Yes, blah blah blah, Mark Rylance is awesome. And Mark Rylance wins at everything. And Mark Rylance is giving a performance for the ages over there at Jerusalem. And the giants bow down to Mark Rylance, and so do we, and so does everyone, and for good reason.
But if you turn your head for half an instant, you may also note that he’s accompanied on that stage by a bunch of very fine actors, our favorite among them being Mackenzie Crook. Playing Ginger, the slacker-y, drug-doing sidekick to Rylance’s Rooster Byron, Crook easily wins the Tony of Our Hearts for the simple reason that he isn’t fully obliterated by the towering performance happening four feet away. And much more than that, the character allows him to do two things that always deserve our admiration — and maybe a trophy or two: He makes us laugh and then breaks our hearts.
Born in Kent and with a background that includes standup, a recurring role in the Pirates of the Caribbean megafranchise, a BAFTA-nominated stint on The Office, turtle breeding, and children’s book writing, there’s a lot to love. We only hope that he’ll do more stuff in America — like, for example, stand up onstage on Tony night with a statue in his hands.
photo: Steve Double
{ 0 comments… add one }