The main character of ‘The Mafia Tailor’ is no longer claimed by Hollywood since he won the Oscar thanks to ‘Bridge of Spies’, by Steven Spielberg
‘The Mob Tailor’ is a thriller set in a Chicago tailor’s shop in the 1950s, with a twisting story designed to make us question what we think we know about the characters. Ambitious and surprising, with Steven Spielberg’s favorite actor, Mark Rylance (Ashford, United Kingdom, 1960) in the lead role. The actor plays a tailor who sews beautiful tailor-made suits for his clients who, as the plot progresses, turns out to be mostly criminals associated with members of the Boyle crime family. The film, directed by Graham Moore, is a continuous coming and going of twists and turns that weave an ingenious mystery. Rylance, 62, showcases a talent trained in theater at the Royal Academy of Dramatic Art, where he became its first Artistic Director in 1995. During the pandemic, with cinemas closed, the British actor admits to having made six feature films, including Adam McKay’s ‘Don’t look up’ for Netflix and this ‘The mafia tailor’, which will hit Spanish cinemas on May 20.
-Since he won the Oscar for ‘Bridge of Spies’ (2015), Hollywood seems to have surrendered at its feet.
– They really couldn’t find me. I’ve been working in England for decades, but since I got the Oscar I’ve got a lot more opportunities. I’m glad I’m a theater actor, I wouldn’t mind working alone on stage, but if someone comes along and offers me a part worth it, I won’t turn them down. I’ve made many films for ‘Bridge of Spies’, but none were as successful.
The tailor’s clothes are a metaphor in the story.
-As the story progresses, we undress the main character. Clothing is a way of communicating with the outside world and in this case my character is dedicated to dressing a group of criminals. What he thinks we see in the suits he builds. He is a craftsman who does not sew without thread.
-It is true that he spent time in a real tailor’s shop.
-Yes. At Savile Row, Huntsman & Sons, where I learned the art of cutting and sewing, two very different professions, as the film highlights. There is a specific process in an actor’s work which consists in understanding the essence of the characters. I get very specific papers that need preparation. I am a conscientious actor and it amuses me to put myself in the shoes of these men without fear or bondage.
-You said you’re worried about Elon Musk. Do you consider yourself an activist actor?
-I’m. I’m concerned about the environment and I’m very concerned about the direction the planet is heading. I think we actors have a job to move people, to move people with stories that invite us to think about the common good.
What was the hardest thing about learning to sew?
-I thought I could sew, but I realized that making suits is something completely different. I had to learn how to properly hold the thimble and the intricacies of the many pieces that make up a perfectly made suit. But also the experience of the character, his job security. When a craftsman is talented, within the working class, he gains the admiration of his customers and his competitors. Customization is not a profession, but an art.
Does he resemble his character?
I also try to get better at my job every day. I want to be a teacher who always loves his subject. I have always considered myself working class. I think my sense of responsibility towards work is something inherited from my father and grandfather. In my family we are all workers.
-Enjoy all the characters you play.
-I don’t judge them and I enjoy that. We actors understand that we have to love all characters, from a king to a psychopath, and let the audience judge your work. Leonard has not been an easy character, on the contrary, I had to learn the meaning of everything he does, from cutting the fabric to painting a line, because nothing he does is improvised.
-He cares about the way he dresses.
-More since I shot this movie. I’ve always been interested in the game a jacket can give a character on stage, but my personal style has never given me anything. Now it’s different, Leonard taught me to dress elegantly. I have a new tailor and I understand the special relationship between your tailor and your customer.
-During the pandemic, he made six films.
-Yes. I find it hard not to work. At this point in my career, I want to build on success, but circumstances have resulted in many of the films being released in theaters almost simultaneously.
Source: La Verdad
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