Arwel began his career playing the lead role in the first Welsh-language feature film shot on 35mm, Stormydd Awst (Storms of August). Having trained at the Webber Douglas Academy, he went on to play several leading roles in features and TV series, most notably Cyw Haul, Bob a’i Fam, Oed yr Addewid/Do Not Go Gentle (for which he won Best Actor, Las Palmas de Gran Canaria International Film Festival, 2001), and Treflan (for which he won 2002 BAFTA Cymru Best Male Actor). He featured in the 1993 Oscar nominated (Best Foreign Language Film) Hedd Wyn, Heidi (2005) and the BBC’s adaptation of Tess of the D’Urbervilles (2008). Arwel is an accomplished theatre actor, having played leading roles for some of Wales’ foremost theatre companies, including Theatr Genedlaethol Cymru, Sherman Theatre, Bara Caws, Sgript Cymru and Theatr Gwynedd. Following a period as Literary Manager and then Associate Director for Script Cymru and Sherman Theatre, Arwel took on the role of Artistic Director of Theatr Genedlaethol Cymru (the Welsh-language national theatre of Wales), from which he stepped down in May 2022. During his time there he directed many acclaimed productions, including Llwyth, Blodeuwedd and Chwalfa (all of which won the Wales Theatre Award for Best Welsh-language production), and most recently the much-celebrated Tylwyth by Daf James. Having only recently resumed his acting career, he appeared in S4C’s latest feature, Y Sŵn. Arwel is also a highly accomplished singer.
ARWEL GRUFFYDD
