Mark Rylance - 2011 Tony Awards acceptance speech

Mark Rylance wins the 2011 Tony Award for Best Performance by a Leading Actor in a Play for Jerusalem.

In his acceptance speech, he recites "Walking Through a Wall" by poet Louis Jenkins. He had also quoted a Jenkins poem for his previous Tony speech in 2008 when he won for Boeing-Boeing.


From 2011 AP news reports:

"I bet most people understood it in many different ways, which was kind of the point of it anyway," he said. "It was the contrast of the poetry of Louis Jenkins and that system of awards _ of winners and losers _ that intrigued me as a piece of theater, really."

He said he had been preparing three or four things to say if he won. He had been told he had only about 90 seconds to speak, including the walk up the stage. He had definitely ruled out the traditional listing of peoples' names, finding it unengaging.

"No one else will ever do the poems that I do because they're my thing. So it's tempting to give them another wonderful poem," he said. "It won't be a surprise but I don't think that matters."

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[satiecocco]

He should just be given awards constantly, so that we can hear more speeches.

[ferreracarrera]

Brilliant, what a talented actor and what a unique human, great to see an actor of such intelligence.

[Kristoffer Infante]

Huh, what? And.....I thought he was British?

[Isla Stewart]

:) Amazing speaking ability.

[Timothy Donaghue]

I don't get the speech. Someone please explain it to me?

[Calvin Toronto]

You miss the point, again. I didn't say "like"; I said 'good." The point is that because something runs 7 months and/or if it wins awards does not mean it is good. It means it was popular. Whether is it good or not is up for debate. And I've said why I think it is not good.

[thomas bentley]

and it actually ran for more than 7 months, it ran for 7 and then was brought back a year later ..BY POPULAR DEMAND

[thomas bentley]

Yes but if no one liked it how did it run for 7 months ? macdonalds sells billions of meal because people like it .

The play didnt start of £150 pounds a seat it started off in a cheap theatre in london and worked its way up and was the invited to go to the states. yes the rest of the cast might not of been as good but that is simply because the character rylance is playing is so strong and dominant (based on a real person )

[Calvin Toronto]

Good for you that you met MR. You don't, though, address what I've written. That a cast are trained (aren't all actors?) and can do a play for 7 months does NOT mean that the production is good. Does "1 billion served" mean that McD's is good?

MR had a showy role. Unfortunately, the rest of the case paled in comparison, and the story was as uninteresting as the cast. So, MR chewed the scenery because, well, what else was there to do?

Paying $150/seat cloud's one's judgement, as it has yours.

[thomas bentley]

deffo one of the best stage actors of all time

[thomas bentley]

how can you say that ? have you even been to the theatre before ? i have met mark rylance and the cast they are not a teen cast they are all very skilled and highly trained they did 8 shows for nearly 7 months and he never complained once and everyone who went to see it was amazed even the best were shocked one man doesnt make a play he can start it but in the end everyone has to finish

[sergeiparajanov]

Both of his Tony speeches amount to twee, irrelevant and not-very-funny whimsy. Give me a shot of insulin. What's much funnier than anything he says is the fact he thinks the Earl of Oxford wrote Shakespeare. :)