2012
Born(1975-09-04)4 September 1975(age 48)
Llanrwst,Conwy,Wales
OccupationActor
Years active1998–present
Websitewww.kaiowen.com

Kai Owen(born 4 September 1975) is a Welsh actor of stage and screen, known to Welsh audiences for his numerous roles onWelsh languagetelevision and to worldwide audiences for his portrayal ofRhys WilliamsinTorchwoodandPete BuchananinHollyoaks.

Background and personal life

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Owen was born in the town ofLlanrwstin theConwy Valleyin North Wales, where his family still lives.[1]His father Mark is aGMB unionofficial and his mother Yvonne is a cleaner at theBritish Legion Club.[2]He was educated at Watling Street Primary School, Llanrwst andYsgol Dyffryn Conwy.[2] He attendedMountview Theatre School,London for three years, graduating in 1998.[2]Owen lived with his actor fiancée Sarah Wilson in EastFinchley,London[2]and in 2010 moved with son Bobby toWarwickshire.[3]

He ran the 2009London Marathonfor the children's cancer charityCLIC Sargent,[4]and also ran the Virgin London Marathon on 25 April 2010.[5]He is a patron ofLlandudnoYouth Musical Theatre.[5]

Television career

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He became first known as Kev, a gay roofer inTipyn O Stad,shown on Welsh-language channelS4C.He was a regular in several series (52 episodes) of this popular gritty Welsh television programme; he also appeared inS4C'sTreflanas character Bob Lewis.[6]In 2009 he guested as Harri in the second series ofY Prisand as violent loan shark Craig Turner inPobol Y Cwm(one episode, broadcast 11 September 2009; he appeared in a similar guest role in the show in August and in October 2012).

Owen's first appearance on English-language UK television came in 2001, when he appeared as Buster Edwards in the episodeDog Dago Afternoonof seriesFun at the Funeral Parlour.[7]In 2003 he guested in an episode of BBC Onetelevision seriesCasualty[2](episode 392,Stuck in the Middle With You,19 April 2003, as Danny).[8]In 2005 he played the character of Dave 'Shiner' Owen in all six episodes of the seriesRocket Man,a BBC One television series about a man trying to launch his dead wife's ashes into space.[9]

2006 saw Owen cast as recurring characterRhys WilliamsinTorchwood,a spin-off from the science fiction television seriesDoctor Who,a role for which he has become most renowned.[10]He was elevated to star billing for the third series, broadcast on BBC One in summer 2009, reflecting his growing role in the series.[11]He reprised his role in the fourth series ofTorchwood-Torchwood: Miracle Day,broadcast during summer 2011.

Owen appeared in an episode ofCelebrityReady Steady CookwithTorchwoodco-starTom Price(Andy) (recorded 26 August 2009, broadcast 8 January 2010).[5][12]

In 2011, Owen appeared in the first episode of the third series ofBeing Humanas Bob, leader of a dogging pack.[13]He appears in the 14th episode of theseventh seriesof long running BBC school dramaWaterloo Roadas former rugby pro Ken Watling.[14]He appeared in an episode of the 2012Kay MellordramaThe Syndicate,broadcast onBBC One.[15]

In 2015, Owen joined the cast of the Channel 4 soap operaHollyoaksplayingPete Buchanan,the ex-partner ofReenie McQueen(Zöe Lucker) and a perpetrator of child abuse. In preparation for the role, he liaised with theNSPCC.[16]After portraying the role until a year later, he made a brief return in 2018. He is also set to reprise the role in April 2021.[17]

Filmography

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Television

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Year(s) Title Role Notes
2001 Fun at the Funeral Parlour P.C Hertz TV episode - "Death in the Valleys" and "The Jaws of Doom"
2002 Fun at the Funeral Parlour Buster Edwards TV episode - "Dog Dango Afternoon"
2003 Casualty Danny TV episode - "Stuck in the Middle with You"
2003–2006 Tipyn o Stad Kev Evans Series regular; series 2–5
2005 Rocket Man David 'Shiner' Owen Six episodes; main role
2006–2011 Torchwood Rhys Williams Recurring cast series 1-2
Main Cast series 3-4
2011 Being Human Bob Episode #3.1 - "Lia"
Waterloo Road Ken Watling Episode #7.14
2012 The Syndicate Gareth Powell Episode #1.4
2015 Doc Martin Episode #7.4 - "Education, Education, Education"
2015–2016, 2018, 2021 Hollyoaks Pete Buchanan Series regular
2019 Doctors Mark Albany 1 episode
2022 Casualty Sergeant Taylor 1 episode

Narration/Radio

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Year(s) Title Role Notes
2007 Ying Tong: a Walk with theGoons[18][19] Harry Secombe Radio Play byRoy Smiles
2009 "The Dead Line" Rhys Williams TorchwoodRadio Plays (BBC Radio 4)
2011 "The Devil and Miss Carew'"
Ghost Train Narrator Torchwoodaudiobook
Department X
First Born
2012 Army of One
2015–present Torchwood Rhys Williams Big Finish Productions
2017 Tracks Ifan BBC Cymru Wales

Stage

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Year(s) Title Role Notes
1998 The Tempest[20] Ariel Performed atStafford Castle
2005 Life of Ryan... and Ronnie[21][22][23][24] Ronnie
2006 A Chorus of Disapproval[25] Crispin Usher[20]
2008 Adam & Steve Adam[20]
2012 As You Like It Charles Clwyd Theatr Cymru[20]

References

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  1. ^"Kai Owen Biography".Kai Owen. Archived fromthe originalon 16 February 2012.Retrieved20 October2010.
  2. ^abcde"Wales NW Hall of Fame".BBC.Retrieved14 May2008.
  3. ^"Kai moved to Warwickshire".Kai Owen. Archived fromthe originalon 16 February 2012.Retrieved16 September2010.
  4. ^"Kai enters Flora London Marathon 2009".Kai Owen.Retrieved19 April2009.
  5. ^abc"Kai News".Kai Owen.Retrieved3 January2010.
  6. ^"IMDB Resumee".IMDb.Retrieved2 April2008.
  7. ^John Toon (2 October 2006)."Fun at the Funeral Parlour".Retrieved18 May2008.[dead link]
  8. ^"Casualty Stuck in the Middle With You".CNET.Retrieved14 May2008.[permanent dead link]
  9. ^Rob Driscoll (29 October 2005)."Rocket Man: Journey to the stars".Western Mail.Retrieved18 May2008.
  10. ^"Coming Up".The Custard TV. 2006. Archived fromthe originalon 18 May 2008.Retrieved18 May2008.
  11. ^"Cast list and Production team"(Press release). BBC Press Office. 18 June 2009.Retrieved19 July2009.
  12. ^"Ready Steady Cook, Series 21, Episode 22".BBC. 2010.Retrieved3 January2010.
  13. ^"Being Human - Lia (Series 3, episode 1)".BBC. 2011.Retrieved13 July2011.
  14. ^"Network TV BBC Week 40: Wednesday 5 October 2011".Retrieved17 September2011.
  15. ^"Kai Owen news".Retrieved6 December2011.
  16. ^Kilkelly, Daniel (10 April 2015)."Hollyoaks casts Torchwood star Kai Owen as abuser Pete".Digital Spy.Retrieved10 April2015.
  17. ^Harp, Justin (30 March 2021)."Hollyoaks confirms return for evil Pete Buchanan in Cleo mental health storyline".Digital Spy.Hearst Magazines UK.Retrieved29 March2021.
  18. ^Gillian Reynolds (4 April 2007)."Today's TV & radio choices".The Daily Telegraph.Retrieved18 May2008.[dead link]
  19. ^Moira Petty (4 April 2007)."Radio review - drama".The Stage.Retrieved18 May2008.
  20. ^abcd"Spotlight profile of Kai Owen".The Spotlight.Retrieved22 June2012.
  21. ^"Ryan and Ronnie relived on stage".BBC. 5 October 2005.Retrieved18 May2008.
  22. ^Jon Holliday (19 October 2005)."Life of Ryan... and Ronnie".The Stage.Retrieved18 May2008.
  23. ^"Life of Ryan...and Ronnie".University of the Arts London. 2005. Archived fromthe originalon 22 May 2011.Retrieved18 May2008.
  24. ^"Archif atodiadau theatr bARN ers 1992".Theatre in Wales. 2006.Retrieved18 May2008.
  25. ^Gill Isted (10 February 2006)."Where the laughs are..."icNorthWales.Retrieved18 May2008.
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