Eddie Izzard, the acclaimed comedian and actor, recently shared insights into his multifaceted career, touching on his experiences in film, theatre, and beyond. Izzard is a master at folding depths of understanding and philosophy into his humor. He’s left them spellbound through his roles in films like Ocean’s 13, in addition to his one-man adaptation of Shakespeare’s Hamlet that has traveled worldwide.
Izzard showed he could hold his own in heavyweight scenic moments in “Ocean’s 13.” A wondrously nimble actor. On that occasion, he was welcomed and warmly received on the red carpet for the film, enjoying all the glitz and glamour of Hollywood. His invasion of the cinematic landscape is only one side of his wide-ranging career that boasts major accomplishments in the world of theatre.
In a sharp departure from his film work, Izzard decided to tackle the role of “Hamlet.” He even managed to pull off a stunning sword fight against himself! Looking back on this journey, he said that practicing for “Hamlet” was like coming home. This deep personal connection to the material is what fueled his passion to play the character. His utmost focus went into refining how Hamlet would deliver his most famous statements, like “To be or not to be.”
“I come to ‘to be’ in a slightly different way each night so hopefully the audience haven’t seen it done that way before.”
With each performance came different interactions with the audience, as Izzard worked to engage them and bring them into the experience unfolding on stage. His brilliance as an improvisational performer allowed him the freedom to alter his characterization from performance to performance, making every performance unique.
Unsurprisingly, Izzard’s theatrical roots run deep. Getting ready After graduating from Brown, he spent a few years sword fighting in Covent Garden, developing skills that would soon serve him well in many different roles. His commitment to performance extends well beyond just acting. His completion of over 100 marathons is a testament to this pursuit of physical endurance which parallels his artistic journey. Last year, he completed an amazing 27 marathons in 27 days around South Africa for Sport Relief. Incredibly, he even managed to do a double marathon on the final day after spending time in the hospital.
Izzard’s gifts flourish on the small screen, where he toiled alongside Mads Mikkelsen as a recurring player on the show “Hannibal.” In one particularly funny scene, his character Abel Gideon was forced to eat snails. This scene embodied the weirdness and difficulty of his characters’ uniqueness.
The actor’s love for cinema extends to his evaluation of other actors. He expressed admiration for George Lazenby’s portrayal of James Bond, stating, “I think George Lazenby did a good job as James Bond.” This speaks to not just his reverence for the craft, but his desire to meet pop culture where it’s at.
Izzard will be bringing a new Remix tour to the States next year. We promise this new tour will tell his story in a whole new, totally awesome way – kind of like the way Madonna reinvented “Like A Virgin. This inventive method not only looks impressive but is artistic, reflecting Izzard’s intention to continue growing as a creator and reaching audiences in a multitude of ways.
As evidenced by his work over the course of his artistic life, Izzard has adopted a subversively whimsical, deeply significant approach to performance. His ability to improvise guarantees no two shows are ever the same. He reassures audiences about the unpredictability of live theatre:
“Don’t worry if you go wrong, because people love it because they’ve seen it right so many times.”