HOLLYWOOD actor and Haverfordian, Rhys Ifans is fifty-four today.

The star of both stage and screen was born in the county town on July 22, 1967.

Even though Ifans has become a Hollywood star he has never forgotten his Pembrokeshire roots.

In 2017 the actor joined a campaign to save the iconic Tafarn Sinc pub in Rosebush.

Film Under Milk Wood , starring Ifans, was filmed in Solva.

He has also appeared as a guest at literary festivals in the area in the past.

Ifans was born in Haverfordwest to a nursery school teacher and primary school teacher. He grew up in Ruthin and was raised speaking Welsh as his first language. He attended school at Ysgol Maes Garmon in Mold, north Wales, before going to Guildhall School of Music and Drama in London.

Ifans is a practitioner of stage as well as screen having appeared in Shakespeare's A Midsummer Nights Dream, Charles Dicken's A Christmas Carol and Ben Jonson's classic Volpone.

Of his most famous screen rolls Ifans was the hapless Spike in Notting Hill. He also appeared in Hollywood blockbusters including Spiderman, Harry Potter and Nanny McPhee and the Big Bang. Ifan's breakthrough role came as Jeremy Lewis in Kevin Allen's Twin Town, filmed in Swansea.

Ifans has dabbled in music. It was reported he was the lead singer of the Super Furry Animals for a brief spell (before they released any records). He also appeared Oasis' video for single The Importance of Being Idle.

The actor has had a reputation for being a bit of a party-goer, and was reported to have had a brief fling with English actress Sienna Miller.

Did you know Haverfordwest has a pretty high ratio of Hollywood actors to come from the area, with Batman star Christian Bale also born in the county town.