Sir David Mark Rylance Waters (born 18 January 1960 in Ashford, Kent, England) is an English actor, theatre director, and playwright. He was the first artistic director of Shakespeare's Globe in London, between 1995 and 2005. His film appearances include Prospero's Books (1991), Angels and Insects (1995), Institute Benjamenta (1996), and Intimacy (2001). Rylance won the Academy Award and BAFTA Award for Best Supporting Actor for his portrayal of Rudolf Abel in Bridge of Spies (2015). Rylance played the title role in Steven Spielberg's The BFG (2016), a live-action film adaptation of the children's book by Roald Dahl, and appeared in Christopher Nolan's Dunkirk (2017), based on the British evacuation in World War II. He appeared as James Halliday in Spielberg's 2018 film Ready Player One, based on the novel of the same name.
Ready Player One
2018
Dunkirk
2017
Blitz
2011
Don't Look Up
2021
Bridge of Spies
2015
The BFG
2016
A Case of the Cold War: Bridge of Spies
2016
Anonymous
2011
The Nightingale
2027
Bones and All
2022
The Phantom of the Open
2022
The Other Boleyn Girl
2008
The Outfit
2022
The Gunman
2015
Intimacy
2001
The Trial of the Chicago 7
2020
Waiting for the Barbarians
2019
Spirit of Place
2024
The McGuffin
1986
Measure for Measure: Live from The Globe
2004
Days and Nights
2014
Twelfth Night
2012
Prospero's Books
1991
Shakespeare's Globe
2005
Richard II - Live at Shakespeare's Globe
2003
The Way of the Wind
N/A
Hearts of Fire
1987
Artificial
N/A
Henry V at Shakespeare's Globe
1997
Inland
2023
Muse of Fire
2013
We Are Many
2014
Hamlet {Solo}
2007
Angels and Insects
1995
The Grass Arena
1992
Institute Benjamenta, or This Dream People Call Human Life
1995
Loving
1996
On the Edge
N/A
The Government Inspector
2005
Searching for Shakespeare
2025