How did Shakespeare’s Othello affect the main character in A Double Life?

In the 1947 film A Double Life, directed by George Cukor, the main character Anthony John is an acclaimed but unstable stage actor who suffers from a dangerous psychological blurring of reality and performance.12

When John takes on the title role in William Shakespeare’s Othello, his intense devotion to the character causes him to adopt the persona of the role in his private life. This obsession leads him to mirror the jealousy and volatility of the fictional Othello, ultimately resulting in the murder of a young waitress. The film highlights the tragic consequences of his inability to separate his professional life from his personal identity.12