After interviews to promote August Rush in New York recently, recovering alcoholic Jonathan Rhys Meyers fell off the wagon and landed hard on his face.

The Irish actor was arrested for public drunkenness and breach of peace at the Dublin airport last week. Then he was spotted a few days later drinking in North London, apparently grieving for his mother Geri Meyers O'Keeffe, who died recently at a County Cork hospital in Ireland.

For all his success, Rhys Meyers seems to be working out some troubles, yet faltering under the pressure.

Eight months ago, friends and family hoped he had come to grips with his demons when he checked into a rehab centre after wrapping August Rush. Apparently, it didn't take.

Yet days before his Dublin airport relapse, the churlish, but charming, 30-year-old seemed at peace and enjoying his promising professional life. He portrays a rebel rocker in the just-released adult film fable August Rush and he's redefining the raunchy Henry VIII in the soapy R-rated cable series The Tudors.

"I just finished shooting it," says an energetic Rhys Meyers of The Tudors 12-part second season airing next March in the U.S. And, yes, he confirms, they managed to complete the show before the U.S. writers guild strike cut things short.

And, of course, he acknowledges his Henry VIII is wire thin compared to the bulky historical figure. But then the miniseries isn't especially accurate either.

"I did put on muscle, but I couldn't really put on the weight," says the slim actor. "I said to them right from the start, 'Listen, if you are looking for a guy to put on 200 pounds I'm really not him.' My frame wouldn't hold it."

So what can Tudors' fans -- the first season ran on CBC this fall -- look for in the second part? "It's like in the first season we laid the rope," he says. "Second season it gets pulled. It's very vicious, and the fall of the Boleyn family is quite incredible."

Playing a rebellious guitar-strumming singer in August Rush is more his thing. In the film, he's a rocker who has one-night stand with a concert cellist (Keri Russell), then discovers 12 years later he has a musically gifted son (Freddie Highmore).

Along the way, Rhys Meyers plays and sings tunes like a seasoned pro.

"Yeah, I can sing and play a little, but I've got some brothers," he says of younger siblings Jamie, Paul and Alan, "who are proper musicians and play in groups."

Not that their older brother is ever far from a guitar or his music.

"Everybody's life has a soundtrack," he says. And so does his. While shooting August Rush, "I would listen to the choral stuff, and found this great organ piece by a guy called Wolfgang Rabson, and felt a little highbrow," he confesses.

"At the end of the day, though, it was gutter rock 'n' roll for me -- a lot of The Pogues, Dropkick Murphys. All that removed despondent Irish stuff."

That 's not surprising. The Dublin school dropout -- raised by his mother -- was headed for a detention centre when he was spotted, at 16, in a pool hall. That would lead to a few London commercials, TV shows, then a career-making role as the assassin in 1996's Michael Collins.

In North America, he is often remembered as the coach in 2002's Bend It Like Beckham and for his portrayal of Elvis Presley in the 2005 miniseries Elvis. He also co-starred in last year's Mission: Impossible III opposite Tom Cruise.

Still, he struggles with his past and with the bottle, and while August Rush coincidently bookends his drinking, then recovery, then relapse, he has fond memories of what the movie represents.

"Sometimes it's nice," he says of the film's happy-ending fantasy, "to remember what it is like to be positive and creative for two hours."

Even better, he met up with co-star Highmore on one memorable day last month to attend a game of the London-based soccer team Arsenal. Both are fans and both have season's tickets.

"So we had breakfast at a greasy spoon cafe and had everything on the surgeon's health warning," says a smiling Rhys Meyers. "Then we went to the game together, laughing all the way."
Taken From:National post

Jonathan Rhys-MeyersIrish actor Jonathan Rhys-Meyers wants to play young star Freddie Highmore's father again - when he's in his 60s. The Mission: Impossible 3 star played the 15-year-old's dad in acclaimed new movie August Rush, and he insists Highmore is set to become one of the world's greatest actors.

So, he wants to come full circle and play the grown-up Highmore's father when the young actor is at the height of his success.

Rhys-Meyers explains, "He learned from the master, Johnny Depp, in Finding Neverland and Charlie And The Chocolate Factory - that was Freddie's first really big introduction into how an actor works. So doing two films back to back with Johnny Depp certainly trained him for what he was going to be able to do as he got older.

"I just think he's going to get better and better and I think Freddie Highmore could be one of those few young actors who's gonna be a great adult actor. I think his career could span 40 years. I think he's gonna get more handsome as he gets older as well. I'd be very excited to be 65 and him playing my 30-year-old son. We could call the film Winter Rush."
Taken From:Starpulse

Talk about the luck of the Irish.

Dublin prosecutors dropped all charges against Jonathan Rhys Meyers stemming from the Tudors star's arrest in the city's airport last month, letting the local boy off the hook with little more than a caution.

The 30-year-old actor was busted on two charges of public drunkenness and breach of peace Nov. 18 for threatening and abusive conduct against airport workers while waiting for a flight back to London.

On Tuesday, an attorney for the Director of Public Prosecutions told Dublin District Judge Angela Ni Chonduin that the state did not wish to proceed with charges against the actor, but would instead mete out justice through the court's Adult Caution Scheme.

In a hearing in Dublin court Wednesday morning, for which Rhys Meyers was not present, the actor's attorney apologized for the once-rehabbed star's behavior, saying his actions were completely out of character.

"My client, nonetheless, instructed me to say he absolutely accepts his behavior was unacceptable and out of character," attorney Michael Staines said in court. "He unreservedly apologizes, in particular, to British Midland staff, to security staff and gardai."

Gardai is the official name of the police force of the Republic of Ireland. Rhys Meyers was visiting the country to promote his latest flick, August Rush.

Nonetheless, the actor didn't get completely off the hook. Rhys Meyers was slapped with a legal caution, a probationary action, which could result in charges further down the line should he again find himself on the wrong side of the law.

In a move designed to further prove his repentance over the incident, Staines said Meyers would be making a voluntary donation to an unnamed charity.

While his attorney expressed remorse for the actor's outburst, Staines did not offer an explanation. However, Rhys Meyers' mother, Geraldine Meyers O'Keefe, was extremely ill at the time and died just three days later. The cause of her death has not been disclosed.

The funeral service was held in Cork two weeks ago and brought out hundreds of fellow mourners, including Colin Farrell and director Neil Jordan.

Rhys Meyers is currently back in Ireland filming the second season of Showtime's The Tudors.
Taken From:eonline

Star of The Tudors, Jonathan Rhys Meyers has been down on his luck of late.

His mother passed away two weeks ago and he recently split from girlfriend Reena Hammer.

Now the 30-year-old Velvet Goldmine actor is homeless, I can report.

"Jonathan lived with Reena in Camden and decided to move out when they split," says a friend.

"He is currently house-hunting in East London."

The Irish actor started dating Reena in 2004 when she was 18 and the couple soon moved in together.

University student Reena's mother Ruby Hammer is co-founder of the Ruby & Millie cosmetics line and her father George Hammer is the owner of the Urban Retreat Spa at Harrods.

In 2005, the couple hit the headlines when they were both arrested under suspicion of assault and possession of cannabis.

Charges against the pair were later dropped and the actor said neighbours misheard a verbal fight.

Jonathan explained: "We were having a bit of a screaming match and the neighbours called the cops because they didn't know who was screaming.

"We went down to the station, gave our apologies to the neighbours, and the neighbours said that was grand."

The actor always admitted the couple had a fiery relationship.

Over the years, Jonathan has enjoyed on-screen romantic scenes with a host of beautiful women, including Scarlett Johansson, Toni Collette and E.R. actress Parminder Nagra, much to the chagrin of his jealous girlfriend Reena.

Rhys Meyers revealed his girlfriend was particulary annoyed at watching a sex scene with Scarlett in the Woody Allen movie Match Point.

He said: "Yeah, I remember seeing Match Point at Cannes and I was sitting next to Scarlett while my girlfriend was in the row behind.

"When it got to that scene (where Jonathan rubs baby oil onto the back of Scarlett), she started kicking the back of my chair and saying, "I'll f****** kill you!"

The couple were reported to have split recently, but Reena was by the actor's side when he buried his mother in in Kilcully, Cork last month.

Jonathan's mother Geraldine O'Keeffe died in a Cork hospital on November 20 at the age of 50, two days after the actor was arrested at Dublin airport on suspicion of public drunkenness and breach of the peace.

Charges were dropped last week after the actor apologised, but he did receive a police caution.

Rhys Meyers' arrest in Dublin came six months after he checked out of an alcohol rehabilitation clinic in California shortly after the release of Mission: Impossible III.
Taken From:Daily Mail

Jonathan Rhys-Meyers is set to become flatmates with Pete Doherty, according to reports.

The Daily Star has reported that the Irish actor has become close friends with the troubled frontman, following the death of Rhys-Meyers' mother last month, and the pair are now said to be hunting for a pad in east London together.

Rhys-Meyers, who is currently starring in 'August Rush', was left homeless last week after his ex-girlfriend Reena Hammer forced him to move out of her Camden home. Advertisement

A source told Daily Star: "Jonathan's mother died last month, leaving him heartbroken. Then his girlfriend split with him, forcing him to move out of her north London apartment.

"Although Jonathan spends a lot of time filming in Los Angeles these days he still needs somewhere to stay while working in London. So when a mutual friend suggested he and Pete could get a flat together, Jonathan jumped at the chance."

Rhys-Meyers and the Babyshambles frontman, who recently completed a stint in rehab for drug addiction, have reportedly started looking at properties and sources believe they will be a good influence on each other.

One said: "Jonathan's friend knows that he has had a really rough time of it recently and that Pete has too."
Taken From:RTE.IE

Jonathan Rhys Meyers and James Nesbitt are amongst the nominees in the television categories for the Golden Globe Awards.

Rhys Meyers has been nominated for Best Actor in a Television Series (Drama) for his role as Henry VIII in 'The Tudors'.

He is up against Michael C Hall ('Dexter'), Jon Hamm ('Mad Men'), Hugh Laurie ('House') and Bill Paxton ('Big Love') in the Best Actor category. Advertisement

'The Tudors' was also nominated for Best Television Series (Drama), along with 'Big Love', 'Damages', 'Grey's Anatomy', 'House' and 'Mad Men'.

Northern Irish star James Nesbitt also bagged a nomination for Best Actor in a Mini-Series or Motion Picture for Television for his role in 'Jekyll'.

Also nominated were Adam Beach ('Bury My Heart at Wounded Knee'), Ernest Borgnine ('A Grandpa for Christmas'), Jim Broadbent ('Longford') and Jason Isaacs ('The State Within').

'Damages' and 'Longford' both secured the most nominations with four each.

'Damages' star Glenn Close was nominated for Best Actress in a Television Series (Drama) along with Patricia Arquette ('Medium'), Minnie Driver ('The Riches'), Edie Falco ('The Sopranos'), Sally Field ('Brothers & Sisters'), Holly Hunter ('Saving Grace') and Kyra Sedgwick ('The Closer').

'Longford' was nominated for Best Mini-Series or Motion Picture Made for Television along with 'Bury My Heart at Wounded Knee', 'The Company', 'Five Days' and 'The State Within'.

Along with Broadbent's nomination for his role in 'Longford', his co-stars Samantha Morton and Andy Serkis were also nominated in the acting categories.

Morton was nominated for Best Actress in a Supporting Role in a Series, Mini-Series or Motion Picture Made for Television along with Rose Byrne ('Damages'), Rachel Griffiths ('Brothers & Sisters'), Katherine Heigl ('Grey's Anatomy'), Anna Paquin ('Bury My Heart at Wounded Knee') and Jaime Pressly ('My Name Is Earl').

Serkis was nominated for Best Actor in a Supporting Role in a Series, Mini-Series or Motion Picture Made for Television along with Ted Danson ('Damages'), Kevin Dillon ('Entourage'), Jeremy Piven ('Entourage'), William Shatner ('Boston Legal') and Donald Sutherland ('Dirty Sexy Money').

There were also nominations for 'Extras', '30 Rock', 'Ugly Betty' and 'Californication'.

The awards ceremony will be held on 13 January 2008.

PALS of Jonathan Rhys Meyers fear he will go off the rails this Christmas with grief for his mum.

The Tudors star is still shell-shocked over the death of Geraldine O’Keefe, who was 50.

A friend said: “He is out of his mind with grief. He was unbelievably close to her.

“We are worried his drinking will get out of control, especially as this will be his first Christmas without her.

“Even before she died he found it hard. God only knows how he will cope now.”

Geraldine had a lifelong drink problem and Jonathan, 30, has also battled the booze. The Cork-born star was seen hitting the bottle during the filming of his hit TV series The Tudors.

Hours after his mum’s death last month the grief-stricken actor was spotted in a London street swigging extra-strong cider.

And last month he was arrested for drunken behaviour at Dublin airport.

Irish model Glenda Gilson, 26, who briefly dated Rhys Meyers in 2006, said he was still numb with grief weeks after his mum’s death.

She said: “Poor Jonathan is totally in shock. But he is being very brave.”

Another of Rhys Meyers’ pals said the star has struggled to stay sober since he completed a second spell of rehab earlier this year.

“He has always been on the brink of going off the rails,” he said.

“Earlier this year, he was supposed to be heading to New York but he left a party with Lindsay Lohan and no one could find him.

“He vanished for two days. But that’s Jonny for you.”

Last month Rhys Meyers told an American magazine: “I didn’t drink until I was 25 and I never drank every day. But when I did it was bad.”

His parents split when he was a child and he was raised by his mum in a council flat in Cork.

He recalled that she drank so much of her dole money he was forced to steal food so they could eat.

At her funeral in Glanmire, Co Cork, Rhys Meyers told mourners: “At a time like this it is traditional to have a moment of silence.

“But anyone who knew my mother would know she hated silence. So I ask you all to stand and give her a round of applause.”
Taken From:daily star