I always talk about what I think about Damian Lewis and the characters he brings to life here. And I think, we have to leave it to Damian, from time to time, to see WHAT he thinks about… well, anything or anyone! And why not start with what Damian thinks about his wonderful Wolf Hall co-star Mark Rylance…
…especially because Damian was a fan of Mark Rylance way before they starred in Wolf Hall together!
When asked about his acting idols at The Hollywood Reporter Drama Actors Interview back in 2012, here is what our favorite actor says…
That’s why I can’t imagine how great it should feel for Damian to be STORMING Wolf Hall together with an actor he has so much respect for.
In an interview with The Wall Street Journal in 2015 upon Wolf Hall’s arrival on PBS/Masterpiece, Damian attests to the brilliance of Mark Rylance:
“I don’t know who the greatest actor is—it’s kind of a ridiculous notion—but if you haven’t seen Mark onstage, I’m here to tell you he’s extraordinary. He’s kind of cornered the market in redefining characters that we think we know.”
Here is Damian at the Apollo Theatre in the West End to see Mark Rylance in Jerusalem in August 2022.
Well, I need to jump in and concur with Damian about Mark Rylance being extraordinary on stage. I was extremely lucky to see him in Richard III and Farinelli and The King on Broadway, and in Dr. Semmelweiss on the West End, the last one being my favorite of the three. You can’t take your eyes off Mark Rylance on stage. Period. He is mesmerizing.
And Damian cites Rylance as an important factor for him to take the role of Henry VIII in Wolf Hall (thank you, Sir Rylance!) and also as a board game master in a Times interview with Polly Vernon in 2015.
“Mark was a big deciding factor in me taking the job. I’ve been a fan of his for many years. He’s a trailblazer in theatre, has been for 20 years.”
…
“Mark is … extraordinary. As a man and an actor. He’s mischievous and deep-down competitive. Not as an actor. As an actor, all he wants is an ensemble. He wants collaboration. As an actor, he couldn’t be more generous. But… the man who brings the board game on is the man who’s good at the board game.”
Ha! It turns out Mark Rylance carried a backgammon set with him on Wolf Hall set and challenged the cast and crew to games during breaks from filming.
Damian continues:
“I love backgammon because I think I’m going to win, but I often don’t. Mark brought this fantastic game called Pucket – you must spell that correctly, ha ha – and it’s a brilliant, brilliant game. Go and look at it. It’ll make you giggle a lot.”
I’m convinced that Damian giggled a lot playing Pucket on the set, because he purchased one at an ET Games stand at Port Eliot Festival in summer 2014!
ET Games says:
“Pucket is a frantic dexterity game. Players race each other to clear the pucks from their side of the board by catapulting them through a small hole leading to the other side (the “gate”). Any pucks that arrive on your side must be sent back before you win. The game appeals to anyone with a competitive streak.”
You can easily check out the game rules here and decide if Pucket works for you. ET Games has a pretty ambitious claim that Pucket “has brought more entertainment to the world than television.” What?
So, you try to tell me Pucket is a better entertainment than Wolf Hall? No, I refuse to believe that 🙂
That said – I admit, it could be a better entertainment than TV if we saw a Thomas Cromwell vs Henry VIII Pucket match exactly like the one between the Boleyn Sisters below!
BBC, in order to promote the new series Wolf Hall: The Mirror And The Light, has recently published interviews with the cast and here is Damian talking about working with Mark Rylance again.
“…I just love working with Mark. It’s like tennis, and when you hit something with a bit of slice and it comes back with topspin. It’s really fun. He’s not ‘Sir Mark Rylance’ for no reason.”
Truth.
In an interview with Essex Life Magazine, Damian’s asked again about what it is like acting with Mark Rylance:
“He’s an amazing man – a pure, pure actor. He’s a serious actor but he’s got a cheekiness about him.”
Oh, and I should point out that, in a recent BBC interview, when asked about Cromwell’s relationship with Henry VIII, Mark Rylance says that “it’s very nice to be playing with Damian Lewis again, and his very subtle and mysterious Henry VIII.”
Damian Lewis and Mark Rylance, along with the rest of the brilliant cast give a Masterclass in acting in Wolf Hall: The Mirror and The Light. I love the tennis analogy Damian uses to describe acting with Mark Rylance. Damian and Mark are the Roger and Rafa of acting and watching them storm Wolf Hall together is genuinely like watching a Grand Slam final match. The anticipation. The excitement. The awe. The entire experience. And can you imagine if we see them together on a stage production one day? Well, a girl can dream, can’t she?
Mark Rylance is spelling binding in Being Thomas Cromwell .He brings him back to this century .You think it really is
.Thomas Cromwell for real very scary very brilliant x
So true
I completely agree that, with Mark Rylance, it’s not like he’s playing Thomas Cromwell bu he’s Thomas Cromwell. Thank you for reading!
Sir Mark Rylance is the very best! EVERY character he plays – he becomes that person . The proof of his brilliance is that after each performance – his character is still with me all week !
A Master of his Craft !
I’ve always been a Mark Rylance fan. Brilliant actor and always a well perceived and well crafted performance
He’s mesmerizing. Thank you for reading!
Mark Rylance Damien Lewis and cast brilliant. Will be sorry to see it end. More please
Indeed. But Mantel wanted to write Cromwell’s story. Thank you for reading!
❤️
Wolf Hall is a masterpiece, with Mark Rylance’s powerful portrayal of Cromwell.
The cast, including Claire Foy and Damian Lewis, creates a gripping narrative.
Wolf Hall demands more—unforgettable.
One of the best, if not the best, things that happened to TV. Very authentic but also very contemporary. The second series is as good as the first one. And darker. Hilary Mantel would be proud. Thank you for reading!
Would agree best thing on British TV.
For best thing on any TV would have to go up against The Sopranos with an equally mesmerising performance from the lead character.
Gandolfini’s still lives vividly with me from 2 decades ago. Mark Rylance will do the same.
Why compare — pears and cherries?
Both performances are unforgettable and Mark Rylance is one of natures treasures whether stage, television or cinema.
Most of us will never get to see the greatest living stage actor onstage. We must be satisfied with his performances in films, such as The Outfit.
That’s the downside of theatre. Only the people in cities like London and New York and the lucky visitors that are there at the right time can see the brilliant stage actors doing their thing,
The Outfit is a wonderful film. Have you seen Bridge of Spies?
Thank you for reading!
After watching The Outfit, I watched all of the films I could find with Ryland. Waiting For The Barbarians is also a favorite.
When I was a young man back in the late seventies, I ventured on a day out in the west end with my brother and mum as a treat to her. I had in mind during the train journey up from Margate that we may see a matinee after lunch.
How lucky were we that the musical we attended that afternoon had no other than Richard Harris playing King Arthur in Camelot , a role which in my opinion he immortalised. As a family we have long lasting memories of a theatrical genius playing live, and still reminisce now.
Wonderful story! There’s nothing like live theatre ❤️
Sir Ian McKellen is still doing theatre too !
Absolutely?!
Yes, but he’s been around a long time. Mark rylans has something’ mmm ‘ about him. A new (81 year old admirer) victoria xx
Definitely mmm
When watching I feel I’m there in person watching events unfold.. Mark and Damien should certainly win awards for their performances….
Yes! Give all the awards to Mark and Damian – they ROCK Wolf Hall
Sir Mark (not Sir Rylance, Damianista) is great. Saw him on stage recently in a role so different – in Juno and the Paycock. Lovely to see his range
I binge watched all the Wolf Hall episodes over 2 days and am now totally obsessed with the latest episodes of the Mirror and the light, the acting is better than brilliant and I’ll be watching everything again and again once it’s over.