How good an actor is he?

Just watched Dunkirk and I don't think I have ever seen a bad performance from him! Understated but absolutely brilliant actor.

A strange thing to say, but I find that there is something about his tone of voice and accent that really works in film. Portrays emotion without needing to deviate from his calm and placid demeanour.

Not seen Dunkirk yet, but fully expect him to be as great in it, as you say he was.

Its exactly that. He comes across so genuine / natural. He is fantastic.

Even better in Bridge of Spies with Tom Hanks.

Suspect years of theatre experience has helped in develop into one of our very best character actors.

Very good in Wolf Hall as well excellent actor

He was awarded an Oscar for best supporting actor in Bridge of Spies. Very deserved in my opinion.

Our best performers have usually got theatre/Shakespeare/Classical acting experience.
The Americans have noticed this and some of their performers have done the same over the years.

Hmmm...I realise I'm against the grain here and I also realise I'm in no way qualified to judge but I am underwhelmed by him and find the constant high praise of his acting puzzling. Every time I see him he is playing the same quiet, understated, serious, decent type which is fine but never seems particularly testing.
I'm not calling for Eastenders style histrionics but has anyone seen him exhibit greater range ? A pal told me he was very good in the West End play Jerusalem but I didn't see this so can't comment.

Flop

I saw Jerusalem in which MR was outstanding. This Guardian review https://www.theguardian.com/stage/2015/ ... salem-2009 sums up his performance admirably. A the review notes it is his chameleon-like ability to play a range of characters that makes him one of the outstanding actors today.

I remember Rylance playing William Blake to Bob Pegg's Tom Paine in a fab TV play when he was quite young. He was brilliant even then. Here's the link for anyone interested....Bob Pegg had that great line in Jurassic Park...."Clever Girl" just before he gets raptured

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=tikLELXGoWU

Stalbansclaret wrote:Hmmm...I realise I'm against the grain here and I also realise I'm in no way qualified to judge but I am underwhelmed by him and find the constant high praise of his acting puzzling. Every time I see him he is playing the same quiet, understated, serious, decent type which is fine but never seems particularly testing.
I'm not calling for Eastenders style histrionics but has anyone seen him exhibit greater range ? A pal told me he was very good in the West End play Jerusalem but I didn't see this so can't comment.

Horses for courses. Thats the point. Its his style. Certainly in the films I have seen. I have seen four films with him in recently and he was excellent in all of them.

He was on the One Show plugging it, very unassuming chap; almost embarrassed by the publicity. Good actor.

Quite brilliant in Dunkirk and Bridge of spies. Genius.

Quite impressed with him in Dunkirk and Wolf Hall.
If you haven't seen Dunkirk go see it, it's an immersive experience unlike many films. The young lad who's in it is brilliant and portrays what it must have been like to be a member of the BEF, being dive bombed, sniped at, machine-gunned, sunk, half-drowned, and shot at by your own side. Their nerves must have been shot to pieces.

Exellent actor very believable ,not the kind of guy who you'd imagine playing the "bad leiutenant" or a combat scarred war veteran , but does do these historical stagey chaps v well indeed.

Bob Peck?

ExistentialWanderer wrote:He was on the One Show plugging it, very unassuming chap; almost embarrassed by the publicity. Good actor.

He's actually a massive narcissistic, wife-beating, racist, self-promoting vegan. That's how good an actor he is.

He has been in some iffy films.