Have you seen that crazy Maori face tattoo? Seriously, Kingsley has transformed himself for the part of the head of Command School, Mazer Rackham. A decorated war veteran who tests Ender’s ability to lead even more than Graff, Rackham is one of the novel’s most interesting characters.
With an incredible actor like Kingsley playing him, I’m confident that Rackham will be one of the best parts of the upcoming film. Though Kingsley’s take on the character is decidedly different from how Rackham is portrayed in Orson Scott Card’s novel, I trust the actor to turn in an excellent performance marked by his trademark sincerity and deep emotional gravitas.
What’s more, a character so deeply rooted in science fiction is an exciting new direction for the veteran character actor, who is best known for his lead roles in Gandhi and Schindler’s List. We might as well proclaim 2013 as the Year of Kingsley, after his unique, hilarious take on the Mandarin in Iron Man 3, his excellent lead role in thriller A Common Man, and now Ender’s Game. I could seriously see Kingsley being a contender for Best Supporting Actor at this year’s Academy Awards if he pulls off this performance.