Coventry Evening Telegraph (England); 6/12/1999; McMULLEN, MARION
POP star Kylie Minogue is finding out all about Warwickshire life after moving to the Bard's home town to be near rising acting star Rupert Penry-Jones.
The couple first met earlier this year when they were appearing in a production of The Tempest in Barbados and were quickly smitten.Rupert is now about to make his Royal Shakespeare Company debut in Don Carlos at The Other Place in Stratford and Kylie has arrived to cheer him on.
Rupert joked that he had to find the local supermarket before she turned up and said: "I seem to have been living on hot dogs and fast food for the last few weeks."
The 28-year-old actor is used to attracting attention.
He was expelled from drama school when he was younger for "being a disruptive influence," has worked as a model on the catwalks of Milan and played a well-meaning but dim royal in TV drama The Student Prince with Robson Green.
"I always seem to be asked to play posh, gay or German people on television," said Rupert."The son of actors Angela Thorne and Peter Penry-Jones said his parents initially tried to dissuade him when he first announced he wanted to act, but changed their minds when they saw him in a school play.
He said: "They came to see me every night and at the end said 'OK, you might never be an Olivier, but we'll support you."
His brother Laurence is now at drama school and Rupert admitted when the family get together they tended to talk shop.
The blue-eyed blond was playing Ferdinand opposite 31-year-old Kylie in The Tempest when they first worked together, and was looking forward to her visit during rehearsals for the RSC's new production, which opens on Tuesday.
The Aussie singer and actress's link to the area dates back to her chart hits in the 80s when she worked with Coventry record producer Pete Waterman.
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