Luke Evans: who is the Pembrokeshire Murders actor, does he have a partner - and what is his net worth?

Everyone loves a bit of true crime television, and the latest series to intrigue the nation is The Pembrokeshire Murders on ITV.

The three-part drama, from the makers of Line Of Duty, is based on the grisly, real-life murders carried out by serial killer John Cooper in west Wales in the 1980s.

Actor and singer Luke Evans plays Detective Superintendent Steve Wilkins in the miniseries, and has been praised for his captivating performance as his character works to bring justice to Cooper’s victims.

But Evans is no stranger to TV and you are likely to recognise him from some well-known Hollywood blockbusters.

Here’s everything you need to know about the Welsh actor.

Who is Luke Evans?

Luke Evans, 41, was born in Pontypool in Wales on April 15 1979.

He was raised as a Jehovah’s Witness but left the religion when he was 16 years old.

A year later, he moved from Aberbargoed, a small Welsh village in the Rhymney Valley, to Cardiff, where he was taught professional singing by coach Louise Ryan.

He attended the London Studio Centre, a dance and theatre school, in 1997 after winning a scholarship, before graduating in 2000.

Evans began his successful acting career on stage, performing in some major West End shows like Rent, Miss Saigon and Piaf.

What has he starred in?

The actor’s big break finally came in 2010, when he was cast in the Clash of the Titans remake.

Evans then landed roles in other action films like Immortals, The Raven and The Three Musketeers.

He is also well-known for his stint in Fast and Furious 6 as Owen Shaw.

The blockbuster roles just kept coming for Evans, as he went on to star in Peter Jackson's three-part adaptation of J. R. R. Tolkien's The Hobbit as Bard the Bowman.

After that, he played the lead role of Dracula in the 2014 horror/action Dracula Untold.

However, one of his most famous roles was more recent, when he was cast as Gaston in Disney’s hugely popular 2017 live-action adaptation of Beauty and the Beast, which stars Emma Watson as Belle.

A man of many talents, Evan released his debut album At Last on in November 2019.

What did he say about the Pembrokeshire Murders?

Evans was ecstatic to go back to his Welsh roots in The Pembrokeshire Murders series, and has said he was happy to be able to act in his own accent.

On the true crime itself, he said: “I’m a sucker for a true story and this isn’t just a true story, it’s a shocking true story about the worst serial killer Wales has ever seen.

“It is a powerful story and it’s a success story. It shows you how people come together and when the truth is there, as deeply as it was buried, if people have a passion and want to find the truth, they’ll find it.”

The actor speaks highly of his home country, describing it as “a magnificent place to be at any time of the year.”

He added: “The juxtaposition of this terrible thing happening in such a beautiful place just adds to the mystery of the whole place.”

Does Luke Evans have a partner?

Fans will be happy to know that the Welsh actor has recently become single.

Evans recently split with his boyfriend, art director Rafa Olarra, who he had been officially dating since February 2020 - but some suspect the couple might have got together in summer 2019.

Eagle-eyed fans spotted that the pair had unfollowed each other on Instagram in October 2020, sparking rumours of a split, but they seemed to rekindle their romance soon after, posting pictures of each other on their accounts.

But, Evans - who is very private - told The Times in January 2021 that they had split permanently, stating simply: “It is what it is.”

What is his net worth?

It is no surprise that Luke Evans has earned a lot of money from his many high-profile acting roles, TV series and stage credits over the years.

The actor is worth £4.4million ($6million), according to the site Celebrity Net Worth.