Kenneth Branagh 2011 Academy Award Nominee Actor in a Supporting Role: MY WEEK WITH MARILYN credit: © Douglas Kirkland 2012
When young Kenneth Branagh arrived at the London stage 30 years ago he was declared the living successor to Laurence Olivier. Today, he is Oscar®-nominated for his true life performance of Olivier (from the same age, 51) in My Week With Marilyn The film follows the behind-the-camera drama that played out on the 1957 production of The Prince and the Showgirl, where Olivier directed and starred opposite Marilyn Monroe.
Branagh talked to Entertainment Heartbeat about his forming a believable character from a well-known legend and his own personal hero.
“I think if you get the chance to play Laurence Olivier you’re bound, as Michelle (Williams) would probably tell you about Marilyn Monroe, you feel a big sense of responsibility; lots of people are going to have an opinion about it, there are lots of references, people can go and hold your performance up and look at another performance by the same actor so compare and contrast can be pretty exposing.”
In becoming Olivier, Branagh tells us, there was much research to rely while his characterization was perhaps less laborious because it was important to him to attempt this role.
“I think, however, he was such an inspiration to me and to so many generations of actors that I felt, A, that I was very flattered to be asked, that there was so much work, and so much inspiration about how he worked on parts that I could take on board and try to use his level of dedication, and take his approach to work as a model for trying to become him.”
We’re reminded that not many get to breathe life into their personal heroic inspirations with an introduction from an international film stage. “And by the by, sort of in a way sort of pay a kind of debt of gratitude to him because he’s the reason I’m standing here.”