Danny Sapani - Actor Danny Sapani was keen to work with Nicholas Hytner and he loved the Philip Pullman trilogy. So when he got the call inviting him to audition for the part of Iorek Byrnison in His Dark Materials he locked himself away for two days to get the part right. Half an hour after the audition he was thrilled to be offered it. He admits he does tend to get typecast as a noble warrior, and in many respects Iorek, the armoured bear, is the ultimate warrior. The big challenge as an actor, he says, has been to convey the full force of the character from behind a bear’s head mask. In rehearsal he learned to use the mask as a way of amplifying what he does rather than as a shield to hide behind. It’s a role that combines characterisation with a powerful physical presence. His success is to come across as part human and all bear. |  | |