BBC Wolf Hall's Mark Rylance's life from speech struggles to sudden family tragedies

Mark Rylance, the star behind Thomas Cronwell in the unforgettable drama Wolf Hall, is set to grace our screens once again.

After almost a decade, the show will makes its long-awaited return with season two ready to debut on Sunday, November 10, on BBC One.

And as the 64-year-old is gearing up to star in the BBC series, fans are eager to know all there is about his life away from the small screen.

Speech struggles

The celebrated actor experienced a challenging start, born as Mark Waters in January 1960 in Kent, before moving stateside at two with his educator parents.

Raised in Milwaukee, Rylance struggled with speech until age six, his words incomprehensible to all but his brother.

His past hurdles, he reminisced on Desert Island Discs, helped him become an actor as he shared: "from the very early part of my life I had listened and watched a lot.

"I think there is evidence for consciousness that is not limited by our physical nature.

"Whether some part of me had some intimation that I might one day get out in front of 2,500 people at the Palace Theatre and say 'to be or not to be' and keep my nerve with such famous words, [American psychologist James Hillman] would propose that my young soul knew that and was terrified and was doing everything to avoid that fate."

Early career

He returned to London as a teenager to train at the prestigious Royal Academy of Dramatic Art, adopting the stage name Rylance since Waters was already in use by another actor.

He shot to fame with roles in hits like Hearts Of Fire, Screen Two, Leonardo, Intimacy and The Other Boleyn Girl among others.

It was then 2015 which marked a significant year for him as he took on the role of Thomas Cromwell in the acclaimed first season of Wolf Hall, acting alongside stars Damian Lewis, Claire Foy, and Jessica Raine.

Following the success of the series, his career soared with lead parts in blockbuster movies including Bridge Of Spies, The BFG, Dunkirk and, most recently, The Outfit.

Abuse

Rylance, while guarded about the details, has spoken to Positive News about enduring "trauma" from individuals who "dominating and abusing" him, hindering his awareness.

He divulged: "I was a victim of abuse, yes, and now I am a survivor of abuse.

"In schools, childhood, work, you may experience many levels of abuse.

"Part of the abuse can convince you not to look at it. But don't be frightened of it, be respectful. You're going into a tiger cage."

Famous wife

The leading man of Wolf Hall is wed to the renowned director, composer, and playwright Claire van Kampen, whom he met in 1987 during The Wandering Jew at the National Theatre, and married two years later in Oxfordshire.

Even though he doesn't have any biological children of his own, he became a stepfather to Kampen's two daughters actress and producer Juliet Rylance and filmmaker Nataasha van Kampen.

Personal heartache

It has been 12 years since the actor's stepdaughter Nataasha tragically passed away at the age of 28, due to a suspected brain haemorrhage while on a flight from New York.

Tragedy struck again a decade later, when Rylance's brother Jonathan, who lived in California, lost his life after being hit by a car while cycling.

In an interview with Positive News, Rylance described grief as "a hollowing out... this empty space where there was a whole lot of fun and expectations".

However, he finds solace in the "spiritual presence" of his loved ones, which he views as a "very, very positive one".

"I have really synchronistic, extraordinary experiences of my daughter's presence around me.

"They stay with you. So they're not necessarily abandoned. You have to think: 'where's the positive? What is the positive step forward?'"

Wolf Hall season two premieres on Sunday, November 10, at 9pm on BBC One.