Will Keen, a British actor, knows what it’s like to play one of the world’s most divisive men on stage: President Vladimir V. Putin of Russia.
In “Patriots,” written by Peter Morgan, Keen portrays Putin sympathetically in the first half as a minor politician struggling to make ends meet. But as the play progresses, Keen shows a chilling side to Putin, where he says he will simply destroy his enemies instead of keeping them close.
Since the play debuted in London in June 2018, it is Keen’s performance that has grabbed the most attention. He won the best supporting actor award at the Olivier Awards in April.
In a recent interview, Keen discussed what he learned by getting inside Putin’s head. The following are edited excerpts from that conversation.
Why did you want to play such a figure?
Keen, who learned about the role in 2017, said that Putin felt like an autocratic and terrifying figure, but it was fascinating to see how views of the president had changed since the play debuted. He said it was “nice to be in a show that’s asking questions, rather than providing answers.”
You’re often played villains or antiheroes, including Macbeth and Father MacPhail in “His Dark Materials.” Do you worry about being typecast?
Keen said he aims to be as empathetic as possible to characters he portrays, even those he might view as villains. He believes that in order to do the things Putin has done, the president must have an incredibly intense sensation of his own morality.
“I’m really interested by our perception of autocrats,” Keen said. “From our side, it’s an image of immorality. But in order to do the things that he’s done, he must have an incredibly intense sensation of his own morality — an idea of justice, an idea that he’s setting wrongs right.”
What have audience reactions been like?
Keen said he has had wonderful audience reactions, and even some Russians feel like Putin is in the room with them. However, he has also had boos at the end of the play, but he is unsure whether they came from Ukrainians or British audience members.
Despite the character’s reputation, Keen said he tries to wash Putin off at the end of the show. “But it is a bleak place to inhabit — not because of a sense of guilt, it’s the agony of being someone who is obsessed by betrayal and vengeance.”
