It’s officially Tut week! If you’ve read my review of Spike’s three-night event, then you might have read what I wrote about Kingsley’s portrayal of Tutankhamun’s adviser, Ay:
Just as much as Jogia commands the audience’s attention as the quickly-maturing boy king by imbuing Tutankhamun with outgoing bravado, Kingsley demands the audience’s attention by portraying Ay with cautious carefulness and an undercurrent of seediness masked over with paternal gentility. Ay is formidable in that respect; he does genuinely care for Tutankhamun, but he also cares for his own power more and will do what he can to secure it while, to paraphrase Tut’s sister Ankhesenamun, insulating himself from being discovered as a crafty mastermind.
The event series showcases the tip of the iceberg of Kingsley’s acting abilities. It’s probably a a cliche to say that Gandhi is Kingsley’s best film, but it really is his tour-de-force. His portrayal of Mahatma Gandhi is still one of the greatest things I’ve seen on film, and the film itself (directed by Richard Attenborough, aka “Mr. Hammond” from Jurassic Park) is one of the best films I’ve ever seen. No hyperbole.
So in short, even though I was excited to see Tut from the beginning, I was especially excited to see Kingsley (Sir Kingsley, to be precise), cast in the film. If there are more event series of Tut‘s caliber, I hope we see Kingsley more in American television.
What do you love about Ben Kingsley and his career? Give your opinions in the comments section below!
Photo credit: Jan Thijs/SPIKE