Sir Mark Rylance has stated that theater directors would not employ someone like me today.
Sir Mark said that acting used to be more accepting of "oddballs" like him and that he wondered how he would be received in the current industry.
While casting directors "understandably" desire "easy to work with" actors, he told the BBC's Laura Kuenssberg that it can "also be a loss.".
In 2017, Sir Mark received a knighthood for his work in the theater.
I'm not a doctor; I'm an artist, but when I first entered the theater in 1980, it seemed like there were a lot more eccentrics and challenging characters. Also, I believe, on movie sets. .
"Now I meet directors all the time, which is understandable, and they only want people who are easy to work with; they don't want anyone difficult or anything like that.
And in my opinion, that could also be a loss. ".
When asked how he was as a young actor, Sir Mark referred to himself as "temperamental, moody, and difficult to understand.".
He continued, "I think I might have gotten a bad reputation today and not been welcomed into work.". .
Sir Mark also stated that he "doubts" he will play a female character again. Sir Mark won his third Tony Award for his portrayal of Olivia in the all-male production of Twelfth Night at the Globe Theatre in 2013.
It's not where society is right now, he continued.
For actors from underrepresented backgrounds, he expressed satisfaction at how "things have improved.".
He recalled that there were no African diaspora actors working for the RADA or the RSC when he first joined in the late 1970s and early 1980s.
"Things are better now. Now, it is impossible to imagine anyone playing Othello other than someone from the African diaspora," he continued.
In his four decades of acting, Sir Mark has received numerous honors, including an Academy Award, three BAFTA Awards, two Olivier Awards, and three Tony Awards.
