Mike Tyson has declared that he wants to star in William Shakespeare’s tragedy, Othello.
Tyson has recently picked up a passion for the acting profession after touring around the United States with autobiographical solo show, Mike Tyson: Undisputed Truth.
Talking to the New York Daily New s, Tyson stated, “Wouldn’t Shakespeare be awesome?” He then picked out a particular role that he would flourish in, noting, “That black guy… could you imagine me in Othello?”
Othello revolves around the titular character, his wife Desdemona, his lieutenant, Cassio, and the trusted Iago, and examines themes of love, jealousy and racism. It is regarded as one of the Bard’s finest pieces of work.
Tyson declared that he would need some time to perfect the role though, saying, “Anything you give me time to prepare, I can do. I don’t think I am ready for that yet, but I would like to try.”
The former World Heavyweight Champion of the world also found time to talk about his talents in front of the camera, proclaiming, “My career as an actor has blossomed. I never considered myself a comedian or actor, even though I was in movies and shows helping our friends.”
He then added, “A lot of my friends are actors and directors and they say: ‘Mike, we need you to concentrate and take it seriously.’ They say my skills are horrible, but I have the natural timings for it. I am working on my skills.”
Tyson’s burgeoning acting career has seen him appear in How I Met Your Mother, Law and Order, Scary Movie and both of The Hangover movies . However his recent one-man show was described by the New York Times as “a lazily structured biographical tour even for [his fans].”
Tyson had previously declared that he envisioned a future for himself in musicals, however despite making this statement over six months ago, this has still yet to come to fruition.
Would you like to see Mike Tyson star in Othello?