He won big for his performance in last year’s Bridge of Spies and this July is about to breathe life into one of Roald Dahl’s most cherished creations in Steven Spielberg’s The BFG. But how has a man that only two years ago was only known to theatre lovers in the UK become Hollywood’s new favourite actor? We look at the remarkable rise of Mark Rylance...
Spielberg thinks he’s the jim-dandy
“The greatest actor, anywhere,” is how the world’s most famous director describes him. High praise indeed.
He’s MASSIVE in the theatre
He may have only recently pricked the public’s consciousness, but Mark Rylance has been a leading light in the British theatre for decades. His is the CV of a committed luvvie – from RADA to the RSC to his role as the first Artistic Director of the Globe Theatre – and, apart from a few roles here and there, he’s only recently embraced the big screen.
Him and Spielberg nearly worked together 30 years ago
"I turned down Empire of the Sun, despite both my grandfathers having been in Japanese PoW camps,” Rylance admitted to Radio Times recently. “Well, I accepted, then turned it down. The Shared Experience company offered me a run at the National Theatre. Steven gave me four hours to choose. I chose the theatre, and I met my wife!"
He stole the show in
Wolf Hall
Before this adaptation of Hilary Mantel’s bestselling novel aired, all eyes were on ginger-locks heartthrob Damian Lewis. After all, it was this Homeland hunk who was playing the book’s most famous character, Henry VIII. But it was the quiet, insidious performance of Mark Rylance, as the King’s lawyer Thomas Cromwell, that everyone was talking about after it screened on BBC1 last year.
Less is more
For an actor whose life was spent in the theatre where it’s all ‘project-project-project’, Rylance’s screen work seems defined by the ‘less is more’ approach. From his hushed, low-key turn as Thomas Cromwell to his intricate, detailed, dialled down performance as captured KGB agent Rudolf Abel in Spielberg’s Bridge of Spies, it’s proof that not all big screen acting has to grandstand and shout from the rooftops.
Sean Penn loves him too
The Pennster had been trying to get Rylance to star alongside him for 20 years, and last year finally convinced the 56-year-old actor to sign up for thriller, The Gunman. "Sean Penn called me up and asked if I'd be in a film with him,” says Rylance. “I nearly did say no because I had other engagements but they worked their schedule so they could get me in here. We met on a few occasions and became friends after that so he was very keen for me to come in, which was very nice for me.”
Unfortunately, Sylvester Stallone’s brother isn’t so keen on him
Most of the world clapped and cheered when Mark Rylance won his Best Supporting Actor Oscar for Bridge of Spies. One exception was Frank Stallone, the brother of Sylvester, who took to Twitter to voice his displeasure at his sibling losing out to Rylance. “The Academy should be ashamed of themselves,” he tweeted. “It's as clear as the nose on your face that Sly won. Mark who? It's total Hollywood bullshit.”
But that wasn’t the end if it: “First of all my brother has created 2 American icons 40 yrs worth and he did a historic job,” he went on. “If I was Mark? I would have been embarrassed.” And then: “Mark Rylance couldn't even comb his hair for Christ sake this is the 3rd time Sly's gotten ripped off: Rocky, Copland and Creed.”
He did later did say sorry, tweeting: “I will always defend what right but I was wrong to put down Mark Rylance and I apologize. He is a fine actor but I thought Sly deserved it.”
The BFG arrives at Cineworld on 22nd July.
