FABRICE DALL’ANESE/CONTOUR
Mark Rylance pads into a hotel room in Zurich. Wearing his trademark trilby, the British actor looks markedly different to 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 humour about his work. But no doubt, it’s work of the highest quality. He’s become a Spielberg favourite 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 a third time as the game designer in Ready Player One.