Matthew Rhys turned down one role he’ll always regret: “I’ll never get that chance again”

Matthew Rhys says his biggest career regret is turning down the role of Hamlet when he was 24. He felt too inexperienced to take on Shakespeare’s demanding character, but now believes the opportunity has passed.

Rhys described himself as rarely having the luxury of choosing roles in his twenties. His career has since included The Americans and award-winning performances in Widow’s Bay and The Beast in Me; he also played a production about fellow Welsh actor Richard Burton, whose career included two celebrated stints as Hamlet.