Its his face that would catch him out, those deep lines running from eyes to chin.
He had those even as a young man, says his friend the theater director Rupert Goold.
Its like someone has taken a knife and carved them.
TRACKING DOWNMenzies leads the new Apple TV+ seriesManhunt,debuting March 15th, based on the best-selling book about the search for Abraham Lincoln’s assassin.
And I feel those lines run deep inside him as well.
Hes grown into his face like a lot of actors do.
I like to watch peopleI dont like them to watch me.
THE ACCUSEDMenzies stars inThe Hunt,a St. Ann’s Warehouse revival of the acclaimed 2019 London play.
Ive asked him about the experience hes having at 49that of a talent stepping into his prime.
You could argue in a way that the Confederates won the peace, Menzies points out.
Voting rights, land rightsthey didnt happen.
I like to watch peopleI dont like them to watch me.
Because its such a whirlwind story with so many different characters floating through itso you need a moral compass.
He is one of those rare actors who does a lot with silence, Beletsky says.
The quality I find really compelling in him is his committed curiosity.
Menzies will be reprising his devastatingly observed performance from the plays 2019 London premiere.
There is part of Tobias that is like that.
Menzies acknowledges that he is attracted to roles that conceal depths.
Its partly a taste thing, he says.
There is a certain magic about that.
THE ACCUSEDMenzies stars inThe Hunt,a St. Anns Warehouse revival of the acclaimed 2019 London play.
He never dreamed of being a famous actor.
My obsession as a kid was tennis, he says, with a grin.
He stopped playing for a long time.
It was so frustrating.
Im pretty obsessive about it, he says.
I just find it fascinating.
It is such a mental gamea very interesting microcosm of ones brain.
His hero is Novak Djokovic.
He has less natural flair than Nadal or Federer but there is an epic quality to his tennis.
He is able to endure and suffer, and so he can do it all in some way.
There is a sort of purity to what he is doing.
Menzies admits that his attitude to life mirrors his tennis.
I am probably on the methodical end of things, yeah, he says, with another low laugh.
I ask about his film roles, which have been getting bigger and richer of late.
Before the actors strike interrupted production, they had shot two scenes at Silverstone in the UK.
It was bonkers because we are in amongst everything else.
He pauses, then adds: It was like theater on steroidsreally, really fun.
How does he go out?
It is very constraining to have that level of visibility.
Is that old-fashioned of me?
Im going to stick to my guns.
Its partly natural shyness on my part.
I just think at some base level, it has taken me time to get really good.
If Id had a lot of exposure early on, I dont think Id have been ready.
I know I am a lot better now than I was 10 years ago.
Acting keeps you very humble because you never quite know day-to-day.
