| Rupert Graves |
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After leaving school (and home) at 15, Graves worked as a circus clown, in a chip shop, and a shoe factory. The acting blood was still in his veins however, this leading him to join a troupe with the amazing name of "Silly Billy Pickles And The Peanut Street Gang", which entertained children at Butlin's holiday camps.
Despite the name, Rupert states that he is not at all posh – he was named after a Welsh village brawler that his mother happened to like! Rupert Graves is known as a very private person, and lives quietly in Stoke Newington with girlfriend of 10 years, Yvonne, and their greyhound, Roland
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Born: June 30, 1963
in Weston-Super-Mare,
Rupert Graves had his first taste of the show-business bug taking part in Victorian musical nights held at Birnbeck Pier in his home town.
Making his stage debut at 19 in "The Killing Of Mr. Toad" at The King's Head Theatre, Rupert's abilities were soon noticed, so much so that he was offered the part of Freddy Honeychurch in the Merchant Ivory production of "A Room With A View", now regarded as a cinema classic. Graves contribution to the film was such that he was offered another part by the same producers in another classic period drama - "Maurice".
It was undoubtedly this film, with it's daring subject of homosexual love between two men from totally different classes, that made the name of Rupert Graves.
Apart from numerous film and television roles (up to and including August 2000 - 38 film / television productions and a variety of narrative and television advertising work), which includes a best actor award in 1996 at The Montreal Film Festival for his role as Harold Guppy in
"Intimate Relations", Graves has a great fondness for live theatre work.
His many works on stage include the highly and critically acclaimed "Midsummer Night's Dream" at The National, "Torch Song Trilogy" at The Albery, "A Madhouse In Goa" at The Lyric Hammersmith / Apollo West End, not forgetting his superb outings in "Hurly Burly" at The Geilgud, and the award winning "Closer" on Broadway.
More information can be found at Rupert's official website www.rupert-graves.com
