Wolf Hall's Thomas Cromwell star Mark Rylance's devastating family tragedies with 2 tragic deaths
Sir Mark Rylance, who is set to return to screens this weekend for the second season of historical drama, Wolf Hall: The Mirror and The Light but away from TV, is also afflicted by appalling personal tragedies. Based on the novels of the same name by Hilary Mantel, Wolf Hall season two will soon begin on BBC One after a nine-year hiatus, with its premiere on Sunday, November 10, at 9pm on BBC One.
Season two of the historical drama sees Bridge Of Spies, Dunkirk star and Oscar winner Mark Rylance return as the show’s focus of Thomas Cromwell. He will be joined by Homeland star Damian Lewis as well as King Henry VIII along with a number of new faces, including Peaky Blinders actress Kate Phillips as the royalty’s new wife Jane Seymour.
But off screen, iconic actor Mark's life has faced a fair share of trauma. A decade after the sudden death of one of his two step-daughters, aged just 28, he also suffered the loss of his younger brother, Jonathan, 60, in dreadful circumstances, in California, in 2022 where 'Jonno', as he was known, had lived for many years.
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Wine expert Jonathan suffered severe head injuries after he was hit by an oncoming vehicle while cycling in the city of Oakland. Mark took time off from his West End show to travel to the US to attend his memorial service.
In a statement shared at the time, Mark revealed he would not be performing in his play Jerusalem following the tragic news.
He wrote: "I am so sorry to tell you that on the 28th of May, my dear brother Jonathan Waters was knocked from his bicycle and tragically died of his injuries.
"In order to attend his funeral in California, I, unfortunately, have to miss three performances of Jerusalem over Saturday 11th – Sunday 12th June. As I have no understudy to play the role Rooster Johnny Byron, sadly these performances have been cancelled.
"Sonia Friedman Productions, together with Nimax, are arranging additional performances at the end of the scheduled run to try and accommodate everyone who will be affected.
"I hope you understand my need to grieve my beloved brother, and thank you for your support at this time. I hope you will be able to attend another performance of Jerusalem."
Jonathan's passing was another terrible loss for Mark, who also lost his step-daughter Nataasha van Kampen from a fatal brain haemorrhage in 2012.
The star was due recite a passage from William Shakespeare's play The Tempest at the launch of the London 2012 Olympic Games however he pulled out of director Danny Boyle's show after his filmmaker stepdaughter Nataasha van Kampen died of "unsuspected natural causes" on Sunday 1 July 2012.
The 28 year old was the daughter of Mark's composer wife Claire van Kampen, who he married in 1992. A statement from Mark read at the time: "Our beloved daughter and sister Nataasha passed away of unsuspected natural causes early on Sunday morning.
"Because of our bereavement, I have decided to withdraw from my commitment to the Opening Ceremony of the Olympics... The family would ask that their privacy is respected at this sad and difficult time."
Nataasha died of a suspected brain haemorrhage, on a flight from New York to London. During an interview with Irish Times in more recent years, Mark spoke of the tragic lost: "Though there’s not a day we wouldn’t wish her here, growing in the physical world, she feels both very far away and very, very near..
"For me, love is stronger than death. And you know, we are very sad sometimes. But we’re also very happy sometimes, and we feel her come with us as much when we’re happy, if not more, than when we’re sad."
He also told The Sunday Times that he found himself having conversations with his late stepdaughter following her death.
“That ability to tell when your imagination is receiving something and your imagination is creating something – that’s a very subtle difference,” he explained in 2013.
