MARK RYLANCE

Beloved by Spielberg and Nolan, Mark Rylance has been called the greatest stage and screen star of his generation. Now the British chameleon from Bridge Of Spies and Dunkirk is back, with Satan, Sorkin and Johnny Depp on his dance card. Total Film meets the most modest actor around.

- JAMES MOTTRAM

'I DON’T FEEL I HAVE MORE INTEGRITY THAN OTHER PEOPLE… I'm LUCKY TO NOT HAVE TO DO THINGS JUST TO SURVIVE. THAT’S JUST GOOD FORTUNE, ISN’T IT?'

Mark Rylance pads into a hotel room in Zurich. Wearing his trademark trilby, the British actor looks markedly different from the last time Total Film saw him. Last year, he was hosting the 20th-anniversary concert for Peace One Day at Shakespeare’s Globe, where he was artistic director for a decade before he stepped down in 2005. This annual call for a global ceasefire saw him dressed up as the BFG, large ears, and all, singing ‘The Last Ship’ with Sting.

Reprising the Roald Dahl-created giant he played in Steven Spielberg’s 2016 charmer underlines Rylance’s sense of humor about his work. But no doubt, it’s work of the highest quality. He’s become a Spielberg favorite ever since he played Soviet agent Rudolf Abel in Bridge Of Spies, winning him an Oscar for Best Supporting Actor. “He’s a very gentle soul,” the director noted, before casting him for the third time as the game designer in Ready Player One.

If that wasn’t enough, Christopher Nolan cast him as the unflustered ‘little ships’ captain in his 2017 World War 2 movie Dunkirk, while his Sir Thomas Cromwell in the BBC’s Wolf Hall brought living room recognition (and a BAFTA).

It’s a remarkable run for an actor who, until recently, was more heralded for his stage work – winning two Olivier Awards and three Tony awards, including one apiece for his electric turn as the eccentric Johnny ‘Rooster’ Byron in Jez Butterworth’s Jerusalem