Eve Myles is the recipient of a Swansea University honorary degree. The Welsh actress was presented with the award during the University’s December 2019 degree ceremonies in recognition of her acting career.
Eve Myles was born in Ystradgynlais, attending Ysgol Maes Y Dderwen. After training as an actor and gaining a Bachelor of Arts in acting from the Royal Welsh College of Music & Drama in Cardiff, she moved to London.
In the year 2000 Eve took on the central role of Ceri Owen in the BBC Wales drama Belonging, a part she would play until the end of the series in 2009.
An appearance in Doctor Who in 2005 brought Eve to the attention of lead writer Russell T Davies who would progress to create and produce the science fiction drama’s spin off, Torchwood. Considering her to be "one of Wales' best-kept secrets", Davies wrote the role of Gwen Cooper in Torchwood specifically for Eve. Eve portrayed the character Gwen Cooper for four series between 2006 and 2011. Her role in the series earned her a Bafta Cymru award for Best Actress in 2007.
An accomplished theatre actor, Eve Myles won an Ian Charleson Award in 2004 for her performances in Royal Shakespeare Company productions of the plays Titus Andronicus and The Taming of the Shrew. Further theatre credits include Henry IV, Part I and II at the National Theatre in 2004, and the role of Emma in the first UK run of Zach Braff's play All New People in 2012.
In 2017, Eve starred alongside her real-life husband Bradley Freegard in the Welsh drama Un Bore Mercher. Un bore Mercher was also filmed in English and was aired in 2018 on BBC One Wales as Keeping Faith with Eve playing Faith Howells, a solicitor whose husband Evan, with whom she works at their family-run law firm, disappears whilst she is on maternity leave following the birth of their third child.
On receiving her honorary award from the University, Eve Myles said: “I feel very honoured to receive this award from Swansea University. I’m extremely proud of my roots in Ystradgynlais which is just up the road from Swansea, and I feel humbled to be recognised in this way by such a progressive and proudly Welsh university. Diolch yn fawr iawn.”