Ifans was raised in Wales, the son of teachers. After college he began a long stretch in the theater. “There wasn’t much of a movie industry in Britain when I started acting,” he says. “But since ‘Shallow Grave’ and ‘Trainspotting,’ my type of actor has been popular.” And what type of actor is that, exactly? “I’m sort of left field. You must never introduce me to your mother.”
Ifans has five movies due this year, including the black comedy “Rancid Aluminum,” with “Shakespeare in Love’s” Joseph Fiennes. “I’m glad I’ve done diverse roles,” he says. “If ‘Notting Hill’ was the only one, and somebody was making ‘Scooby Doo,’ I’d be up for Shaggy–and that’s all I’d play for the rest of my life.”
