Hans Matheson was born on August 7, 1975, in a caravan on the Isle of Lewis, located in the Outer Hebrides of Scotland. Shortly after his birth, his family relocated to Canterbury, Kent in England, although he would often spend his summer holidays on the Isle of Lewis with his grandparents.
As a child, Hans's parents, Iain (Ado) and Sheena, frequently took him and his younger brother to folk festivals and Bob Dylan concerts. His father, Ado, is a musician, and his grandfather was a Gaelic singer and songwriter who performed at concerts and ceilidhs throughout Scotland. Hans's great-grandfather was crowned the Celtic Bard in recognition of his writing in the 1950s.
Hans claims to have been a shy and introverted child who was unhappy at school. He left school and, at the suggestion of his mother, auditioned for drama school: Avondale Hall in Clapham. His teacher and mentor encouraged him to audition for a Jez Butterworth TV show, which led to a role in Mojo on stage at the Royal Court Theatre and later in the film version of the same name.
Roles in TV shows such as Bramwell (1995),Wycliffe (1993),and Family Money (1996) followed, along with films like Stella Does Tricks (1996),Still Crazy (1998),and Bodywork (2001). His first break on the international arena came with his casting as Marius in Bille August's production of the Victor Hugo classic Les Misérables (1998).
He then starred in the European films Canone Inverso (2000) and I Am Dina (2002),as well as the television mini-series The Mists of Avalon (2001). His major role to date has undoubtedly been the lead role as Yury Zhivago in the 2002 Granada Television adaptation of Doctor Zhivago (2002),where he co-starred with Keira Knightley and Sam Neill.
Aside from his acting career, Hans is a talented musician who plays guitar, violin, and harmonica and writes his own songs. He prefers the simple things in life to pursuing fame and fortune, often taking his guitar with him wherever he goes and preferring to travel by train rather than by air, even if the trip takes days.
