Gareth David-Lloyd

Gareth David-Lloyd (born 28 March 1981 ) played Ianto Jones in Torchwood during its first three seasons. He reprised the role in Big Finish Torchwood series.

Early life
Gareth David Lloyd was born in Bettws, Newport. His first acting role was as a robot in a junior school play. As a teenager, Gareth joined the Gwent Young People's Theatre in Abergavenny and The Dolman Youth Theatre in Newport, where he was a contemporary of the actor Matthew Woodyatt and the singer Nia Lynn. While there, he appeared in several plays, including Macbeth, The Threepenny Opera and Henry V, in which he played the title role. When former Labour Party leader Neil Kinnock saw the young David-Lloyd performing at Monmouth Castle, he sent him £250 to use towards his acting career.

Early theatre work
While studying at Coleg Gwent, Crosskeys, Gareth David-Lloyd appeared in various local stage productions at the Dolman Theatre in Newport and the Sherman Theatre in Cardiff.

National Youth Theatre
Gareth went on to train at the National Youth Theatre, before moving to Reading to pursue his acting career with Rep College. David-Lloyd's parts have included Sebastian in on stage, plus appearances in television programmes such as Absolute Power, Casualty, Rosemary & Thyme and The Bill.

In the 2004 comedy/drama Mine All Mine, written by Russell T Davies, he played a character named Yanto Jones. Later, after Davies successfully revived Doctor Who and created Torchwood, when David-Lloyd was cast his character was given a virtually identical name, Ianto Jones.

Torchwood
Gareth David-Lloyd returned to Wales for the filming of his first regular television role in Torchwood, in which he plays Ianto Jones. His character has been awarded cult icon status by the TV website Digital Spy. In Torchwood he became Captain Jack's love interest in series 2, and this carried on into series 3. He also appeared in the Doctor Who episodes The Stolen Earth and Journey's End.

Special scenes with David-Lloyd as Ianto were filmed for the Torchwood Mission Game.

David-Lloyd returned to Torchwood for its third season, but Ianto was killed off midway through the Children of Earth storyline, to much outcry and Internet petitioning from fans.

Following Ianto's death, David-Lloyd wrote the comic story Shrouded for Torchwood Magazine.

Other work
Gareth recorded a number of M.R. James Ghost Stories entitled Tales of the Supernatural.

He also recently recorded an audio interview for Fantom Films for an audio CD series Cult Conversations, in which he talks about his involvement with Torchwood and his brief acting career to date.

Blue Gillespie
Gareth also fronts the heavy blues band Blue Gillespie (previously known as A Breath of Blue Fire). The band participated in Sex, Wales, and Anarchy on April 20 2008 and performed at Orgee on 3 May, 2008 at the University of Wales Institute Cardiff.