Matthew Rhys 'steals' Netflix character from Anthony Hopkins

Emmy award-winning actor Matthew Rhys says he was "unashamedly" inspired by Hannibal Lecter for his role in Netflix thriller The Beast in Me.

The Cardiff-born actor said revisiting the 1990s classic film The Silence of the Lambs had influenced how he played his character.

"If you are going to steal, steal from the best. I stole a lot from Anthony Hopkins," he said.

Video edited by Greg Davies

27 November 2025

Wales

Anthony Hopkins

Netflix

A woman with a buzzcut smiles at the camera. The table in front of her has loads of cards and letters. She has a green, blue and white patterned shirt on.

Terminally ill mum issues Christmas card appeal

Clare Jones wants to make the festive season "a bit more magical" after realising it would be her last Christmas.

Wales

Watch arrests at family's secret £3.5m cannabis farm in sleepy village

The moment Linda McCann, 63, and her two helpers are arrested is caught on police body-worn cameras.

Wales

Mike Hedges sat in a chair with papers and a microphone in front of him

Politician criticised for lack of 'respect' in Covid hearing

Mike Hedges told the family member that he was "looking things up" related to the hearing on his phone.

Wales

A CCTV image shows a white care driving onto the pavement behing two men walking

CCTV captures teen using car 'as a weapon' after fight

Thomas Baker, 19, from Bethesda, was seen deliberately mounting the pavement to hit his victim.

Wales

A composite image - on the left a man pulls a woman out of a red car, on the right the car has crashed into bushes in front of a Tesco van

Carjacker crashes into bush after near-miss with van

Benjamin Griffiths forced a woman out of her car, swerved in front of a van and crashed into bushes.

Wales

Young boy with brown hair, with one hand on colourful wall.

Couple hope immersive room will stop A&E fear for families

The parents of an autistic six-year-old say the new A&E room aims to help families at hospital.

Wales

Lizzy the logness monster looking out to sea

Town's 'logness monster' gets swept out to sea

High tides swept Lizzy the "logness monster" from her seafront perch in Porthcawl, Bridgend county.

Wales

'A dream can become real,' says world record holder, 11

Max has become the youngest male video game developer after his four-hour attempt in May.

Wales

A man in shorts and a t-shirt on the bonnet of a van.

Barefoot man in handcuffs escapes police and scales wall

Dylan Harrison was handcuffed when he escaped from a police van as he was taken out of the vehicle.

Wales

Kevin Sinfield on the left of the image in a blue dry robe holding a white mug. His arm is outstretched on the shoulder of a teenage boy who is looking at him. There is a woman and man in dark clothing next to them.

Kevin Sinfield meets family of boy who died of MND

Kevin Sinfield meets the family of Kyle Sieniawski, who died from motor neurone disease aged 14.

Wales

Young women call for better health education

New resources are being designed to improve understanding of common conditions.

Wales

Politicians thrashed out the big issues in an online debate

Politicians thrash out key issues in live TV debate

They clashed over the NHS, the two-child benefit cap and increasing Senedd members.

Wales

A man in a grey hoody with his arms outstretch, there is a man with his arms in the foreground of the image holding a yellow Taser

'Taser me bro' - Man Tasered after taunting police

Arron Dean was jailed for 26 weeks after appearing in Llandudno Magistrates’ Court.

Wales

A baby rhino stood next to a larger rhino, but you can only see the larger rhinos legs.

Critically endangered rhino born at farm

There are only 1471 eastern black rhinos left in the wild and 109 in zoos across Europe.

Wales

Lorry driver with misted up windscreen causes pile-up

This is the moment a lorry driver with a misted windscreen ploughed into the back of a van.

Wales

A person who is hooded is holding a knife pointing it at a shopkeeper over a counter

Watch: Shopkeeper fights off robbery attempt with milk crate

CCTV footage shows the shopkeeper being threatened with a knife by two women.

Wales

Flames and smoke can be seen rising from the gutted rugby club building. It is night time.

Firefighters tackle blaze at historic rugby club

An investigation into the cause of the fire at Penarth Rugby Club is under way.

Wales

A woman with brown hair, wearing a grey jacket and purple jumper

From taxes to AI investment – how the Budget will impact Wales

The first minister welcomed the announcement, but Plaid said the cash boost was "tiny" compared to previous budgets.

Wales

A split of two images, on the right in a crashed white car and on the left is a man running caught on cctv

Runaway driver caught by CCTV after crash

As a manhunt began, officers tracked down grainy CCTV footage, showing the suspect making his escape.

Wales

A screengrab of Christopher Tribe in the lorry after it has just crashed.

Watch: Moment lorry driver with misted windscreen causes horror crash

Dashcam footage shows the HGV crashing into a van, and other cars sat at a temporary red light.

Wales