Mark Rylance is an English actor, playwright and theatre director known for his work on stage and screen.
Rylance started his career with the Royal Shakespeare Company acting in numerous productions of William Shakespeare's work such as The Tempest (1982), A Midsummer Night's Dream (1986), Hamlet (1989), and Romeo and Juliet (1989). On the West End, he received two Laurence Olivier Awards for his roles in Much Ado About Nothing (1994), and Jerusalem (2010). On Broadway, he received three Tony Awards for his roles in Boeing-Boeing (2008), Jerusalem (2011), and Twelfth Night (2014). He was also Tony-nominated for Richard III (2014) and Farinelli and the King (2018).
He made his film debut in the musical Hearts of Fire (1987). He acted in costume dramas playing Thomas Boleyn in The Other Boleyn Girl (2008) and Henry Condell in Anonymous (2011). For his performance as Rudolf Abel in Steven Spielberg's historical drama Bridge of Spies (2015) he won the Academy Award for Best Supporting Actor. He further collaborated with Spielberg acting in The BFG (2016) and Ready Player One (2018). He also acted in Dunkirk (2017), The Trial of the Chicago 7 (2020), Don't Look Up (2021), The Outfit (2022), and Bones and All (2022).
Performances and works Film Year Title Role Director(s) Notes Ref. 1987 Hearts of Fire Fizz Richard Marquand 1991 The Grass Arena John Healy Gillies MacKinnon Prospero's Books Ferdinand Peter Greenaway 1995 Institute Benjamenta Jakob von Gunten Brothers Quay Angels & Insects William Adamson Philip Haas 2001 Intimacy Jay Patrice Chéreau 2008 The Other Boleyn Girl Thomas Boleyn Justin Chadwick 2009 Nocturne Frank Nataasha Van Kampen Short film2011 Anonymous Henry Condell Roland Emmerich Blitz Bruce Roberts Elliott Lester 2013 Days and Nights Stephen Christian Camargo2015 The Gunman Terrance Cox Pierre Morel Bridge of Spies Rudolf AbelSteven Spielberg 2016 The BFG The BFG Voice and motion capture 2017 Dunkirk Mr Dawson Christopher Nolan 2018 Ready Player One James Halliday / Anorak Steven Spielberg2019 Waiting for the Barbarians Magistrate Ciro Guerra The Flaneur Narrator Lyall Stephens Short film 2020 The Trial of the Chicago 7 William Kunstler Aaron Sorkin 2021 The Phantom of the Open Maurice Flitcroft Craig Roberts Don't Look Up Peter Isherwell Adam McKay 2022 The Outfit Leonard Graham Moore Bones and All Sully Luca Guadagnino Inland Dunleavy Fridtjof Ryder 2026 Artificial Geoffrey Hinton Luca Guadagnino Completed 2027 The Nightingale Julien Rossignol Michael Morris Post-production The Way of the Wind Satan Terrence Malick Post-production
Television Year Title Role Notes Ref 1985 Wallenberg: A Hero's Story Nikki FodorTelevision film 1986–1996 Screen Two Various roles 3 episodes 1991 Incident in Judaea Yeshua Ha Nozri (Jesus of Nazareth) Television film 1993 ScreenPlay ConnEpisode: "Love Lies Bleeding/L'Inconnue de Belfast" 1995 Biography Himself / HamletEpisode: "The History of Hamlet" 1997 Great Performances King Henry VEpisode: "Henry V at Shakespeare's Globe" 2001 Changing Stages Himself 2003 Leonardo Leonardo da Vinci 3 episodes 2003 Richard II Richard II Television film 2005 The Government Inspector David Kelly Television film 2014–2015 Bing Flop (voice) 78 episodes 2015 Wolf Hall Thomas Cromwell 6 episodes 2022 The Undeclared War John Yeabsley 5 episodes 2024 Wolf Hall: The Mirror and the Light Thomas Cromwell 6 episodes
Theatre Year Title Role Venue Ref. 1981 Desperado Corner Bazza Citizens' Theatre 1982 The Tempest ArielRoyal Shakespeare Company 1983–84 Peter Pan Peter Pan Royal Shakespeare Company 1985 Kiss of the Spiderwoman Valentin Bush Theatre 1986 A Midsummer Night's Dream Puck Royal Opera House 1989 Hamlet HamletRoyal Shakespeare Company Romeo and Juliet Romeo 1991 Hamlet Hamlet American Repertory Theater The Seagull Treplev Pittsburgh Public Theater 1993 Henry V Henry V Theatre for a New Audience Much Ado About Nothing Benedick Queens Theatre 1994 As You Like It Touchstone Theatre for a New Audience True West Lee/Austin Donmar Warehouse 1995 Macbeth Macbeth Greenwich Theatre 2000 Life x 3 Henry Royal National Theatre 2003 Twelfth Night Olivia Chicago Shakespeare Theater 2007 I am Shakespeare Frank UK tour Boeing Boeing Robert Comedy Theatre 2008 Longacre Theatre Peer Gynt Peer Gynt Guthrie Theater 2009 Endgame Hamm Duchess Theatre JerusalemJohnny Byron Royal Court Theatre 2010 Apollo Theatre La Bete Valere Comedy Theatre 2010–11 Music Box Theatre2011 Jerusalem Johnny Byron Music Box Theatre 2011–12 Apollo Theatre 2012–13 Richard III and Twelfth Night Richard III / OliviaApollo Theatre / Repertory 2013Nice Fish RonGuthrie Theater 2013–14 Richard III and Twelfth Night Richard III / Olivia Belasco Theatre / Repertory 2015 Farinelli and the King Philip V of Spain Sam Wanamaker Playhouse Duke of York's Theatre2016 Nice Fish RonAmerican Repertory TheaterSt. Ann's Warehouse 2016–17 Harold Pinter Theatre 2017–18 Farinelli and the King Philip V of Spain Belasco Theatre 2019 Shakespeare within the Abbey Richard III Royal Shakespeare Company2022JerusalemJohnny ByronApollo Theatre2022Dr SemmelweisIgnaz SemmelweisBristol Old Vic2023Harold Pinter Theatre2024 Juno and the Paycock Captain Jack Boyle Gielgud Theatre 2026Tartuffe (Remixed)Pastor BlakeMarylebone Theatre
Shakespeare's Globe Along with Rylance's above stage performances, he has also appeared often at the Shakespeare's Globe in London.
Year Title Role Notes 1996 The Two Gentlemen of Verona Proteus 1997 A Chaste Maid in Cheapside Mr. Allwit Henry V Henry V 1998 The Merchant of Venice Bassanio The Honest Whore Hippolito 1999 Antony and Cleopatra Cleopatra 2000 Hamlet Hamlet 2001 Cymbeline Cloten 2002 The Golden Ass Lucius Twelfth Night Olivia 2003 Richard II Richard II 2004 Measure for Measure Duke Vincentio 2005 The Tempest ProsperoStephanoSebastianAlonso The Storm DaemonesLabraxThe Weather 2012 Richard III Richard III Twelfth Night Olivia 2018 Othello Iago
References
External links
Official homepage Interview on Farinelli (theatre play), Bridge of Spies etc. Oct-2015 Interview with Mark Rylance at the Globe on wisdom, Sir Francis Bacon, Shakespeare Jun-94 Mark Rylance performing the Peacebuilder, Henri Ladyi, Congo doollee.com listing of Rylance's works written for the stage