In February 2008, he became a celebrity ambassador for The Hope Foundation. This Cork-based charity aims to provide shelter and supplies to Calcutta's impoverished street children. Rhys Meyers hopes that lending his name to the organisation will help raise awareness of the issue. As Ambassador he is expected to visit India and record a TV documentary for the charity.

On 5 October 2008, Rhys Meyers received an Honourary Patronage from the Trinity College Philosophical Society in Dublin, Ireland.

Rhys Meyers owns houses and apartments in Los Angeles, Dublin, London and Morocco, splitting his time between Los Angeles and London when not working. He also owns a horse named Belle and a Chihuahua named Boo Boo.

In May 2005, Rhys Meyers checked into rehab facility Promises in California seeking treatment for alcohol abuse. On 24 April 2007, the Associated Press reported that Rhys Meyers returned to treatment. The actor's representative Meredith O'Sullivan confirmed the news to People magazine citing his need to take a break from his busy schedule in order to maintain sobriety. On 18 November 2007, Rhys Meyers was arrested in Dublin Airport and charged with being drunk and in breach of the peace. He was later released on bail to appear at the Dublin District Court on 5 December 2007. He was in Dublin to promote his new movie August Rush on the Irish television programme Tubridy Tonight. The charges were later dropped.

On 27 February 2009, the actor checked into rehab a third time, seeking help for alcohol addiction. He checked out on 15 March 2009.

On 20 June 2009, Rhys Meyers was arrested after allegedly attacking a number of staff at a bar in Charles de Gaulle airport, Paris and then threatening to kill them. He was bailed out to appear before magistrates on charges of "willful violence, outrage, hitting and threatening death", and was to appear before the Correctional Tribunal in Bobigny, in September 2009.

In May 2010, it was reported that Rhys Meyers was banned for life from flying on United Airlines due to "belligerent" and "disruptive behaviour" stemming from reports that he "used the n-word" after "pounding drinks" in the first class lounge and becoming increasingly drunk and disorderly," at John F. Kennedy International Airport.

Brian Dennehy (2000) · James Franco (2001) · Albert Finney (2002) · Al Pacino (2003) · Geoffrey Rush (2004) · Jonathan Rhys Meyers (2005) · Bill Nighy (2006) · Jim Broadbent (2007) · Paul Giamatti (2008) · Kevin Bacon (2009)

Complete List · (1981-1999) · (2000-present)