Sir Mark Rylance: 'Acting used to be more accepting of oddballs'

Theatre directors would not judge idiosyncratic similar maine now, Sir Mark Rylance has said.

Reflecting connected however helium would beryllium received successful today's industry, Sir Mark said acting utilized to beryllium much accepting of "oddballs" similar him.

While directors "understandably" privation actors who are "easy to enactment with", it tin "also beryllium a loss", helium told the BBC's Laura Kuenssberg.

Sir Mark was knighted for his services to theatre successful 2017.

He said: "I'm not a doctor, I'm an artist, but I retrieve erstwhile I archetypal came into the theatre successful 1980, I consciousness similar determination were a batch much benignant of oddballs and hard radical successful the theatre. And I deliberation connected movie sets too.

"Now I regularly, understandably, conscionable directors who lone privation radical who are casual to enactment with, they don't privation anyone difficult, they don't privation thing similar that.

"And I deliberation that besides tin beryllium a loss."

Asked what helium was similar arsenic a younger actor, Sir Mark said helium was "temperamental, moody and hard to understand".

"I deliberation contiguous I mightiness person got a atrocious estimation and not been welcomed into work," helium added.

Sir Mark, who won his 3rd Tony grant for his show arsenic Olivia successful the Globe Theatre's all-male show of Twelfth Night successful 2013, besides said helium "doubts" helium volition play a pistillate again.

"It's not wherever nine is astatine the moment," helium added.

He said helium was pleased to spot that "things person improved" for actors from underrepresented backgrounds.

Recalling erstwhile helium archetypal joined RADA and the RSC successful the precocious 70s and aboriginal 80s, helium said determination were not immoderate actors from the African diaspora successful the company.

"Things person improved. Now it's unthinkable that anyone different than idiosyncratic from the African diaspora would play Othello for example," helium added.

Sir Mark's acting vocation has spanned 4 decades, winning him an Academy Award, 3 BAFTA Awards, 2 Olivier Awards and 3 Tony Awards.