1. Overview
Sir David Mark Rylance Waters, known professionally as Mark Rylance, is a highly acclaimed English actor, playwright, and theatre director. Born on January 18, 1960, he has garnered significant recognition for his versatile performances across stage, film, and television, earning numerous prestigious awards including an Academy Award, three BAFTA Awards, two Laurence Olivier Awards, and three Tony Awards. He was notably the first artistic director of Shakespeare's Globe in London, serving from 1995 to 2005. Rylance is celebrated for his deep commitment to theatrical arts, his impactful film roles such as Rudolf Abel in Steven Spielberg's Bridge of Spies (2015) for which he won an Academy Award, and his compelling television performances like Thomas Cromwell in the BBC Two miniseries Wolf Hall (2015). Beyond his artistic achievements, Rylance is also a prominent social activist, advocating for peace, human rights, and environmental causes, and was included in the Time 100 list of the world's most influential people in 2016. He was knighted by Queen Elizabeth II in 2017 for his services to theatre.
2. Early life and education
Sir David Mark Rylance Waters was born on January 18, 1960, in Ashford, Kent, England, to Anne (née Skinner) and David Waters, both of whom were English teachers. His family background includes an Irish grandmother, and both of his grandfathers were British POWs of the Japanese during World War II. His maternal grandfather, Osmond Skinner, a banker with HSBC, was shot in the stomach during the Battle of Hong Kong and subsequently witnessed the St. Stephen's College massacre before spending four years in a POW camp, surviving with assistance from HSBC contacts.
In 1962, Rylance's parents relocated to the United States, initially settling in Connecticut and later moving to Wisconsin in 1969. There, his father and mother taught English at the University School of Milwaukee, which Rylance also attended. During his time at the school, he actively participated in theatrical productions, performing in numerous plays under the direction of Dale Gutzman, including the lead role in Hamlet in 1976 and Romeo in Romeo and Juliet. He returned to England in 1978.
Rylance has a sister, Susannah Waters, an opera singer and author, and a deceased brother, Jonathan, who was a sommelier at Chez Panisse. He adopted the stage name Mark Rylance because his given name, Mark Waters, was already registered with Equity. He received his foundational theatrical training at the Royal Academy of Dramatic Art (RADA) in London from 1978 to 1980, studying under Hugh Cruttwell, and also with Barbara and Peter Bridgmont at the Chrysalis Theatre School in Balham, London.
3. Career
Mark Rylance's career encompasses an extensive body of work across theatre, film, and television, showcasing his evolution as a versatile performer and his significant contributions to the performing arts.
3.1. Theatre
Rylance has made a profound impact on the stage, from his early career and acclaimed roles to his directorial work and leadership in prominent theatre institutions.
3.1.1. Royal Shakespeare Company (RSC)
Mark Rylance made his professional acting debut in 1980 in the Shaun Lawton play Desperado Corner at the Citizens Theatre in Glasgow. From 1982 to 1983, he performed in numerous productions with the Royal Shakespeare Company (RSC) in Stratford-upon-Avon and London. During this period, he appeared in acclaimed productions such as The Taming of the Shrew, The Tempest (playing Ariel), and A Midsummer Night's Dream. In 1988, Rylance took on the iconic role of Hamlet in Ron Daniels' RSC production, which embarked on a year-long tour across Ireland and Britain before its run in Stratford-upon-Avon, and subsequently a two-year tour in the United States. He also played Romeo in an RSC production of Romeo and Juliet in 1989. Rylance's last stage appearance for the RSC was in 1989, and he later resigned from the Royal Shakespeare Company in June 2019 due to its sponsorship deal with BP.
3.1.2. Shakespeare's Globe
In 1995, Mark Rylance became the first artistic director of Shakespeare's Globe Theatre in London, a position he held until 2005. During his influential tenure, he played a pivotal role in the theatre's establishment and artistic direction, both directing and acting in every season. His work included acclaimed productions of William Shakespeare's plays and other works.
Notable performances under his directorship include an all-male production of Twelfth Night, in which he played Olivia, and his portrayal of the title role in Richard III. Beyond Shakespeare, new plays were also commissioned and performed at the Globe, starting with Augustine's Oak by Peter Oswald, the resident writer, in 1999. Oswald's subsequent works, The Golden Ass or the Curious Man, followed in 2002, and The Storm, an adaptation of Plautus's comedy Rudens (The Rope), was performed in 2005. The Storm is notably argued to be a source for Shakespeare's The Tempest.
Rylance also organized historical first nights during his directorship, such as a performance of Twelfth Night in 2002 at Middle Temple to commemorate its first performance there exactly 400 years prior, and Measure for Measure at Hampton Court Palace in the summer of 2004. For his foundational work during the opening ten years at Shakespeare's Globe, Rylance received a Sam Wanamaker Award in 2007, alongside his wife Claire van Kampen, who served as Director of Music, and Jenny Tiramani, the Director of Costume Design.
His performances at Shakespeare's Globe include:
| Year | Title | Role |
|---|---|---|
| 1996 | The Two Gentlemen of Verona | Proteus |
| 1997 | A Chaste Maid in Cheapside | Mr. Allwit |
| 1997 | Henry V | Henry V |
| 1998 | The Merchant of Venice | Bassanio |
| 1998 | The Honest Whore | Hippolito |
| 1999 | Antony and Cleopatra | Cleopatra |
| 2000 | Hamlet | Hamlet |
| 2001 | Cymbeline | Cloten |
| 2002 | The Golden Ass | Lucius |
| 2002 | Twelfth Night | Olivia |
| 2003 | Richard II | Richard II |
| 2004 | Measure for Measure | Duke Vincentio |
| 2005 | The Tempest | Prospero, Stephano, Sebastian, Alonso |
| 2005 | The Storm | Daemones, Labrax, The Weather |
| 2012 | Richard III | Richard III |
| 2012 | Twelfth Night | Olivia |
3.1.3. West End and Broadway
Mark Rylance has achieved significant acclaim in both London's West End and Broadway. In 1993, he starred as Benedick in Matthew Warchus's production of Much Ado About Nothing at the Queen's Theatre, earning him an Olivier Award for Best Actor.
His Broadway debut came with the 2008 transfer of the London production of Boeing-Boeing, where he reprised his role as Robert, winning both a Drama Desk Award and a Tony Award for Best Performance by a Leading Actor in a Play. In 2009, Rylance garnered the Critics' Circle Theatre Award for Best Actor for his portrayal of Johnny Byron in Jez Butterworth's acclaimed play Jerusalem at the Royal Court Theatre in London. He received another Laurence Olivier Award for Best Actor for the same role when Jerusalem transferred to the Apollo Theatre in 2010, and his second Tony Award for the Broadway production in 2011.
In 2010, Rylance also starred in a revival of David Hirson's verse play La Bête, which played at London's Comedy Theatre before transferring to the Music Box Theatre on Broadway. In 2013, Shakespeare's Globe brought two of its all-male productions to Broadway, featuring Rylance as Olivia in Twelfth Night and in the title role of Richard III. For his performance as Olivia, he won his third Tony Award, and he was nominated for his portrayal of Richard III in the same year.
In 2015, he starred as King Philippe V in Farinelli and the King by Claire van Kampen, which played at the Sam Wanamaker Playhouse and later the Duke of York's Theatre. In 2016, Rylance co-wrote and starred in the comedy play Nice Fish at St. Ann's Warehouse in New York, which subsequently transferred to the Harold Pinter Theatre in London's West End. He reprised his role as King Philippe V in Farinelli and the King on Broadway in 2018, earning his fifth career Tony Award nomination.
More recently, Rylance played the lead role of Dr. Ignaz Semmelweis in the new play Dr Semmelweis, which had an extended run at the Bristol Old Vic in early 2022, and later transferred to the Harold Pinter Theatre in London's West End in 2023. In 2024, he starred opposite J. Smith-Cameron in a West End revival of Juno and the Paycock at the Gielgud Theatre.
3.2. Film
Mark Rylance's film career spans a wide range of genres and roles, earning him critical acclaim and prestigious awards. He won the Radio Times Award for Best Newcomer for his leading role as John Healy in Gillies MacKinnon's 1991 film The Grass Arena.
His early filmography includes:
- The McGuffin (1985) as Gavin
- Hearts of Fire (1987) as Fizz
- Incident in Judaea (1991, TV film) as Joshua Ha Nozri
- Prospero's Books (1991) as Ferdinand
- Angels & Insects (1995) as William Adamson
- Institute Benjamenta (1995) as Jakob von Gunten
- Intimacy (2001) as Jay, a role for which he received attention for its explicit nature.
- The Other Boleyn Girl (2008) as Thomas Boleyn
- Blitz (2011) as Bruce Roberts
- Anonymous (2011) as Henry Condell
- Days and Nights (2014) as Stephen
- The Gunman (2015) as Terrence Cox
A pivotal moment in his film career came with his portrayal of Soviet spy Rudolf Abel in Steven Spielberg's 2015 biographical drama Bridge of Spies. This performance garnered him unanimous critical acclaim, with many critics hailing it as one of the best performances of 2015. He won the Academy Award for Best Supporting Actor, the BAFTA Award for Best Supporting Actor, the New York Film Critics Circle Award for Best Supporting Actor, the National Society of Film Critics Award for Best Supporting Actor, the Boston Society of Film Critics Award for Best Supporting Actor, the London Film Critics' Circle Award for Supporting Actor of the Year, the Toronto Film Critics Association Award for Best Supporting Actor, and the Vancouver Film Critics Circle Award for Best Supporting Actor. He also received nominations for the Golden Globe Award for Best Supporting Actor - Motion Picture and the Screen Actors Guild Award for Outstanding Performance by a Male Actor in a Supporting Role. Notably, Rylance had previously declined a role offered by Spielberg in the 1987 film Empire of the Sun.
Rylance subsequently collaborated with Spielberg again, playing the title role in The BFG (2016), a film adaptation of Roald Dahl's children's book, and as James Halliday in the science-fiction epic Ready Player One (2018).
Other significant film roles include:
- Mr. Dawson in Christopher Nolan's 2017 action-thriller Dunkirk, based on the Dunkirk evacuation during World War II.
- The Magistrate in Waiting for the Barbarians (2019), alongside Johnny Depp and Robert Pattinson.
- Defense counsel William Kunstler in Aaron Sorkin's 2020 legal drama The Trial of the Chicago 7, which premiered on Netflix and received widespread praise.
- Peter Isherwell, an eccentric billionaire CEO, in the 2021 American political satire and science fiction film Don't Look Up, directed by Adam McKay.
- Maurice Flitcroft in The Phantom of the Open (2021).
- Leonard Burling, an English tailor, in Graham Moore's 2022 crime drama thriller The Outfit.
- Sully in the Luca Guadagnino-directed horror film Bones and All (2022), which premiered at the 79th Venice International Film Festival.
- A role in Inland (2022), a British drama.
- He was also cast to play Satan in Terrence Malick's upcoming film The Way of the Wind.
3.3. Television
Mark Rylance has also made significant contributions to television, earning critical acclaim and awards for his performances.
His television roles include:
- Nikki Fodor in Wallenberg: A Hero's Story (1985).
- Conn in Love Lies Bleeding (1993).
- Charlie Raunce in Loving (1995).
- The title role in Hamlet (1995) and King Henry V in Henry V (1997).
- Himself in Changing Stages (2001).
- Leonardo da Vinci in Leonardo (2003) and Richard II in Richard II (2003).
- His portrayal of David Kelly in the 2005 Channel 4 drama The Government Inspector earned him the British Academy Television Award for Best Actor.
- The voice of Flop in the animated series Bing (2014).
- Thomas Cromwell in the 2015 BBC Two miniseries Wolf Hall, an adaptation of Hilary Mantel's historical novels. For this role, he won another British Academy Television Award for Best Actor and received nominations for the Primetime Emmy Award for Outstanding Lead Actor in a Miniseries or a Movie, the Golden Globe Award for Best Actor - Miniseries or Television Film, the Screen Actors Guild Award for Outstanding Performance by a Male Actor in a Miniseries or Television Movie, and the Critics' Choice Television Award for Best Actor in a Movie/Miniseries.
- John Yeabsley in The Undeclared War (2022).
In 2015, Rylance was featured as the castaway on the BBC radio programme Desert Island Discs.
3.4. Playwriting and Directing
Beyond his acting career, Mark Rylance has made significant creative contributions as a playwright and theatre director. In 1990, he co-founded his own theatre company, "Phoebus' Cart", with Claire van Kampen, which staged a production of The Tempest on the road the following year.
From 1995 to 2005, Rylance served as the first artistic director of Shakespeare's Globe, where he not only acted but also directed numerous productions, shaping the artistic vision of the renowned theatre. In 2007, he wrote (co-conceived by John Dove) and starred in The BIG Secret Live 'I am Shakespeare' Webcam Daytime Chatroom Show (A comedy of Shakespearean identity crisis), a play that toured England. He also co-wrote and starred in the new comedy play Nice Fish, which premiered in New York in 2016 before transferring to London's West End. More recently, Rylance co-wrote the play Dr Semmelweis with Stephen Brown, in which he also played the lead role.
4. Awards and accolades
Mark Rylance has received numerous prestigious awards and accolades throughout his distinguished career in theatre, film, and television. He was knighted as a Knight Bachelor in the 2017 New Year Honours for his significant contributions to theatre. In 2016, he was recognized as one of the world's most influential people by being included in the Time 100 list.
His major awards include:
- An Academy Award for Best Supporting Actor for his role as Rudolf Abel in Bridge of Spies (2015).
- Three BAFTA Awards: two BAFTA Film Awards for Best Supporting Actor for Bridge of Spies (2016) and Wolf Hall (2016), and one British Academy Television Award for Best Actor for The Government Inspector (2005). He won a second BAFTA TV Award for Wolf Hall (2016).
- Two Olivier Awards for Best Actor for his performances in Much Ado About Nothing (1994) and Jerusalem (2010). He was also nominated for an Olivier Award for Boeing-Boeing (2007) and La Bête (2010).
- Three Tony Awards: two Tony Awards for Best Actor in a Play for Boeing-Boeing (2008) and Jerusalem (2011), and one Tony Award for Best Featured Actor in a Play for Twelfth Night (2014). He was also Tony-nominated for his roles in Richard III (2014) and Farinelli and the King (2017). He is one of only eight actors to have twice won the Tony Award for Best Actor in a Play, and one of only six to be nominated in two acting categories in the same year (for Richard III and Twelfth Night in 2014).
Other significant accolades include:
- The BBC Radio Times Award for Best Newcomer (1991) for The Grass Arena.
- The Olivier Critics Award for Actor of the Year (2002) for Twelfth Night.
- The Drama Desk Award for Outstanding Actor in a Play (2008) for Boeing-Boeing.
- The Critics' Circle Theatre Award for Best Actor (2009) for Jerusalem.
- The Drama League Award for Distinguished Performance (2011).
- The New York Film Critics Circle Award for Best Supporting Actor (2016) for Bridge of Spies.
- The New York Film Critics Online Award for Best Supporting Actor (2016) for Bridge of Spies.
- The Boston Society of Film Critics Award for Best Supporting Actor (2016) for Bridge of Spies.
- The National Society of Film Critics Award for Best Supporting Actor (2016) for Bridge of Spies.
- The London Film Critics' Circle Award for Supporting Actor of the Year (2016) for Bridge of Spies.
- The Vancouver Film Critics Circle Award for Best Supporting Actor (2016) for Bridge of Spies.
- The Toronto Film Critics Association Award for Best Supporting Actor (2016) for Bridge of Spies.
- The AARP Movies for Grownups Awards for Best Supporting Actor (2016) for Bridge of Spies.
- The AACTA International Award for Best Supporting Actor (2016) for Bridge of Spies.
- The Satellite Award for Best Actor - Miniseries or Television Film (2016) for Wolf Hall.
- The Screen Actors Guild Award for Outstanding Performance by a Cast in a Motion Picture (2020) for The Trial of the Chicago 7.
- The Critics' Choice Movie Award for Best Acting Ensemble (2020) for The Trial of the Chicago 7.
He also received nominations for the Golden Globe Award for Best Actor - Miniseries or Television Film and Primetime Emmy Award for Outstanding Lead Actor in a Miniseries or a Movie for Wolf Hall, and the Golden Globe Award for Best Supporting Actor - Motion Picture and Screen Actors Guild Award for Outstanding Performance by a Male Actor in a Supporting Role for Bridge of Spies.
5. Personal life
This section provides insight into Rylance's private life, focusing on his family relationships, marriage, and significant personal events.
5.1. Marriage and family
In 1989, Mark Rylance married the composer and playwright Claire van Kampen. They first met in 1987 while collaborating on a production of The Wandering Jew at the National Theatre and were married in Oxfordshire. Through this marriage, Rylance became a stepfather to van Kampen's two daughters from a previous marriage: actress Juliet Rylance and filmmaker Nataasha van Kampen.
Tragically, Nataasha died in July 2012 at the age of 28, which led Rylance to withdraw from his planned participation in the 2012 Summer Olympics opening ceremony in London, where he was replaced by Kenneth Branagh. Claire van Kampen herself passed away from cancer in 2025. In May 2022, Rylance experienced another personal loss when his brother, Jonathan Waters, died following a collision with a vehicle while cycling.
6. Charity and activism
Mark Rylance's deep commitment to social causes, human rights, peacebuilding, and environmental advocacy reflects his engagement with contemporary social and political issues from a progressive viewpoint.
6.1. Peace and social justice advocacy
Mark Rylance is deeply committed to social causes and has actively engaged in various peace and social justice initiatives. He became a patron of the London International Festival of Theatre (LIFT) in 2013, stating that LIFT has significantly influenced the growth and adventure of English theatre. In 2015, he also became a patron of the London Bubble Speech Bubbles project, which helps children find their voice through theatre.
For many years, Rylance has been a staunch supporter of the indigenous rights organization Survival International. In April 2010, he created and directed "We Are One," a fundraising event at the Apollo Theatre that featured performances of tribal prose and poetry by leading actors and musicians. He is a patron of Peace Direct, a London-based charity that supports grassroots peacebuilders in conflict zones, and of the British Stop the War Coalition. As a member of the Peace Pledge Union, a network of pacifists in the UK, Rylance actively promotes non-violence. In 2011, he performed the life and words of Henri, a man living in war-torn eastern Congo, during a presentation in New York City.
Rylance also serves as a patron for The Outside Edge Theatre Company, an organization that uses theatre and drama to work with individuals affected by substance abuse, providing interventions in drug and alcohol treatment facilities across Britain. Furthermore, he is an enthusiastic supporter of Conscience: Taxes for Peace not War, an organization advocating for changes in British tax law to allow conscientious objectors to redirect the military portion of their taxes towards non-violent conflict resolution methods.
6.2. Environmental and climate change advocacy
Mark Rylance has taken a firm stance on environmental issues and climate change. In June 2019, he notably resigned from the Royal Shakespeare Company (RSC) due to its sponsorship deal with BP. He publicly stated that he came to the "incontrovertible conclusion that BP is neither sincere nor serious in addressing the climate crisis," reflecting his strong criticism of corporate responsibility in environmental matters. Rylance is also a vocal supporter of making ecocide a crime at the International Criminal Court, expressing his belief that such a law is "very much needed and inevitably on its way," and that it would be an important step towards a deeper connection with nature and a shift towards a "true humble love for our home, the Earth."
6.3. Political engagement
Mark Rylance has openly engaged in political discourse, aligning himself with progressive political leanings. In November 2019, he was among several public figures who signed a letter in support of Labour Party leader Jeremy Corbyn. The letter lauded Corbyn as "a beacon of hope in the struggle against emergent far-right nationalism, xenophobia and racism in much of the democratic world," and Rylance endorsed him in the 2019 United Kingdom general election. In December 2019, he joined 42 other leading cultural figures in signing another letter endorsing the Labour Party under Corbyn's leadership for the general election. This letter asserted that "Labour's election manifesto under Jeremy Corbyn's leadership offers a transformative plan that prioritises the needs of people and the planet over private profit and the vested interests of a few."
7. Interests
Mark Rylance holds a variety of personal interests and beliefs, some of which delve into unconventional topics. He has expressed a strong interest in crop circles and has even bonded with King Charles III over the subject. Rylance has openly rejected criticism regarding these views, suggesting that his knighthood makes it "a little less easy to write me off" for his interests, which also include the Shakespeare authorship question.
Regarding his artistic preferences, Rylance has cited Robert Mitchum as one of his favorite actors. His favorite film is the 1975 Akira Kurosawa film Dersu Uzala.
8. Bibliography
Mark Rylance has authored or co-authored several works and contributed forewords to various publications:
- Rylance, Mark; Jenkins, Louis (2017). Nice Fish: a Play. Grove Press.
- Rylance, Mark (2003). Play - A Recollection in Pictures and Words of the First Five Years of Play at Shakespeare's Globe Theatre. Shakespeare's Globe Publ.
- Dawkins, Peter (1998). The Wisdom of Shakespeare in As You Like It. I.C. Media Productions. (Foreword by Mark Rylance)
- Dawkins, Peter (1998). The Wisdom of Shakespeare in The Merchant of Venice. I.C. Media Productions. (Foreword by Mark Rylance)
- Dawkins, Peter (1999). The Wisdom of Shakespeare in Julius Caesar. I.C. Media Productions. (Foreword by Mark Rylance)
- Dawkins, Peter (2000). The Wisdom of Shakespeare in The Tempest. I.C. Media Productions. (Foreword by Mark Rylance)
- Dawkins, Peter (2002). The Wisdom of Shakespeare in Twelfth Night. I.C. Media Productions. (Foreword by Mark Rylance)
- Dawkins, Peter (2004). The Shakespeare Enigma. Polair, UK. (Foreword by Mark Rylance)
- John Abbott (2009). Improvisation in Rehearsal. Nick Hern Books, UK. (Foreword by Mark Rylance)
- Patrick, Dave (2011). The View Beyond: Sir Francis Bacon: Alchemy, Science, Mystery (The View Series). Deep Books, UK. (Foreword by Mark Rylance, Ervin Lazslo, Rose Elliot)
9. Assessment and influence
Mark Rylance's career stands as a testament to his profound impact on the performing arts and his unwavering commitment to artistic integrity and social consciousness. He is widely regarded as one of the most distinguished actors of his generation, celebrated for his extraordinary versatility across stage, film, and television. His deep connection to theatre, particularly his transformative tenure as the first artistic director of Shakespeare's Globe, redefined classical performance and brought new vitality to Shakespearean works.
Critically acclaimed for his ability to inhabit complex characters with nuanced depth and subtle intensity, Rylance has consistently delivered performances that resonate with audiences and critics alike, earning him numerous top industry awards. Beyond his artistic prowess, his influence extends into the social and political spheres. Rylance has leveraged his public platform to advocate for crucial issues such as peace, human rights, and environmental protection, often challenging established norms and corporate practices. His principled decision to resign from the Royal Shakespeare Company over its sponsorship by a fossil fuel company underscores his dedication to his beliefs. Rylance's career is thus characterized not only by his exceptional talent and extensive achievements but also by his role as a vocal and active proponent for a more just and sustainable world.