Mark Rylance Talks Acting and LA BETE

In a recent article by the Independent, Mark Rylance spoke about what acting means to him, and how he's been so successful at it.

Rylance, who is widely considered the best actor of his generation, has been acting for 3 decades. Last year, Rylance received a Tony award for the Broadway production of BOEING BOEING and also played Johnny Byron in JERUSALEM to wide acclaim. The actor, now 50, is currently starring as Valere in David Hirson's LA BETE.

Despite being called "as nutty as a fruitcake" by The Daily Telegraph, you can't deny his talent. When the Independent asked BOEING BOEING and LA BETE director Matthew Warchus what it is about Rylance that makes him so fun to watch he said, "he was born with the ability to lie in an astonishingly convincing way. It's supernatural. Add to that his showmanship, and his [ability to communicate] psychological truth - which are usually mutually exclusive - and you have something virtually unique." But when asked whether he possesses "an X-factor" Warchus said, "You'd have to ask Simon Cowell about that kind of shit."

Rylance told the Independent, "I used to be so dominated by self-criticism that I had difficulty enjoying myself at acting for a long time." But now, Rylance has moved beyond the self-criticism.

"When I was a young actor," he said, "I used to bang my head against doors like a sledgehammer until they would open. Now, I just play. I look for the joyful thing. Those three parts you named were just so enjoyable. And rehearsing this play, too, I laugh so much, I worry that I won't be able to keep a straight face come the performance. Nowadays, I just really enjoy myself."

For the full article, click here.

 

 

Photo Credit: Walter McBride/Retna Ltd.