I think I've developed a weird crush on Mark Rylance in Wolf Hall *

[KatParr]

As Thomas Cromwell. Those tortured brown eyes! He's the embodiment of suppressed emotion. But. The weird skull cap and hat combo. Would love to be enveloped in his fur-trimmed cloak however.

Hilary Mantel has done a blinder with the character of Cromwell and Mark Rylance plays him so beautifully.

• Disclaimer, I'm probably ovulating, which accounts for weird crush.

Just watched the third episode, when Wolsey’s daughter makes him cry. My heart…

I love the growing peril around Cromwell. Brilliant performance by Damien Lewis as well, he’s just not as easy on the eye.

And Elizabeth Seymour was obviously well up for it with Cromwell senior!

Oh, I know, his tears! It really upset me 😭

I know he wasn’t crying cos she brutally rejected him, it was more the Wolsey-betrayal inference, but him saying “I will marry you, Mistress, if you’ll have me” was just so ridiculously adorable. Waaah. Think I re-wound it four times.

Op I can't wait, I'm saving it for Christmas with dd 🎄🎄🤶🎅❤️❤️

It was utterly adorable, and then Wolsey failed to “appear” once Cromwell had been accused of betrayal. OTOH DH insists that Cromwell only proposed to Dorothea as a distraction from the rumours that he wanted to marry Mary, the cynical old bugger. (DH not Crom!)

Im sorry to say Im not finding it as good as Wolf Hall 1. I think its because of the new actors playing the old parts. Im missing Bernard Hill 😪, he was so nasty as Norfolk, and Mark Gatiss is not coming back, and he was great too.
The book was The same I thought, lots of fillers until Crom's downfall.

I agree @Nettleteaser101 that not all of the replacements are seamless. I am enjoying Timothy Spall as Norfolk though - weirdly, his face seems to work well in Tudor garb! However I can't stand Karim Kadjar's Chapuys: he gives me pantomime vibes. I found the third book hard work, but I think I'm enjoying the series more having ploughed my way through it.

Bernard Hill was a fine actor, may he rest in peace.

I miss Mark Gatiss and Bernard Hill too.

You're not alone. My 85 year old mother goes all silly over MR, and I think he's not half bad either!
The character's not that lovely though. I think he's extremely manipulative.
I love his silences. Very powerful.

"Shall we put Anne Boleyn in the bye-bye box now?"

🤣🤣🤣🤣

That’s a shame about Mark Gatiss. I remember an interview where he said a friend had commented on his brilliant prosthetic nose and he had to reveal it was his own nose! I think it was in Wolf Hall.

Rylance young

Sigh

No, I just can’t see the attraction. He’s old, I’m old too but can’t have crushes on older men, they just don’t attract me 😂😂😂

I’m the polar opposite. I love his character-filled face, it speaks of experience, wisdom and a life lived. For me that’s hotter than anything a young man has to offer! I’m in my thirties and though I’m married theoretically I’d never turn down a larger age-gap relationship on the basis of age alone. I have to say in real life MR doesn’t do it for me, but as TC he just has some kind of irresistible magic. I’m glad we are all different 😊

I saw him as Hamlet when I was a teenager as well @Snoopystick He was very young, but it was obvious he was going to go on to great things.

Totally agree with this. Watched the series and am now reading the book, envisioning Mark Rylances face as I go. But he’s definitely more rough, capable, Jack of All Trades and sexy as described by Hilary Mantel.
Love that he is also the voice of Bing, one of my most favourite kids tv programmes for many reasons.

The crying scene was STUNNING. The first time he allows his mask to slip, even over the deaths of his wife and daughters.

I totally agree - but sadly he doesn’t have the same effect on me without his hat on (and I speak as one whose DH is even balder)…

Our family saying is “would it help”, his brilliant line from the Bridge of spies film. He’s utterly brilliant in everything he does.

I’ve been harping on about my Thomas Cromwell crush and no one else is watching it! I love Mark Rylance

@Whomarriedwho , best line of that movie

what was it again, something like :”aren’t you worried about what will happen to you?” And he said “would it help if I worried?”

paraphrasing but something like that, right?

🤣🤣🤣

For me one of the marks of a great actor is when words don't need to be spoken. Mark Rylance has the most expressive face and eyes, tiny movements conveying so much. I don't find him attractive as such but I could watch his facial expressions all day!