TWO GIANTS IN THEIR FIELDS
Theatre veteran Mark Rylance pairs with legendary director Steven Spielberg
Apparently, British theatre veteran Mark Rylance can’t resist a Steven Spielberg movie.
And why would he? Rylance earned a supporting actor Oscar for playing a Soviet agent in Spielberg’s Bridge of Spies. And he plays a key role in the director’s film version of the sci-fi novel Ready Player One, already filming.
Most recently, the 56-year-old defines the Big Friendly Giant in Spielberg’s special-effects blockbuster rendition of Roald Dahl’s kids book The BFG.
In the fantasy shot at a massive Vancouver sound stage, Rylance’s performance-capture BFG protects orphan Sophie (Ruby Barnhill), who magically finds herself in giant country.
The connection between the two drives the movie, so Spielberg admits Rylance’s motion-capture performance was key to making the story work.
Rylance offers his thoughts: On his debut as a performancecapture actor in The BFG: “It was the most expensive makeup I’ve ever worn.” On how his motion-capture gear affected him: “It’s better than when I see myself normally because I liked being distracted by the technology.” On the improvement of the technology: “The fact that it looked like Sophie and the BFG were having conversations, and it was all fluid, was kind of amazing.” On the peculiar BFG voice: “It was a (homeless man’s) voice I recorded in 1982. He had a shaved head and lived in a tent.” On Spielberg’s focus on the unique special-effects demands: “Even with what he’s done, he was quite overwhelmed with what he had to do with the different images.” On the director’s obsession with the convincing interplay between Sophie and the BFG: “Steven was adamant to confirm that all along. He put a great deal of time into making sure my facial expressions came through.” On Spielberg’s directing style: “I don’t know how he directs other people and I suspect he’s changed. He’s more confident and enthusiastic, and I felt an enormous freedom on The BFG.” On the extent of his improvising: “I didn’t feel the freedom to (mess) up his movie but I did feel an enormous freedom to play. I was a collaborator on this more than any other film I’ve done.” On his theatre obsession: “If I like theatre more than film it’s because I get to act more in theatre for longer periods of time. In theatre it needs to last. In some cases for four years and 420 performances.”
I didn’t feel the freedom to (mess) up his (Spielberg’s) movie but I did feel an enormous freedom to play. MARK RYLANCE