Teen scene: Gruffudd set female pulses racing from a young age

It is the series in which Gruffudd appeared for five years from age 14 before achieving stardom in blockbusters such as Titanic and 102 Dalmatians.

Now his mum is following in his footsteps, playing the part of church committee member Mrs Price in the fictional Welsh village of Cwmderi.

Mrs Griffiths - her son's surname is spelt in the Welsh form - has long pursued her own acting ambitions.

But perhaps more importantly for Gruffudd fans, she has always encouraged her son to forge a career in television and films.

The two even starred alongside each other in the Oscar-nominated Welsh-language film, Solomon a Gaenor.

In the film Mrs Griffiths played Ioan's mother and the two are seen together in the opening minutes of the love story set in a 1911 Welsh valleys mining village.

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In Pobol y Cwm, Gruffudd played teenager Gareth Wyn Harries.

He started the role while still a pupil at the Welsh-language secondary school where his father, Peter, is still head teacher.

One of his storylines included him falling in love with a fellow patient while in hospital.

Since then, he has won the adulation of millions of female fans with his heroic roles in television and on film.

He was hailed for his looks in the swashbuckling naval drama, Hornblower - which starts a new series this weekend - as well as his role in the Hollywood smash, Titanic.

And in 2001, readers of a US magazine taking part in an online poll voted the native Welsh language speaker their third most-eligible bachelor.

Family favourite: Gruffudd starred with mum, Gill, in Solomon a Gaenor

His mother's inclusion on the cast list of Pobol y Cwm is nothing new, she has appeared in the series a number of times in recent years.

But her current role as the religious Mrs Price has pleased her son who went on to RADA after the experience he gained from the series.

Gruffudd's agent, Christian Hodell, said: "Ioan is delighted that his mother is appearing on Pobol y Cwm.

"He had a great time doing it himself and knows the cast will make her welcome."

A spokeswoman for Pobol y Cwm said: "Gill has been a regular non-speaking part for ages.

"We are very pleased that she is a regular."

Gruffudd next appears on the BBC on Easter Saturday, 30 March, in Man And Boy, BBC One's adaptation of Tony Parson's novel.

He plays Harry Silver who is left to bring up his four-year-old son, Pat, when his wife walks out of him after he has a one-night stand.