Minniespinney, are you talking about when he played Edgar?
Because one thing I hope he does in the future is to play King Lear himself. He would be quite awesome in that role, I imagine.
Interestingly, I don't believe he ever played Hamlet -- not in a full length production, anyway (I think he did some fifteen-minute thing for the opening of a theater, once).
In terms of Shakespeare, I think he made the most impact with two roles that are not really considered "great" roles in the canon -- Hotspur in Henry IV, and Antony in Antony and Cleopatra. In any case these are the ones he seemed to get the most attention for.
I distinctly remember seeing a photo of him as Hotspur in Time or Newsweek many, many years ago (back when they covered the London theatre...)
You've got to be careful about what you say is considered "great" in the Shakepsearean canon. There are, in some ways, two standards for great roles in Shakespeare: favorites of audiences and readers; and favorites of actors and directors. Sometimes they overlap, sometimes they don't. "Romeo & Juliet" and "Hamlet," for instance, are probably the most recognizable plays and characters by Shakespeare, and R&J is always a favorite. But to use your examples, "Antony & Cleopatra" is actually a favorite among theatre people (actors and directors) more than it is among actual theatregoers and casual readers. And Hotspur's kind of an odd case, since "Henry IV, Part One" is often not high on audience favorites lists, though actors and directors like the play a lot, but when people do actually sit down and watch the play, Hotspur quickly becomes a favorite. There are obviously many other examples of both cases, as well as those of the overlap.
And, to stay on topic, I also sincerely hope Tim gets to play Lear. And if that's the case, I hope I can go see it.
