In Dunkirk, which actor plays civilian boat owner Dawson?

Mark Rylance plays civilian boat owner Dawson in Christopher Nolan’s 2017 war film Dunkirk.

Dawson sails his small yacht, Moonstone, across the English Channel after the British government asks civilian vessels to help evacuate troops trapped in France. He travels with his son Peter and Peter’s friend George, joining the large civilian effort that became known as the Dunkirk evacuation.

The film presents the evacuation through three interwoven timelines: one week on the beach, one day at sea, and one hour in the air. Rylance’s character belongs to the sea storyline, which emphasizes the dangers faced by civilian sailors as they cross waters threatened by German aircraft and submarines.

Dunkirk was released in July 2017 and earned eight Academy Award nominations. It won three awards, for film editing, sound editing, and sound mixing. The film’s other central performers include Fionn Whitehead, Tom Glynn-Carney, Kenneth Branagh, Cillian Murphy, and Tom Hardy.