Daniel Evans (actor)

Daniel Evans
Evans outside Wyndham's Theatre in the West End, after performing Sunday in the Park with George.
Born	Daniel Gwyn Evans (1973-07-31) 31 July 1973 (age 43) Rhondda, Wales
Occupation	Actor, director

Daniel Gwyn Evans (born 31 July 1973) is a Welsh actor and director.

Evans was born in the Rhondda Valley, South Wales. Evans started acting early in life, going to the Urdd Eisteddfod, and beginning to compete there from the age of 5 or 6, as well as going to many amateur productions. He realised it was what he wanted to do aged 8, and aged 17, he won the Richard Burton Memorial Prize at the National Eisteddfod of Wales. A year later, he won the Chair at the Urdd Eisteddfod.

He attended Ysgol Gyfun Rhydfelen near Pontypridd, a Welsh language secondary school which has nurtured many actors.

Evans trained at the Guildhall School of Music and Drama from 1991–1994, but joined the Royal Shakespeare Company before completing his course. With the RSC he had small roles in Coriolanus and Henry V, before playing Lysander when Adrian Noble's production of A Midsummer Night's Dream toured in New York City and on Broadway.

He appeared in the controversial play Cardiff East at the Royal National Theatre in 1997, and as the title role in Peter Pan, alongside Ian McKellen and Claudie Blakley.

Directed by Trevor Nunn, he appeared in The Merchant of Venice and Troilus and Cressida, and was then cast as the hero in the operetta Candide, which also starred Simon Russell Beale. It was his first singing role, and saw him nominated for the Laurence Olivier Award for Best Actor in a Musical in 2000.