Ten of the most famous and notable Hamlets, and what they are remembered for.
Richard Burbage - Late 1500's
- Was the first Hamlet and a friend of Shakespeare's
- The role of Hamlet was written for him
- Had excellent memory and a wide emotional range
Sarah Bernhardt "Great Sarah" - 1900
- One of the many women to take on the role of Hamlet
- Portrays Hamlet as what some would say is a mischievous young boy
- Light-hearted and light-footed
- Shows a warm, personal connection between Hamlet and his father
Sir Laurence Olivier - 1947
- A Hamlet with unique power and melancholy meditativeness
- Bleached his hair blonde for the role
- "Beautiful acting and inspired interpretations all the way" Bosley Crowther, The New York Times
David Warner - 1965
- Delivers a performance that is more touching than it is tragic
- Presents Hamlet as a contemporary, disillusioned youth to attract a younger audience
- Appears as a fairly modern-day university undergraduate
- Had a rousing effect on the audiences of his time period
Sir Ian McKellen (Gandalf) - 1971
- Hamlet as "a boy who knows exactly what has to be done but lacks the manly resources to do it" - Ian McKellen
- Presents a modern-looking Hamlet
- Controversial Hamlet that appeals more to young people than critics
Mel Gibson - 1990
- Stripped down "Cliffs notes" version of the play
- Robust and exuberant performance of Hamlet
- Adds a lot of sexual aggression to the scene with his mother after stabbing Polonius that creates strong implications regarding their relationship
Ralph Phiennes (Voldemort) - 1995
- Presents both light and dark charisma in the role
- A Hamlet "without set pieces" - critic Matt Wolf
- Speaks to audiences effectively through his emotional dishevelment
- A Hamlet fueled by fury and the settling of scores
Kenneth Branagh - 1996
- Portrays a Hamlet that is indecisive but also reckless
- Directed the film himself
- His film made unique use of mirrors and closets
- Aimed to "produce art that hides the art" - Kenneth Branagh
Simon Russell-Beale - 2000
- Some claim him to be the greatest Hamlet of recent years
- Truly natural performance
- Strong connection to audience through his portrayal of a scholarly and spiritual Hamlet
- Delivers soliloquies in such a way they do not seem like free-standing speeches
- Acts out an in-depth study of grief, misery, and death
Jude Law - 2009
- Delivers long lines with ease
- "[Law] joins the modern pantheon of spellbinding sweet princes with a performance of rare vulnerability and emotional openness" - Charles Spencer
- Makes the soliloquies vividly personal