Paul Gross on his iconic role in ‘King Lear’

Paul Gross’s life is round in more ways than one.

The acclaimed Canadian actor and director says the first play he ever saw when he was a child was “King Lear” played by William Hutt – a performance that captivated him, inspired him to take up acting and left him with a cherished memory.

“It’s kind of what made me want to be a part of this world,” Gross told CTV’s Your Morning in an interview Wednesday.

“And there’s a fight and the head of a lance fell off in one of the aisles and I ran down and picked it up. And I still have it in a box in a barn in the badlands somewhere.

Now, years later, he himself plays the leading role in Shakespeare’s iconic tragedy.

The production at the Stratford Festival has also brought back other past memories for Gross – it’s where he starred in the festival production of Hamlet 23 years ago.

“It really feels like coming home. It’s just great,” he said.

“It’s like the biggest theater in North America, so I’m pretty happy to be back there and (in) the best play that’s probably ever been written.”

With his silky white hair and beard, Gross plays the aging king of Shakespeare’s play, who, by demanding a show of devotion from his three daughters, divides his kingdom and leaves his family devastated.

Gross likes to keep the audience guessing in the role, acting scenes differently for each show.

“Lear is quite an exciting thing to do. It’s hard and exhausting, but it feels great at the end of it to feel a little clean. And I think you feel those kinds of feelings with the audience,” he said.

“The scenes are, some of them are so big that you can’t really grasp it and just replay it. Or you can’t really control it, so it takes over you.

The production is directed by Kimberley Rampersad, the first woman to direct ‘King Lear’ in the Stratford Festival’s 70-year history. The play will run at the festival until October 29.

Click on the video at the top of this article to watch the full interview.