Celyn Jones

After a decade of work on television, prolific Welsh actor Celyn Jones earned his showcase role as hell-raising poet Dylan Thomas in "Set Fire to the Stars" (2014), a critically praised drama which he also co-wrote. Born June 4, 1979 in Anglesey, an island off the northwest coast of Wales, Jones began performing as a teenager, and won a scholarship to the Oxford School of Drama at the age of 18. He began landing roles on television shortly after graduation, including a recurring character on the long-running children's series "Grange Hill" (BBC, 1978-2008), and made his film debut in 2005's "Lassie" with Peter O'Toole. In 2010, he replaced actor Daniel Caltagirone as police sergeant Paul Barolli on the popular ITV crime series "Above Suspicion" (2009-2012), based on the novels by Lynda La Plante ("Prime Suspect," ITV, 1991-2006). While working on the program, Jones also began writing and directing his own short film projects, including "Penpals" (2010), a thoughtful story about childhood and emotional growth. When "Suspicion" ran its course, Jones worked steadily on television, joining the cast of the French/English crime series "Jo" (TF1, 2013) with Jean Reno, and appearing in guest and recurring roles on "Da Vinci's Demons" (BBC Worldwide/Starz, 2013- ) and "Stella" (Sky1, 2013- ). In 2014, Jones fulfilled a long-standing dream to play the Welsh poet Dylan Thomas in "Set Fire to the Stars" (2014). The drama co-starred Elijah Wood as Canadian poet John M. Brinnin, who attempts to rein in his literary hero, the hard-living Thomas, while in 1950s-era New York. Jones received critical praise for both his performance and his script, co-written with director Andy Goddard, and began an exceptional busy phase in his career filled with co-starring roles in features like "Castles in the Sky" (2014) and "The Healer" (2014).