John Rhys-Davies

John Rhys-Davies was born May 5, 1944, in Salisbury, Wiltshire, England. Raised in England, Wales and Africa, he is a graduate of the University of East Anglia and The Royal Academy of Dramatic Arts.

A character actor with a long background on the stage, television and big screen, Rhys-Davies was first noticed by American audiences in the miniseries "I, Claudius" (1976) and "Shogun" (1980). After playing Sallah in the blockbuster Raiders of the Lost Ark (1981), Rhys-Davies became a welcome presence in Hollywood movies. He repeated the role in Indiana Jones and The Last Crusade, then gained a TV following as Professor Arturo in the cult series "Sliders" (1995-97).

Although he was actually taller than his fellow lead actors, camera tricks made Rhys-Davies appear smaller in his role as the dwarf warrior Gimli in the phenomenally successful Lord of the Rings trilogy (2001-03).

Beyond the Mask

2015 PG

A former assassin for a British trading company, William Reynolds escapes his dark past by starting over in the American colonies, where he becomes Benjamin Franklin's protégé, seeks redemption and races against time to foil an epic political plot.