A rare gem in the greater realm of the star-studded film industry, Sir Ben Kingsley is in a league of his own. A real luminary, he possesses chameleon-like abilities to inhabit any role, leaving audiences shocked and awestruck with each scene. From playing personalities like Mahatma Gandhi to a more cowardly role of the Mandarin in Iron Man 3, there is truly no bounds to Kingsley’s acting genius.
The actor once again showed just how much range he possesses when he played the role of esteemed artist Salvador Dali in Mary Harron’s Daliland. And it was his portrayal of Trevor Slattery that won him the role of Dali.
Ben Kingsley Won The Role Of Salvador Dali Thanks To Iron Man 3
After having witnessed Sir Ben Kingsley as Trevor Slattery aka the Mandarin in Iron Man 3, there remains little doubt of Kingsley’s acting ability. A rare gem of an actor, his talent is like a kaleidoscope, unique and unmatched with endless possibilities.
When Mary Harron wanted to cast him as Salvador Dali, she wasn’t sure he would be up to such a role, for she had only seen him in immensely powerful and intense roles. But it was his role in Robert Downey Jr.‘s Iron Man 3, which convinced and shocked her that there was nobody else who could have played a ‘coward’ like Dali. In an interview with Total Film Magazine (via Slash Film), Harron stated,
“I remember when his agent suggested that, I said, ‘But he’s so powerful!’ I was thinking of ‘Sexy Beast’ and ‘Gandhi.’ And Dalí was a tremendous coward!… we were watching ‘Iron Man 3,’ where he’s the scary character and then he’s playing this cowardly British actor, Trevor, and he’s so funny. The other thing about Ben, he’s fearless. He said, ‘I’m terrified of playing Salvador Dali.’ But he really will go there and take on an icon, which a lot of people don’t want to do.”
And Kingsley, despite being terrified to play Dali, did prove Harron right, nailing the eccentric artist’s character to perfection.
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Mary Harron Feels Ben Kingsley Is ‘Universal’
Having seen the magic Sir Ben Kingsley can bring on screen, Mary Harron knew she had found her perfect Salvador Dali for her movie Daliland. While talking to TheWrap, Harron and writer John Walsh were all full of praise for the Hollywood veteran.
“He was brilliant (in Iron Man 3). But we hadn’t seen that aspect of his range. And we said, ‘Wow, it’s so loose and funny and goofy,’ and that was Dalí, a very kind of loose character.”
She later added, after having witnessed Kingsley’s charm and talents firsthand on the set of her movie,
“And then we realized that a great actor like Sir Ben is really universal. They can play strong and weak.”
While Harron’s movie was criticized by some for its lack of ‘creative adventures’, Ben Kingsley was hailed as a hero, who performed exceptionally well, filling up the box he was presented with to the brim.
Daliland can be rented on YouTube, while Iron Man 3 is available to stream on Disney+.
