Matthew Rhys, who made history as the first actor to win two best lead Emmy awards in one night, has credited his Welsh-speaking schooling for nurturing the talent behind his Hollywood success. The 51-year-old, who grew up in Whitchurch, Cardiff, and now lives in New York, thanked "the great and good people of Wales" in his acceptance speech, adding "Diolch yn fawr iawn" (thank you very much). His alma maters, Ysgol Melin Gruffydd and Ysgol Gyfun Gymraeg Glantaf, have paid tribute to him as a "loyal" former pupil who remains proud of his Welsh language skills and cultural upbringing, including participation in the Eisteddfod.

Rhys won the awards for his roles in Apple's Widow's Bay and Netflix's The Beast in Me, having trained at Rada after being inspired by fellow Welsh actors Richard Burton and Anthony Hopkins. Former classmate Gethin Jones recalled performing with him in a school Elvis show, while the school's current headteacher, Matthew Evans, described him as "a remarkable talent, even then." Rhys, who has 10 wins and 58 nominations according to IMDb, has spoken candidly about periods of unemployment and setbacks, including a failed James Bond audition, and now serves as an ambassador for Into Film Cymru.