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Mark Rylance

Birth Place: Ashford, Kent, England, UK

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BIO

Mark Rylance made his professional acting debut in Desperado Corner at the Glasgow Citizens’ Theatre (1980). He performed with the Royal Shakespeare Company (1982–1983), appearing in The Taming of the Shrew, The Tempest, and A Midsummer Night’s Dream, and earned a Laurence Olivier Award nomination for Arden of Faversham (1983). He played Hamlet with the RSC in 1988 on tours of the UK, Ireland, and the U.S. In 1990, he co-founded the theatre company Phoebus’ Cart, which staged The Tempest (1991).



His early film work included the lead role in The Grass Arena (1991). He starred in Much Ado About Nothing (1993), winning the Olivier Award for Best Actor.

Rylance served as the first artistic director of Shakespeare’s Globe Theatre from 1995 to 2005, directing and acting in productions including Twelfth Night and Richard III, and presenting new plays such as Augustine’s Oak (1999) and The Golden Ass or the Curious Man (2002).

Screen and stage projects in the 2000s included Intimacy (2001), The Government Inspector (2005), Boeing-Boeing (London 2007; Broadway 2008, Tony Award), and Jerusalem (2009).

He starred in La Bête (2010), winning an Olivier Award, and later won a Tony Award for Jerusalem on Broadway (2011). In 2013, he appeared on Broadway in Twelfth Night and Richard III, winning another Tony Award.

Television and film roles included Thomas Cromwell in Wolf Hall (2015), Bridge of Spies (2015), for which he won the Academy Award, BAFTA Award, and other major honors, The BFG (2016), Dunkirk (2017), Ready Player One (2018), Waiting for the Barbarians (2018), and the Broadway production of Farinelli and the King (2018), earning a Tony nomination.

He co-wrote and starred in Nice Fish (stage premieres 2013–2016).

Recent work includes The Trial of the Chicago 7 (2020), Don’t Look Up (2021), Dr Semmelweis (stage, 2022; West End transfer 2023), The Outfit (2022), Bones & All (2022), Inland (2022), Wolf Hall: The Mirror and the Light (2024), and the West End revival of Juno and the Paycock (2024).

Photos

STAGE CREDITS

Juno and the Paycock Juno and the Paycock
[West End]
Jack Boyle ()
Dr Semmelweis Dr Semmelweis
[West End]
2023
IGNAZ SEMMELWEIS [Replacement]
[Replacement]
Pinter at the Pinter Pinter at the Pinter
[West End]
London Tenth Anniversary Celebration, 2018
Performer
Farinelli and the King Farinelli and the King
[Broadway]
Original Broadway Production, 2017
King Philippe V
Nice Fish Nice Fish
[West End]
West End Transfer, 2016
Performer
Nice Fish Nice Fish
[Off-Broadway]
New York City Premiere, 2016
Ron
Richard III Richard III
[Broadway]
Broadway Transfer, 2013
Richard III
Twelfth Night Twelfth Night
[Broadway]
Broadway Transfer, 2013
Olivia
Richard III Richard III
[West End]
Globe Theatre Transfer, 2012
Richard III
Twelfth Night Twelfth Night
[West End]
2012
Olivia
Jerusalem Jerusalem
[West End]
Return Engagement [West End], 2011
Johnny "Rooster" Byron
Jerusalem Jerusalem
[Broadway]
Original Broadway Production, 2011
Johnny 'Rooster' Byron
La Bete La Bete
[Broadway]
Broadway Revival, 2010
Valere
La Bete La Bete
[West End]
London Production, 2010
Boeing-Boeing Boeing-Boeing
[Broadway]
Broadway Revival, 2008
Robert
Two Gentlemen of Verona
[Off-Broadway]
1997
Proteus
Henry V
[Off-Broadway]
1993
King Henry the Fifth

Writing

Nice Fish
Author

Movies

Hearts of Fire
[ 1987 ] Fizz
Prospero's Books
[ 1991 ] Ferdinand
Institute Benjamenta, or This Dream That One Calls Human Life
[ 1995 ] Jakob
Angels and Insects
[ 1995 ] William Adamson
Intimacy
[ 2001 ] Jay
The Other Boleyn Girl
[ 2008 ] Sir Thom Boleyn
Anonymous
[ 2011 ] Condell
Blitz
[ 2011 ] Roberts
Shakespeare's Globe Theatre: Twelfth Night
[ 2013 ] Olivia
Days and Nights
[ 2014 ] Stephen
Bridge of Spies
[ 2015 ] Rudolf Abel
The Gunman
[ 2015 ] Terrance Cox
The BFG
[ 2016 ] BFG
Dunkirk
[ 2017 ] Mr. Dawson
Ready Player One
[ 2018 ] Anorak, Halliday
Waiting for the Barbarians
[ 2019 ] Magistrate
The Trial of the Chicago 7
[ 2020 ] William Kunstler
The Phantom of the Open
[ 2021 ] Maurice Flitcroft
Don't Look Up
[ 2021 ] Peter Isherwell
Inland
[ 2022 ] Dunleavy
The Outfit
[ 2022 ] Leonard
Bones and All
[ 2022 ] Sully

TV Shows

Bing
Flop, Flop UK & US
Wolf Hall
Thomas Cromwell

Awards and Nominations

Tony Awards - 2018 - Best Performance by an Actor in a Leading Role in a Play

Mark Rylance, Farinelli and The King

Olivier Awards - 2016 - Best Actor

Mark RylanceFarinelli And The King

Outer Critics Circle Awards - 2014 - Outstanding Actor in a Play

Mark Rylance, Twelfth Night


winner
Tony Awards - 2014 - Best Performance by an Actor in a Featured Role in a Play

Mark Rylance, Twelfth Night

Tony Awards - 2014 - Best Performance by an Actor in a Leading Role in a Play

Mark Rylance, Richard III

Olivier Awards - 2013 - Best Actor

Mark RylanceTwelfth Night


winner
BroadwayWorld Awards - 2011 - Best Leading Actor in a Play

Mark Rylance, Jerusalem

Drama Desk Awards - 2011 - Outstanding Actor in a Play

Mark Rylance, Jerusalem


winner
Drama League Awards - 2011 - Distinguished Performance Award

Mark Rylance, Jerusalem


winner
Drama League Awards - 2011 - Distinguished Performance Award

Mark Rylance, La Bete


winner
New York Drama Critics Circle Awards - 2011 - Special Citations

Mark Rylance, La Bête and Jerusalem

Olivier Awards - 2011 - Best Actor

Mark Rylance, La Bete


winner
Outer Critics Circle Awards - 2011 - Outstanding Actor in a Play

Mark Rylance, Jerusalem


winner
Tony Awards - 2011 - Best Performance by an Actor in a Leading Role in a Play

Mark Rylance, Jerusalem


winner
Olivier Awards - 2010 - Best Actor

Mark Rylance, Jerusalem


winner
Olivier Awards - 2010 - Best Actor

Mark Rylance, Jerusalem


winner
Evening Standard Awards - 2009 - Best Actor

Mark Rylance, Jerusalem


winner
Drama Desk Awards - 2008 - Outstanding Actor in a Play

Mark Rylance, Boeing-Boeing

Olivier Awards - 2008 - Best Actor

Mark Rylance, Boeing Boeing


winner
Theatre World Awards - 2008 - Performance

Mark Rylance, Boeing-Boeing


winner
Tony Awards - 2008 - Best Performance by an Actor in a Leading Role in a Play

Mark Rylance, Boeing-Boeing

Olivier Awards - 2003 - Best Actor

Mark RylanceTwelfth Night


winner
Olivier Awards - 1994 - Best Actor

Mark RylanceMuch Ado About Nothing

Olivier Awards - 1983 - Actor of the Year in a Supporting Role

Mark RylanceArden Of Faversham

Videos

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FREQUENTLY ASKED QUESTIONS

How many Broadway shows has Mark Rylance been in?

Mark Rylance has appeared on Broadway in 6 shows.

How many West End shows has Mark Rylance been in?

Mark Rylance has appeared on London's West End in 8 shows.

What was Mark Rylance's first West End show?

Mark Rylance's first West End show was La Bete which opened in 2010

What awards has Mark Rylance been nominated for?

Best Performance by an Actor in a Leading Role in a Play (Tony Awards) for Farinelli and The King, Best Actor (Olivier Awards) for Farinelli And The King, Outstanding Actor in a Play (Outer Critics Circle Awards) for Twelfth Night , Best Performance by an Actor in a Featured Role in a Play (Tony Awards) for Twelfth Night, Best Performance by an Actor in a Leading Role in a Play (Tony Awards) for Richard III, Best Actor (Olivier Awards) for Twelfth Night, Best Leading Actor in a Play (BroadwayWorld Awards) for Jerusalem, Outstanding Actor in a Play (Drama Desk Awards) for Jerusalem, Distinguished Performance Award (Drama League Awards) for Jerusalem, Distinguished Performance Award (Drama League Awards) for La Bete, Special Citations (New York Drama Critics Circle Awards) for La Bête and Jerusalem, Best Actor (Olivier Awards) for La Bete, Outstanding Actor in a Play (Outer Critics Circle Awards) for Jerusalem, Best Performance by an Actor in a Leading Role in a Play (Tony Awards) for Jerusalem, Best Actor (Olivier Awards) for Jerusalem, Best Actor (Olivier Awards) for Jerusalem, Best Actor (Evening Standard Awards) for Jerusalem, Outstanding Actor in a Play (Drama Desk Awards) for Boeing-Boeing, Best Actor (Olivier Awards) for Boeing Boeing, Performance (Theatre World Awards) for Boeing-Boeing, Best Performance by an Actor in a Leading Role in a Play (Tony Awards) for Boeing-Boeing, Best Actor (Olivier Awards) for Twelfth Night, Best Actor (Olivier Awards) for Much Ado About Nothing and Actor of the Year in a Supporting Role (Olivier Awards) for Arden Of Faversham.

What awards has Mark Rylance won?

Mark Rylance has received numerous prestigious awards throughout his career. He won the Tony Award for Best Performance by an Actor in a Featured Role in a Play for Twelfth Night and also earned the Tony Award for Best Performance by an Actor in a Leading Role in a Play for both Jerusalem and Boeing-Boeing. Additionally, he received the BroadwayWorld Award for Best Leading Actor in a Play for Jerusalem. Rylance was honored with the Distinguished Performance Award from the Drama League Awards twice, once for Jerusalem and once for La Bete. The New York Drama Critics Circle Awards bestowed Special Citations on him for La Bête and Jerusalem. He won Outstanding Actor in a Play from the Outer Critics Circle Awards for Jerusalem and from the Drama Desk Awards for Boeing-Boeing. His performance in Boeing-Boeing also earned him the Theatre World Award. Internationally, Rylance received the Olivier Award for Best Actor three times— for Jerusalem, Boeing-Boeing, and Much Ado About Nothing. He also won the Evening Standard Award for Best Actor for Jerusalem.

How many shows has Mark Rylance written?

Mark Rylance has written 1 shows including Nice Fish (Author).

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