‘The Oscars are actually really boring’: Mark Rylance explains why he won’t be attending this year’s ceremony

‘I don’t think awards are a serious marker of what the greatest or most inspiring things are,’ actor said

Mark Rylance has declined his invitation to this year’s Oscars ceremony because he finds the event “actually really boring”.

The actor recently starred in the Adam McKay-directed feature Don’t Look Up, which is up for four Academy Awards including Best Picture and Best Original Screenplay.

In the film, he played tech billionaire Peter Isherwell, who was against preventing a life-destroying comet from hitting Earth as he hoped to mine it for expensive minerals.

Despite the film being nominated, Rylance has no plans to attend the occasion on Sunday 27 March.

“I don’t think awards are a serious marker of what the greatest or most inspiring things are, but it’s nice to be celebrated,” he told Radio Times.

“I won’t be going this year. To be honest, they’re actually really boring.”

Rylance won the Oscar for Best Supporting Actor at the 2016 ceremony for his work in the historical drama film Bridge of Spies.

Mark Rylance as Peter Isherwell in ‘Don’t Look Up’ (NIKO TAVERNISE/NETFLIX)

Though he acknowledges the positives in winning such an award, the Wolf Hall star didn’t rush to put his trophy on display in his home.

He explained: “I don’t like to be ostentatious about that kind of thing. It was in a box for a long time. I think it’s now on a shelf.”

You can read The Independent’s review of Don’t Look Up here.