Matthew Rhys: ‘People would say speaking Welsh wasn’t cool when I was growing up’

Matthew Rhys has said that the Welsh language was not seen as “cool” when he was “growing up”.

The Welsh actor, who has starred in Hollywood films alongside the likes of Tom Hanks and Meryl Streep, has spoken about how attitudes towards the Welsh language have changed.

He said things were different growing up before the advent of the Welsh cultural movement Cool Cymru, which gained momentum in the late 1990s, and that he would be given a “hard time” for speaking the Welsh language.

Rhys also said that there is a “duty” on people like him, who have the “opportunity” to promote the Welsh language from a prominent platform, to do so.

During an episode of the S4C programme, Sgwrs Dan y Lloer (Chat Under the Moon), he was asked by presenter, Elin Fflur, what motivities him to keep a strong “connection” with Wales and advocate for the Welsh language while living in New York.

Elin Fflur said: “I’ve always felt, like a lot of other people in Wales, that you’re a great ambassador for Wales because you do live very far away from us by now, but you do things like supporting the Urdd. You’re there with your Urdd hat. You’re there sending messages.

“We see you often on programmes like Heno. You work with Ffilm Cymru festivals like Pics and Iris and so on. Things that in reality you don’t have to do any of these things Matthew because you’re an incredibly busy person and you’re raising a family here.

“What drives that in you then? Is it something to do with keeping that connection? Is that strong in you? Or is it just that your feet are on the ground?”

‘Connection with Wales’

Matthew Rhys replied: “Well, you know, I get something out of it because it’s as you say. I keep that connection with Wales in a way. I certainly believe that there’s a duty on us who have that opportunity to encourage and nurture the next generations.

“I remember when I was growing up, before we spoke about that time that was Cool Cymru, I would have a hard time every now and again where people would say Wales or speaking Welsh wasn’t cool. And I’m not saying I’m cool at all right.

“But if there’s something that I can do to help, especially with the Welsh language. I liked seeing those people who went ‘yeah speak Welsh’, the people that I admired or the actors that I admired (advocating speaking Welsh). So I feel there’s a kind of duty on me.

“And as you say. I’m selfish, I get something out of it because I feel like I’m keeping my roots, I keep a foot in the old country.