Dewi "Pws" Morris obit

Star of Wales rugby film Grand Slam dies

 

He was not on the list.

The actor, singer and TV presenter Dewi "Pws" Morris has died, aged 76.

He is best known for playing a lead role in the 1978 comedy Grand Slam, about a rugby fan who goes in search of an old girlfriend while on a trip to see Wales play France in the former Five Nations tournament.

He was the children’s Poet laureate for Wales in 2010-11 and also starred in numerous S4C productions.

Born in Treboeth, near Swansea, he was a teacher before turning to acting and singing, becoming a member of several pop groups.

Dewi Gray Morris took on the name Dewi Pws to distinguish himself from other Dewis in his class.

After school he went to Cyncoed College in Cardiff to train as a teacher, and then taught for some years in Splott, Cardiff.

But he soon discovered teaching was not for him, moving into the world of entertainment after being asked to write a pantomime for a Welsh theatre company.

From there more acting roles followed.

He played Wayne Harries from Pobol y Cwm's debut in 1974 until 1987.

He also took roles in Rownd a Rownd, Taff Acre and many other plays, films and soaps in both English and Welsh.

But it was his part as Oscar-winner Huw Griffith’s womanising son Glyn Lloyd-Evans in 1978 BBC Wales comedy Grand Slam that became his best known role.

In a 2018 interview he recalled the film’s enduring popularity.

"Lots of people, even young people, know every line in it more than I did," he said.

"When I was offered the part, John (Hefin, co-writer) came up to me one day and said 'How do you fancy being in a rugby film?' ".

He said he did not realise it was going to be a cult film or that he would be acting with Huw Griffith.

"Frightening, frightening, and awesome!" he said.

He was also known as part of 1970s punk group Tebot Piws, and later rock band Edward H Dafis.

He won the song contest Can i Gymru in 1971 with Nwy yn y Nen and is also credited with composing Lleucu Llwyd.

He was awarded best regional presenter in 2003 for his series Byd Pws (Pws’s World) by the Royal Television Society.

In 2010 he was nominated as children’s poet in Wales. He wrote over a dozen books and was a guest presenter for the Children’s Literature Festival in Cardiff 2016.

In 2018 he received an honorary degree from Swansea University.

Mr Morris is survived by his wife Rhiannon, with whom he lived in Nefyn, Gwynedd.