Mark Lawson talks to the revered actor Simon Russell Beale, hailed as 'the greatest actor of his generation'. In this reflective interview, Russell Beale discusses his life on and off stage and the pleasure and pressure of taking on some of the most distinguished roles in history. He offers valuable insights into how he approaches his diverse roles - from princes to psychopaths, boarding school boys to ballerinas - as well as his changing career as he now approaches fifty.
Having begun life as a St Pauls chorister, Russell Beale's theatrical prowess was cemented with Best Actor plaudits for Hamlet, Uncle Vanya and Twelfth Night, as well as delighting audiences with performances in London Assurance, Spamalot, The Winter's Tale and Deathtrap.
Having enthralled television audiences in his BAFTA award-winning drama Dance to the Music of Time, Russell Beale continues to demonstrate his versatility on screen, from performing Sondheim in the BBC Proms and presenting BBC Four's documentary series Sacred Music, to one of his best loved roles as the home secretary in Spooks.
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