Iwan Rheon makes shyness worth watching and cruelty uncomfortably believable. We rate the quieter work in Misfits particularly highly; the danger is that his success with ruthless characters keeps him playing variations on the same part.
Fi1m perspective
Simon Bellamy's shyness matters in Misfits (2009): Rheon gives a quiet character enough substance to hold his place in disagreeable company. Howard Overman's superhero comedy depends on actors who can make unlikely material believable, and he does that without making Simon merely a plea for sympathy. We laughed at these characters because the cast played their faults with conviction, even when we had no wish to defend them. Rheon's quieter contribution leaves room for the discomfort that helps the darker comedy work.
Lauren Socha, Nathan Stewart-Jarrett, Antonia Thomas and Robert Sheehan are essential to that effect too; our enthusiasm for Misfits is for an ensemble, not a solo display. Within it, Simon gives Rheon room for the gradual character development that suits his subtlety. The characters can become wearing, and the acting cannot entirely prevent that. Nor is Rheon always as persuasive when asked for exaggerated authority: the effort can show after the quieter work. We would rather see him given time to develop a character than required to establish importance immediately.
His work as Ramsay Bolton in Game of Thrones (2013–2016) brought wider recognition and made his capacity for menace harder to overlook. He makes sadistic behaviour convincing, but we would hesitate to treat that as his chief qualification. Too many subsequent roles have called on that intensity. Tenax, the pragmatic crime boss in Those About to Die (2024), continues that line of work; our concern is how often he is being asked for something we already know he can do.
The sitcom Vicious (2013–2016) and his performance as Mick Mars in the biopic The Dirt (2019) at least point to other possibilities. Comedy need not be a detour for an actor whose early success depended on making awkwardness engaging. We would like casting directors to remember the funny, uncomfortable ensemble work before reaching for another ruthless part. Start with Misfits, if dark comedy and difficult company sound like a reasonable evening.
Biography
Iwan Rheon is a Welsh actor, singer and musician. Born in Carmarthen, he trained at the London Academy of Music and Dramatic Art after early work in Welsh-language television, including the soap Pobol y Cwm.
He first gained wider attention for his stage role as Moritz Stiefel in the London production of Spring Awakening (2008–2009), winning a Laurence Olivier Award. On screen, Rheon is known for playing Simon Bellamy in the E4 series Misfits (2009–2011), Ramsay Bolton in Game of Thrones (2013–2016), and Mick Mars in the film The Dirt (2019). Other credits include Vicious, Inhumans and Those About to Die.
