The Best Supporting Actor Oscar has gone to Mark Rylance, 56, for his portrayal as calm Russian spy Rudolf Abel in the historical drama, Bridge of Spies. This category was favored to go to Sylvester Stallone for Creed. Rylance gave such a nuanced and understated performance. He came across as studiously nonchalant and unaffected by his character’s incarceration, and yet genuinely grateful, in his quiet way, for Tom Hanks’s character’s help. My favorite lines were when James Donovan (Tom Hanks) asked Abel why he wasn’t nervous and Abel asked “would it help?” Rylance also won the BAFTA for this role. This is Rylance’s first nomination and first Oscar.
In his acceptance speech Rylance thanked Steven Spielberg for the opportunity to work with him, and he called him one of the “greatest storytellers of our time.” He also made the joke that people he meets on the street often say to him “would it help.”
“If you’re ever wondering about acting with Tom Hanks ‘would it help?’ the answer is clearly yes.”
He also thanked his fellow nominees and said that “it’s a wonderful time to be an actor and I’m proud to be part of it.”
Congratulations to Mark Rylance! I’m so happy he won in this category.
photos credit: WENN and Getty
“Mark R…”
Man, Mark Ruffalo was probably holding his breath.
I fist pumped in excitement until I heard “…ylance” and realized it wasn’t “…uffalo.” Then I was sad.
I know people figured Stallone, but this is the one they got right.
Absolutely! Stallone was very good- actually this category was full of strong performances(I saw them all).
However, Mark’s quiet, restrained performance was everything. I loved the rare glimpses of humanity his character showed. Totally my favourite performance in this field and I am shocked and pleased that he won.
I haven’t seen the movie but I love him in Wolf Hall.
Same here! He should win everything, all the time!
He was good in the movie, but I haven’t seen Stallone’s performance.
I did not see this movie, which is definitely a wait-for-Netflix thing for me, but I don’t mind this. I’m kind of glad Stallone didn’t just get the award for being Stallone. I’ve seen Rylance in Wolf Hall but am otherwise not that familiar with him. He has one of those Wikipedias where I scrolled down his filmography thinking, “gosh, he doesn’t work that often…” until I got to the huge list of theater credits and thought, “ah, got it now.”
knew it was gonna be him, it’s all about politics, another chance to stick it to Soviets/Russia, what a bore
It was about a moment of history.It was a well made but flat movie
I didn’t think the movie was particularly ‘stick it to Russia’. It was a classic Spielberg morality tale which the Academy loves and Rylance definitely was good in the role. So yay for him!
I agree with you both about the film, but his performance was so subtle and full. Definitely the best part of the movie, by far.
What a lovely man and wonderful actor. Couldn’t be happier to see him recognized.
That being said, I wouldn’t have been upset to see Ruffalo or Stallone receive it, either. I thought all of their performances were award-worthy.
Ruffalo should have won it…this was a Spielberg bump win
Awesome! Well deserved!
He’s a good actor but I don’t think the role was that exceptional. The whole movie was blah mainly because of the slow storyline, but lots of obvious artistry and technique. I can’t stand that SSpielberg glowy light thing. What’s with that? He loves that annoying glowy lighting and uses it in every film I can remember.
I think the fact that the role wasn’t “exceptional” probably contributed to his win. There has been push back about the whole lose/gain a bunch of weight for a role, or film in terrible conditions, that people want to reward someone for just being a good actor. This is the foil to Leo’s Oscar.
the glowy lighty thing is Janusz Kaminski the cinematographer, he has a years long collaboration with Spielberg and for some reason LOVES doing the glowy lighty thing on every film – he also lit and shot “The Judge” in the exact same way. Really distracting. Many people say the best cinematography is the kind where you don’t even realize what your watching is painstakingly prepared instead of trying to be showy and noticed.
@margot1923 It reminds me of Bette Midler MVs and soft-porn films. Awful.
That’s the point – no one would have thought anything of the role if Rylance hadn’t worked his magic with the part. No disrespect to Brie Larson, who was amazing and thoroughly deserved her award, but that was a meaty part, she sank her teeth into it and was rewarded. Rylance, on the other hand, made a quiet miracle out of a bog-standard supporting role.
He was wonderful in Bridge. Well deserved.
The category was full of meh performances. Everyone was just good as each other. I’m glad he won though. Tom Hanks is a very overrated actor.
Thank goodness. Stallone was good in Creed, maybe the best he’s ever been, but it still would have been a token ‘last chance’ win.
Rylance is an incredible actor, and unless this changes his priorities he probably won’t be in many more Oscar-y films, so this is great. If he hadn’t won, he’s one of those people we’d look back on decades later and say how the hell did that guy never win an Oscar.
I actually liked Stallone better in Rocky Balboa…that movie made me cry but Creed was good too
I was expecting Sly to win, but I’m happy for Mr Rylance nevertheless. Congrats!! Now I really want to see the movie.
A wonderful actor and a gentleman.
I AM HERE FOR THIS! Seriously. I get the support for Stallone and Ruffalo, but as has been said above this is a fine balance for Leo’s probable win.
To quote Sir Lawrence Olivier “why don’t you try acting, my dear boy.”
Mark Rylance will pull you in to the story-telling space with a stage light and bare boards, much less a finely inscribed environment such as Bridge of Spies and a director such as Spielberg. No “bump” here, just one of the finest actors on two feet.
I admit that I hate to think he won because Academy voters didn’t watch the Creed screener (and that’s where being in a film with Tom Hanks–which of those Old White Guys is going to tell Hanks over lunch at l’orangerie or Nobu that they didn’t see his flick?) but honestly I think he deserved it anyway. However the win came about.
+1. Hear, hear!
Well said. Finest actor on two feet, indeed. Even when he’s not on two feet.
Yay Mark Rylance!!! Well deserved, he is a wonderful man and brilliant actor.
Well deserved.
When I was a child, Rylance did Hamlet at the American Repertory Theater and my parents brought me to see him. I will forever measure Hamlet by that performance and I have found all others lacking. A brilliant actor
I saw him as Cleopatra at the Globe. The man is unbelievable. Well deserved win.
I saw his Hamlet at the ART, too! And I’ve admired him ever since.
Oh, I’m so jealous of you right now, Lilacflowers!
So happy for Mark R. Great actor, fabulous on Broadway every time I have seen him. The first film I ever saw him in was “Angels and Insects” and I knew he was an actor to follow. I also like the fact that he and Derek Jacobi are brave enough to put out a a letter stating they think Shakespeare was not the author of his works. They are firmly in the camp of “someone else wrote those plays” and I believe them. They know their craft and Shakespeare like no other. He’s a former director at the Globe and a master at Shakespeare. Good on him for winning.
I love Rylance and have seen him on stage many times, but I cannot get on board with his Oxfordian tendencies. There is no real historical evidence supporting the idea that anyone other than William Shakespeare wrote those plays.
Yes, as it turns out brilliant actors make for terrible literary historians.
CHRISTIAN BALE. Did anyone else see the Big Short?? He was so fantastic in that movie. I know he’s won a couple times before but I saw nearly every Oscar film this year and he was the standout to me out of everyone. I’m so annoyed that Big Short didn’t win more. His portrayal of his character was just so nuanced-he always disappears into a role. Rylance was good but his role didn’t require effort to me.
The thing is, Bale will win again in the future. Rylance, I doubt.
I actually think Rylance will easily be nominated again. He is doing more movies now. He’ll be the next Christoph Waltz and win again in this category sooner rather than later. I loved Rylance’s performance but I’m devastated for Stallone.
Yes. He was beyond great as usual. He’s like Fass. They deliver consistently out of this world performances so nobody makes a a big deal.
Tiffany says:
The thing is, Bale will win again in the future.lol,…….for some reasons bale will never win again,mark rylance will do it again in the future.he is legend,but bale nah.
I don’t see how Bale is not a legend, he throws himself into every film he does. even in American Hustle, to me he outshone all the people who getting the hype like Bradley Cooper and Jennifer Lawrence. Mark Rylance is an excellent actor but between those two performances, Bale took my breath away, he was so good.
And I hate the ‘Bale will win again’ logic. He’s won twice. By the very same logic, he may never win again because he’s won already. I wish they would just award the best performances period.
Love bale but Rylance is a master at his art. I feel like bale is a more showy actor and is more easily recognisable as good but what rylance does is just as difficult.
It was thoroughly deserved and I hope this is the start of him getting lots of good work in Hollywood.
Sassback ,first I don’t say Bale is not a legend,and don’t say he is.but it is clear you don’t know what people felt and said about him.anyway,maybe he is good actor,but he is not legends-level.
Well-deserved. He reminded me of Anthony Hopkins in “The Remains of the Day”, as far as nuanced goes. Showing such a suppressed, understated personality, yet all that restraint showcasing the underlying emotions: wonderful. Subtle, strong, impressive screen presence. I was so impressed, and I’m happy for him.
I saw half an hour of the movie because t was so damn broing but he was very very good in it. Glad that it is not Sly or Ruffalo
I LOVE THIS MAN
One of the greatest actors in the world. Can do Shakespeare on stage just as well as nuanced still movie performances. That is rare.
So glad he’s getting some recognition in Hollywood too.
I’m so glad he won. I was rooting for him because he gives me #parentinggoals as Flop in Bing. Can I get a Hoppity Voosh from all the Bingsters out there?!
Loved that he won. Liked the movie and yes, when I heard him utter the words I thought they should be part of a moto … would it help to feel envy? would it help to feel angry? before reacting to a certain situation one – I guess- should ask oneself would it help?
Brilliant actor, so glad he won this!!!
Well, I’m not familiar with his work and I didn’t watch the movie but I enjoyed his speech.
Anyway, in a year that was surprisingly weak in this category, I wish the Academy did something truly revolutionary and nominated Richard Kind for his work in Inside Out. Voice acting is criminally unappreciated, and he always does such an amazing job playing those innocent and lovable goofballs. Bing Bong was the true star of the movie anyway.
It actually makes me sad now animated movies also go for big stars, because voice acting really is a different thing. I could tell by watching The Book of Life the actors weren’t trained like that at all.
So glad Rylance won .I have seen him live on stage several times and he never misses a beat.The last time was Farinelli and the King and his comic timing was perfect which is why it has been great to see him on TV and now in film.He is for me the best actor of his generation.
There are videos of his appearances in productions at the Globe.He was hilarious in Twelfth Night.
He really does not need Oscars as he is an acting genius but I hope he makes lots of money in the films-he is a lovely man with an amazing knowledge of Shakespeare and I love that in his gentle way he supported the Oxfordian theory.
i also liked the actress in the Danish Girl .i am seeing Leo’s film this week but not convinced I will like it-it sounds a bit tedious
Everyone, please hop over to YouTube and treat yourself to genius Mark Rylance’s Tony award speeches from 2008 and 2011. They are BANANAS.
I was hoping for Mark Ruffalo, who I thought was the best actor in Spotlight, but I’m not at al disappointed for Mark Rylance’s win. For me, he was the best part of Bridge.
Damn, now it’ll be even harder to get a ticket to see him on stage!