Ralph Fiennes

Who is Ralph Fiennes?

Ralph Nathaniel Twisleton-Wykeham-Fiennes, popularly known as Ralph Fiennes, is an English stage and film actor. He is well-known in the British theatre circle for his love for Shakespearean dramas and enactment of characters like ‘Hamlet,’ ‘Coriolanus,’ ‘Richard II,’ etc. He made his directorial debut with ‘Coriolanus,’ yet again exhibiting his love for literary characters, especially that of Shakespeare’s. Fiennes started off his acting career in London, and was associated with theatres like ‘Open Air Theatre’ and ‘National Theatre.’ He ventured into movies with his dark and dense characterization of Bronte’s ‘Heathcliff’ in ‘Wuthering Heights.’ Although the movie did fairly well, it could not get him the international fame that he deserved. However, Spielberg’s Jewish massacre drama ‘Schindler’s List’ forced the filmmakers across the world to take notice. His memorable portrayal of the devilishly desensitized ‘Amon Goth’ earned him international acclaim as well as many prestigious awards, including ‘BAFTA’ and ‘Golden Globe.’ Fiennes is an accomplished actor who has played a variety of roles in genres like thriller, drama, animation, romantic-comedy, etc.

Career

Fiennes attended ‘Royal Academy of Dramatic Art’ from 1983 to 1985. Soon after, he started his stage career, performing at ‘Open Air Theatre,’ ‘Regent’s Park,’ and ‘National Theatre.’

He started his film career in 1992 by playing ‘Heathcliff’ in the movie version of Emily Bronte’s ‘Wuthering Heights.’ In the following year, he got an opportunity to play a controversial role in Peter Greenaway’s ‘The Baby of Macon.’

In 1993, Fiennes portrayed the most memorable and crucial role of his life. He played ‘Amon Goth’ in Steven Spielberg’s movie ‘Schindler’s List’ which was based on the mass murder of the Jews by the Nazis.

He gave another fine performance in the ‘World War II’ epic romance ‘The English Patient’ in 1996. He starred in the lead role in the movie along with Kirstin Scott-Thomas, and was nominated for an ‘Oscar.’

Throughout the late-1990s, Fiennes did movies like ‘Oscar and Lucinda’ (1997); film version of the television series ‘The Avengers’ (1998); he voiced the character of ‘Ramesses II’ in the animated musical ‘The Prince of Egypt’ (1998).

In 1999, he acted in a drama movie titled ‘Sunshine,’ which fetched him a ‘European Film Award.’ ‘Onegin’ also released in the same year; the movie was directed by his sister Martha. He co-produced the movie besides acting in it.

Fiennes went back to the stage in 2000, becoming part of William Shakespeare’s ‘Coriolanus’ and ‘Richard II.’ He also made television appearance in a documentary drama titled ‘How Proust Can Change Your Life’ which was based on the life of acclaimed writer Proust.

In 2002, he starred in David Cronenberg’s award-winning thriller ‘Spider.’ He also starred as ‘Chris Marshall’ in a romantic comedy titled ‘Maid in Manhattan.’

Fiennes starred as the lead villain ‘Lord Voldemort’ in ‘Harry Potter and the Goblet of Fire’ in 2005. He also appeared in the sequels, ‘Harry Potter and the Order of the Phoenix’ and ‘Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows – Part 1 and Part 2.’

In the same year, he starred in the movie version of John le Carre’s novel ‘The Constant Gardener.’ It was filmed in the slums of Kibera. Disturbed by the poor living conditions of the people of Kibera, the crew started ‘The Constant Gardener Trust’ to provide basic education in the area.

Throughout the 2000s, he did movies like ‘Faith Healer’ (2006) which earned him a ‘Tony Award’ nomination. ‘In Bruges’ (2008) won him a ‘British Independent Film Award,’ and ‘The Duchess’ (2008) earned him a ‘Golden Globe.’

He appeared in the Academy Award-winning movie ‘The Hurt Locker’ (2008). In 2011, he made his directorial debut with ‘Coriolanus,’ and then appeared in ‘Skyfall’ (2012).

In the 2013 film ‘The Invisible Woman,’ he played the lead apart from directing the film. Fiennes starred in Luca Guadagnino's thriller ‘A Bigger Splash’ in 2015.

He voiced ‘Raiden the Moon King’ in the 2016 animated film ‘Kubo and the Two Strings.’ In the following year, he also voiced the British butler ‘Alfred Pennyworth’ in ‘The Lego Batman Movie.’ He reprised his role as ‘Alfred Pennyworth’ in ‘The Lego Movie 2: The Second Part’ in 2019.