Andrew Scott had to ‘unlearn’ Hamlet for his emotional ‘Elsinore’ role

TORONTO – Alas, poor Yorick. Andrew Scott might soon be trading your skull for an Oscar.

The acclaimed Irish actor turns in one of his most poignant performances in “Elsinore” (in select theaters Nov. 20, expanding into December). The drama stars Scott as Scottish thespian Ian Charleson, who stepped in for Daniel Day-Lewis in a high-profile 1989 production of Shakespeare’s “Hamlet” at London’s National Theatre. His gripping portrayal of Charleson, the gay “Chariots of Fire” actor who was dying of AIDS when tapped to play one of theater’s most famous roles, puts him in strong contention for his first Academy Award nomination.

“Perhaps when you first hear about the story, you might think that it's dark and very serious in tone,” Scott said after a long standing ovation following the “Elsinore” premiere on Sept. 14 at Toronto International Film Festival.

But Stephen Beresford’s script is full of “enormous levity and fun and humor," Scott added. “It's so incredible to hear people laughing, because Ian was such an extraordinarily funny and life-loving person, and it was so incredible that Stephen was able to interweave this incredible sense of life that he had.”

In the movie, Ian feels that time is running…

Original source: https://www.usatoday.com/entertainment/