Owain Rhys Davies. Alberto E. Rodriguez/Getty Images Owain Rhys Davies, the Welsh-born actor who appeared in David Lynch and Mark Frost’s Twin Peaks: The Return reboot in 2017, has died. He was 44.
His brother, Rhodri Davies, on May 30 in an Instagram post announced his unexpected death. “It is with profound sadness that my father and I share the news that my brother, Owain, has passed away. This news will come as a great shock to many. While there are still questions that remain unanswered regarding the circumstances of his death, our understanding at this stage is that Owain passed suddenly, naturally, and peacefully,” the family statement also from father Conway Davies said.
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Born on Feb. 20, 1982 in Cardiff, Wales, Rhys Davies was brought up in St. Clears in Carmarthenshire and caught the acting bug while performing in local theater productions. His eventual screen credits included Disney’s Alice Through the Looking Glass movie, The Indian Doctor for the BBC and Hulu, the Netflix sci-fi series The OA, Hulu’s The Relationship and the Amazon Prime film A Serial Killer’s Guide to Life.
Rhys Davies played F.B.I. Agent Wilson in Twin Peaks: The Return, a revival of Lynch’s popular 1990s series. In a May 2017 interview with the BBC Cymru Phyw service in Wales, the Welsh actor recalled being cast by Lynch after an audition.
“I met David Lynch on the set for the first time. I was a little nervous when he came over, and for some reason when I’m nervous I turn into a stand up comedian and tell a lot of jokes! He held my hand and said “Shall we …?” We had a little chat about the character and then we started filming,” Rhys Davies recalled.
It was over a half year later that the actor learnt he had the part. “I was in the car when my agent called. I had the audition seven months earlier and I thought I didn’t get the part. I had to pull the car over and scream, everyone around me looked surprised, it was a very memorable day,” Rhys Davies recounted.
The delay in being told he had the gig was due to Lynch wanting to keep the script and its mystery narrative under wraps. Rhys Davies recalled getting the call on Monday, being fitted for costumes on Wednesday and first coming on set on Friday.
“Owain was fortunate enough to have more than one family. Alongside his biological one, he built extraordinary, family-like bonds with many of his closest friends, colleagues, and loved ones. I am incredibly proud that, while he was my brother, he was also a brother to so many others. We know that this loss will be felt by a great many people, and we take comfort in knowing how loved he was,” his brother Rhodri added in his statement.
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