Mark Rylance talks about Wolf Hall: The Mirror and the Light, in which he revisits his role as Thomas Cromwell in the court of Henry VIII.

Listen to NPR's Mary Louise talk with Mark Rylance about Wolf Hall: The Mirror and the Light, in which he revisits his role as Thomas Cromwell in the court of Henry VIII.

Transcript:

MARY LOUISE KELLY, HOST:

When last we saw Thomas Cromwell, master manipulator in Henry VIII's court, Anne Boleyn had just lost her head. The king, anxious to marry anew and secure a male heir, had soured on Anne and turned to Cromwell to get rid of her. In the final scene of "Wolf Hall" on Masterpiece, King Henry gives Cromwell - just back from the beheading - a hero's welcome. Well, it's been about a decade since the show came out, and now, Part 2 of the series, directed by Peter Kosminsky and based on books by Hilary Mantel, is here. It's called "Wolf Hall: The Mirror And The Light." And in the royal court, not a moment has passed since Part 1.

(SOUNDBITE OF TV SHOW, "WOLF HALL: THE MIRROR AND THE LIGHT")

THOMAS BRODIE-SANGSTER: (As Rafe Sadler) Did it have to be this way, so bloody?

MARK RYLANCE: (As Thomas Cromwell) When negotiation and compromise fail, then your only course is to destroy your enemy. Before they wake in the morning, Rafe, have the axe in your hand.

KELLY: Thomas Cromwell, as played then and now by Mark Rylance. Welcome.

RYLANCE: Hello.

KELLY: Hi. I'm thinking of the particular challenge of playing Cromwell. Because the character, as he's written in the books, is inscrutable. We never know quite what he's thinking. How do you play that?