Sir David Mark Rylance Waters is a British actor, theatre director, and playwright, considered one of the greatest actors of his generation. He built his reputation primarily on the stage, serving as the first artistic director of Shakespeare's Globe in London from 1995 to 2005. For his acclaimed theatrical performances, he has won numerous accolades, including three Tony Awards for *Boeing-Boeing*, *Jerusalem*, and *Twelfth Night*, and two Laurence Olivier Awards. His film career achieved widespread international recognition with his portrayal of Soviet spy Rudolf Abel in Steven Spielberg's film *Bridge of Spies* (2015), a role that earned him the Academy Award and the BAFTA Award for Best Supporting Actor. His other notable works include the role of Thomas Cromwell in the miniseries *Wolf Hall*, for which he won another BAFTA, and his appearances in films such as *Dunkirk* (2017) and *The Trial of the Chicago 7* (2020), consolidating his stature as a versatile and profound actor in both theatre and film.