Mark Strong Shares Stories from His Epic Career on Stage and Screen

Mark Strong is in the building! Or at least he was in the Robin Williams Center recently to chat about his incredible career on stage and screen. In addition to his many film credits, Strong has starred in two Broadway shows, the most recent being this season’s Oedipus, for which he just received a Tony nomination.

Prior to bringing Oedipus to Broadway, Strong earned an Olivier Award nomination for the production’s record-breaking engagement in London’s West End. “That’s the thing I enjoyed most, was coming to it fresh, almost 10 months after we’d finished in London, to look at it with new eyes,” Strong told BroadwayWorld’s Richard Ridge.

He received his first Tony Award nomination in 2016 for Best Performance by an Actor in a Leading Role in a Play for his acclaimed portrayal of Eddie Carbone in the Young Vic production of Arthur Miller’s ‘A View From the Bridge’. 

Strong’s prolific film career spans genres, from the action-packed ‘Kingsman’ franchise to acclaimed dramas including ‘1917,’ ‘Zero Dark Thirty,’ ‘TÁR,’ and ‘The Imitation Game,’ as well as comedies such as the ‘Murder Mystery’ films and ‘Cruella.’

He will next star in Tom Ford’s highly anticipated feature ‘Cry to the Heaven,’ based on Anne Rice’s acclaimed novel. On television, Strong has delivered notable performances in ‘The Penguin’ opposite Colin Farrell, HBO Max’s ‘Dune: Prophecy,’ ‘Nine Perfect Strangers’ opposite Nicole Kidman, and ‘The Long Firm,’ for which he received a BAFTA TV Award nomination. 

What’s his advice to actors who are just getting their start? “I think it’s really important to understand what the business is and what being an actor is in the current climate. It’s very difficult to get a film made. It’s very difficult to get a part in a film. There are a lot of people competing for parts. It’s a really difficult path and it’s not a meritocracy either. Just because you’re good doesn’t mean you’re going to work all the time,” he said. “Just try to understand that you’ve just got to keep going and don’t take it personally if it doesn’t work out.”

In this interview, he unpacks everything from how he first discovered theatre, to his training, and the many, incredible projects that have led him to today. Watch even more conversations with your favorite actors with SAG-AFTRA Foundation.