Kai Owen
Kai Owen (born 4 September 1975) is a Welsh actor of stage and screen, known to Welsh audiences for his numerous roles on Welsh language television and to worldwide audiences for his portrayal of Rhys Williams in Torchwood and Pete Buchanan in Hollyoaks.
Kai Owen

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- Name
- Kai Owen
- Born
- 4 September 1975
- Birthplace
- Llanrwst, Conwy, Wales
- Occupation
- Actor
- Nationality
- United Kingdom
- Education
- Ysgol Dyffryn Conwy
- Languages
- English
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Kai Owen (born 4 September 1975) is a Welsh actor of stage and screen, known to Welsh audiences for his numerous roles on Welsh language television and to worldwide audiences for his portrayal of Rhys Williams in Torchwood and Pete Buchanan in Hollyoaks.
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In this article
Key facts
Key facts
• Name — Kai Owen • Born — 4 September 1975 • Birthplace — Llanrwst, Conwy, Wales • Occupation — Actor • Years Active — 1998–present • Website — http: www.kaiowen.com
Background and personal life
Background and personal life
Owen was born in the town of Llanrwst in the Conwy Valley in North Wales, where his family still lives. His father Mark is a GMB union official and his mother Yvonne is a cleaner at the British Legion Club. He was educated at Watling Street Primary School, Llanrwst and Ysgol Dyffryn Conwy. He attended Mountview Theatre School, London for three years, graduating in 1998. Owen lived with his actor fiancée Sarah Wilson in East Finchley, London and in 2010 moved with son Bobby to Warwickshire. He ran the 2009 London Marathon for the children's cancer charity CLIC Sargent, and also ran the Virgin London Marathon on 25 April 2010. He is a patron of Llandudno Youth Musical Theatre.
Television career
Television career
He became first known as Kev, a gay roofer in Tipyn O Stad, shown on Welsh-language channel S4C. He was a regular in several series (52 episodes) of this popular gritty Welsh television programme; he also appeared in S4C's Treflan as character Bob Lewis. In 2009 he guested as Harri in the second series of Y Pris and as violent loan shark Craig Turner in Pobol Y Cwm (one episode, broadcast 11 September 2009; he appeared in a similar guest role in the show in August and in October 2012). Owen's first appearance on English-language UK television came in 2001, when he appeared as Buster Edwards in the episode Dog Dago Afternoon of series Fun at the Funeral Parlour. In 2003 he guested in an episode of BBC One television series Casualty (episode 392, Stuck in the Middle With You, 19 April 2003, as Danny). In 2005 he played the character of Dave 'Shiner' Owen in all six episodes of the series Rocket Man, a BBC One television series about a man trying to launch his dead wife's ashes into space. 2006 saw Owen cast as recurring character Rhys Williams in Torchwood, a spin-off from the science fiction television series Doctor Who, a role for which he has become most renowned. He was elevated to star billing for the third series, broadcast on BBC One in summer 2009, reflecting his growing role in the series. He reprised his role in the fourth series of Torchwood - Torchwood: Miracle Day, broadcast during summer 2011. Owen appeared in an episode of Celebrity Ready Steady Cook with Torchwood co-star Tom Price (Andy) (recorded 26 August 2009, broadcast 8 January 2010). In 2011, Owen appeared in the first episode of the third series of Being Human as Bob, leader of a dogging pack. He appears in the 14th episode of the seventh series of long running BBC school drama Waterloo Road as former rugby pro Ken Watling. He appeared in an episode of the 2012 Kay Mellor drama The Syndicate, broadcast on BBC One. In 2015, Owen joined the cast of the Channel 4 soap opera Hollyoaks playing Pete Buchanan, the ex-partner of Reenie McQueen (Zöe Lucker) and a perpetrator of child abuse. In preparation for the role, he liaised with the NSPCC. After portraying the role until a year later, he made a brief return in 2018. He is also set to reprise the role in April 2021.
Television
Television
• Year(s) — Title — Role — Notes • 2001 — Fun at the Funeral Parlour — P.C Hertz — TV episode - "Death in the Valleys" and "The Jaws of Doom" • 2002 — Fun at the Funeral Parlour — Buster Edwards — TV episode - "Dog Dango Afternoon " • 2003 — Casualty — Danny — TV episode - "Stuck in the Middle with You" • 2003–2006 — Tipyn o Stad — Kev Evans — Series regular; series 2–5 • 2005 — Rocket Man — David 'Shiner' Owen — Six episodes; main role • 2006–2011 — Torchwood — Rhys Williams — Recurring cast series 1–2 Main Cast series 3–4 • 2011 — Being Human — Bob — Episode #3.1 - "Lia" • Waterloo Road — Ken Watling — Episode #7.14 • 2012 — The Syndicate — Gareth Powell — Episode #1.4 • 2015 — Doc Martin — Episode #7.4 - "Education, Education, Education" • 2015–2016, 2018, 2021 — Hollyoaks — Pete Buchanan — Series regular • 2019 — Doctors — Mark Albany — 1 episode • 2022 — Casualty — Sergeant Taylor — 1 episode • 2024 — Mr Bates vs The Post Office — Retail Manager — 1 episode
Narration/Radio
Narration/Radio
• Year(s) — Title — Role — Notes • 2007 — Ying Tong: a Walk with the Goons — Harry Secombe — Radio Play by Roy Smiles • 2009 — "The Dead Line" — Rhys Williams — Torchwood Radio Plays (BBC Radio 4) • 2011 — "The Devil and Miss Carew'" • Ghost Train — Narrator — Torchwood audiobook • Department X • First Born • 2012 — Army of One • | 2015–present — Torchwood — Rhys Williams — | Big Finish Productions • 2017 — Tracks — Ifan — BBC Cymru Wales
Stage
Stage
• Year(s) — Title — Role — Notes • 1998 — The Tempest — Ariel — Performed at Stafford Castle • 2005 — Life of Ryan... and Ronnie — Ronnie • 2006 — A Chorus of Disapproval — Crispin Usher • 2008 — Adam & Steve — Adam • 2012 — As You Like It — Charles — Clwyd Theatr Cymru • 2025/26 — Cinderella — Dandini — Regent Theatre, Stoke-on-Trent

All the guests were brought on stage in two waves. I only got a picture of this one. From left to right are Phil Collinson, Nicola Bryant, Gareth David-Lloyd, Wendy Padbury, Frazer Hines, Kai Owen, Jason Haigh-Ellery, Laura Doddington and CIara Janson (although I don't know which is which), and Toby Hadoke.
Robynne Blume from Pomona, US · Opening Ceremony Uploaded by LongLiveRock

w:Eve Myles and w:Kai Owen at Man Of Steel red carpet movie premiere, Sydney
Eva Rinaldi · Eve Myles, Kai Owen
Notes from the source article
Cited by Wikipedia
Notes from the source article
These works are cited by the source article, in its own numbering. They are recorded as its citations, not as sources VALÉORINE has verified.
- 1.Kai Owen. Kai Owen Biography.
- 2.BBC. Wales NW Hall of Fame.
- 3.Kai Owen. Kai moved to Warwickshire.
- 4.Kai Owen. Kai enters Flora London Marathon 2009.
- 5.Kai Owen. Kai News.
- 6.IMDB Resumee. IMDb.
- 7.John Toon. Fun at the Funeral Parlour. May 2016.
- 8.Casualty Stuck in the Middle With You. CNET.
- 9.Rob Driscoll. Rocket Man: Journey to the stars. Western Mail. 29 October 2005.
- 10.The Custard TV. Coming Up. 2006.
- 11.BBC Press Office. Cast list and Production team. 2009-06-18.
- 12.BBC. Ready Steady Cook, Series 21, Episode 22. 2010.
- 13.BBC. Being Human - Lia (Series 3, episode 1). 2011.
- 14.Network TV BBC Week 40: Wednesday 5 October 2011.
- 15.Kai Owen news.
- 16.Kilkelly, Daniel. Hollyoaks casts Torchwood star Kai Owen as abuser Pete. Digital Spy. 10 April 2015.
- 17.Harp, Justin. Hollyoaks confirms return for evil Pete Buchanan in Cleo mental health storyline. Digital Spy. Hearst Magazines UK. 30 March 2021.
- 18.Gillian Reynolds. Today's TV & radio choices. The Daily Telegraph. July 2021.
- 19.Moira Petty. Radio review - drama. The Stage. 4 April 2007.
- 20.The Spotlight. Spotlight profile of Kai Owen.
- 21.BBC. Ryan and Ronnie relived on stage. 5 October 2005.
- 22.Jon Holliday. Life of Ryan. and Ronnie. The Stage. 19 October 2005.
- 23.University of the Arts London. Life of Ryan.and Ronnie. 2005.
- 24.Theatre in Wales. Archif atodiadau theatr bARN ers 1992. 2006.
- 25.Gill Isted. Where the laughs are. icNorthWales. 10 February 2006.
References
Citations
References
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The Encyclopedia exists whether or not anything is for sale. Corrections are recorded rather than overwritten, and every version of this record is kept. Published 17 August 2026.
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