The Oscar-winning actor Sir Mark Rylance has pulled out of three performances of the West End show Jerusalem after his younger brother was killed in a bicycle crash in California.
Jonathan Waters, a 60-year-old sommelier, was cycling in Oakland when he was hit by a vehicle last month. He suffered head injuries and died a day after the collision.
Jez Butterworth’s play has been cancelled this weekend because there is no understudy to play Rylance’s role of Johnny “Rooster” Byron.
In a statement issued on Friday morning, Rylance said: “I am so sorry to tell you that on 28 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 11 and Sunday 12 June.”
A performance update from #JerusalemThePlay. pic.twitter.com/WBaYs5lcet
— Jerusalem The Play (@JerusalemPlay) June 10, 2022
The death of Jonathan, who was known as Johnno, marks another family tragedy for Rylance. He had to pull out of the London 2012 Olympics opening ceremony after the death of his 28-year-old stepdaughter.
Rylance’s sister Susannah Waters wrote a tribute to Jonathan on Instagram. She said: “Even meeting him a few times, people immediately felt they were his friend. He lived a brave, true real life, and affected so many people in a positive way. The pain will ease but the joy he gave me, and Fed and our kids, and so many others is a part of us all for ever.”
Rylance was born in Ashford in Kent but the family moved to the US two years later. His father taught English at the University School of Milwaukee, which Rylance attended. He returned to England in 1978.
In 2015 Rylance won a best supporting actor Oscar for his performance in the Bridge of Spies. The same year he won a Bafta for his starring role as Thomas Cromwell in the BBC TV adaptation of Hilary Mantel’s Wolf Hall. He was knighted in 2017.
Additional performances of Jerusalem are to be put on at later dates to ensure ticket holders for this weekend’s performances do not miss out. Sonia Friedman Productions, Nimax and the Jerusalem company said their “support and thoughts” were with Rylance.
