Background

Ralph Fiennes was born on December 22, 1962, in Ipswich, Suffolk, United Kingdom. He is the eldest child of six children of Mark Fiennes, a photographer and illustrator, and Jennifer Lash, a novelist and painter. His grandfathers were industrialist Sir Maurice Fiennes and Brigadier Henry Alleyne Lash.

Besides, Fiennes is an eighth cousin of Charles, Prince of Wales and a third cousin of adventurer Ranulph Fiennes and author William Fiennes. Ralph's siblings include actor Joseph Fiennes, director Martha Fiennes, composer Magnus Fiennes, filmmaker Sophie Fiennes and conservationist Jacob Fiennes. Michael Emery, an archaeologist, is Ralph's foster brother.

Hero Fiennes-Tiffin, who performed the role of Tom Riddle, young Lord Voldemort, in "Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince", is Fiennes's nephew.

Education

It was in 1973, that Ralph's family settled down in Ireland, living in West Cork and County Kilkenny for some time. Initially, Ralph attended St Kieran's College within one year. Then, he studied at Newtown School, Waterford. When his family relocated to Salisbury in England, he continued his education at Bishop Wordsworth's School. Later, before pursuing acting as his vocation, Ralph also studied painting at Chelsea College of Arts.

Also, between 1983 and 1985, Fiennes attended the Royal Academy of Dramatic Art.

Career

Soon after graduation from the Royal Academy of Dramatic Art, Fiennes started his stage career, performing at Regent's Park Open Air Theatre and the Royal National Theatre. It was in 1989, that he joined the Royal Shakespeare Company.

Ralph's television performance in "A Dangerous Man: Lawrence After Arabia" (1991) led to his film debut in "Wuthering Heights" (1992), in which he performed the role of Heathcliff. The following year, he got an opportunity to play a controversial role in Peter Greenaway's "The Baby of Macon". The same year, 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 Jewish people by the Nazis. His menacing performance earned Fiennes an Academy Award nomination and launched his film career.

In addition, Ralph earned critical praise for his work in "Quiz Show" (1994) and "The English Patient" (1996), for which he received another Oscar nomination. Fiennes also continued to act onstage, and he earned the Tony Award for his portrayal of the title character in the 1995 Broadway production of Shakespeare's "Hamlet".

Throughout the late-1990's, Fiennes performed in "Oscar and Lucinda" (1997) and 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, Fiennes acted in a drama movie, titled "Sunshine", which fetched him a European Film Award. "Onegin" was also released 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.

It's also worth noting, that, being noted for his diverse roles, Fiennes portrayed a novelist in the film "The End of the Affair" (1999), a serial killer in "Red Dragon" (2002) and also starred in David Cronenberg's award-winning thriller "Spider" (2002).

It was in 2005, that Fiennes starred as the lead villain Lord Voldemort in "Harry Potter and the Goblet of Fire". 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 2005, he also 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.

In 2006, Ralph appeared in "Faith Healer", which earned him a Tony Award nomination. Subsequent films included "In Bruges" (2008), which won him the British Independent Film Award, "The Reader" (2008), "The Hurt Locker" (2008), the Academy Award-winning movie, "The Duchess" (2008), which earned him the Golden Globe Award, and "Nanny McPhee" and the "Big Bang" (2010).

It's worth saying, that Ralph also gained attention in the early 21st century for his roles as Hades in the action-adventure movies "Clash of the Titans" (2010) and "Wrath of the Titans" (2012), and as James Bond's boss, M, in "Skyfall" (2012) and "Spectre" (2015). Fiennes also played a corrupt prime minister in David Hare's trilogy of television spy films - "Page Eight" (2011), "Turks & Caicos" (2014) and "Salting the Battlefield" (2014).

In 2015, Fiennes starred in Luca Guadagnino's thriller "A Bigger Splash". In the 2016 animated film "Kubo and the Two Strings", Fiennes voiced Raiden the Moon King. The following year, he also voiced the British butler, Alfred Pennyworth, in "The Lego Batman Movie". Ralph reprised his role as Alfred Pennyworth in "The Lego Movie 2: The Second Part" in 2019.

In "Holmes & Watson" (2018), a comedic take on Arthur Conan Doyle's classic mysteries, Fiennes assumed the role of Moriarty, Sherlock Holmes's abiding nemesis. He then played the lawyer of a British whistleblower (played by Keira Knightley) in the drama "Official Secrets" (2019).

It's important to add, that Fiennes made his debut as a director in 2011 with a modern-day adaptation of Shakespeare's "Coriolanus", in which he starred as the title character; he had performed the role onstage in 2000. In his second directorial feature, "The Invisible Woman" (2013), Fiennes portrayed Charles Dickens, who, at the height of his career, begins a clandestine affair with a young actress. He then helmed "The White Crow" (2018), a biopic about the Russian ballet dancer Rudolf Nureyev, who defected to France in 1961. Fiennes portrayed a renowned dance instructor in the movie.

Besides, since 1999, Fiennes has served as an ambassador for the United Kingdom Committee for UNICEF and has done work in India, Kyrgyzstan, Uganda and Romania.

Achievements

• Ralph Fiennes is a renowned British stage and film actor, as well as film producer and director. He became known in the British theatre circle for his love for Shakespearean dramas and playing such characters as Hamlet and Coriolanus, among others.
  
  Fiennes appeared in a number of notable films, including "Quiz Show" (1994), "Strange Days" (1995), "The End of the Affair" (1999), "Red Dragon" (2002), "Maid in Manhattan" (2002), "The Constant Gardener" (2005), "In Bruges" (2008), "The Reader" (2008), "Clash of the Titans" (2010), "Great Expectations" (2012) and "The Grand Budapest Hotel" (2014). Besides, the actor gained prominence for his roles in major film franchises, such as the "Harry Potter" film series (2005-2011), in which he performed the role of Lord Voldemort, and the "James Bond" series, in which he acted as Gareth Mallory/M.
  
  However, Ralph is best known for his role as Amon Goth in "Schindler's List" (1993) movie. His memorable portrayal of the devilishly desensitized character earned him international acclaim, as well as many prestigious awards, including the BAFTA Award and nominations for the Golden Globe Award.
  
  Ralph also attained such honors, as the Awards Circuit Community Award, the Boston Society of Film Critics Award, the Camerimage Krzysztof Kieslowski Award, the Empire Legend Award, the Gotham Independent Film Award, the Empire Legend Award, the CineMerit Award, the Outstanding European Achievement in World Cinema Award, Konstantin Stanislavski Award, the Tony Award and others.
  
  It's also worth noting, that, during his career, Fiennes was nominated for such prestigious awards, as the Primetime Emmy Award, the 20/20 Award, Gold Derby Award, the MTV Movie + TV Award and many others.
  
  In addition, in 1995, the actor was chosen by Empire magazine as one of the 100 Sexiest Stars in film history (#33). In October 1997, he ranked #34 in Empire (UK) magazine's "The Top 100 Movie Stars of All Time" list. His performance as Amon Goeth in "Schindler's List" (1993) was ranked #61 on Premiere Magazine's "100 Greatest Performances of All Time" in 2006.

Works

More photos

• movie

  • Harry Potter and the Order of the Phoenix

    (With their warning about Lord Voldemort's (Ralph Fiennes'...)

    2007
  • Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows: Part 1

    (As Harry (Daniel Radcliffe), Ron (Rupert Grint) and Hermi...)

    2010
  • Official Secrets

    (The true story of a British whistleblower, who leaked inf...)

    2019
  • The Reader

    (Post-WWII Germany: Nearly a decade after his affair with ...)

    2008
  • Schindler's List

    (In German-occupied Poland during World War II, industrial...)

    1993
  • The Grand Budapest Hotel

    (A writer encounters the owner of an aging high-class hote...)

    2014
  • In Bruges

    (Guilt-stricken after a job gone wrong, hitman Ray and his...)

    2008
  • Harry Potter and the Goblet of Fire

    (Harry Potter (Daniel Radcliffe) finds himself competing i...)

    2005
  • The Hurt Locker

    (During the Iraq War, a Sergeant, recently assigned to an ...)

    2008
  • Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows: Part 2

    (Harry, Ron and Hermione search for Voldemort's remaining ...)

    2011
  • The Constant Gardener

    (A widower is determined to get to the bottom of a potenti...)

    2005
  • A Bigger Splash

    (The vacation of a famous rock star and her boyfriend in I...)

    2015
  • The Invisible Woman

    (At the height of his career, Charles Dickens (Ralph Fienn...)

    2013
  • Spectre

    (A cryptic message from James Bond's past sends him on a t...)

    2015
  • Maid In Manhattan

    (A Senatorial candidate falls for a hotel maid, thinking s...)

    2002
  • Red Dragon

    (A retired FBI agent with psychological gifts is assigned ...)

    2002
  • The Prince of Egypt

    (Egyptian Prince Moses learns of his identity as a Hebrew ...)

    1998
  • The Avengers

    (Two British Agents team up to stop Sir August de Wynter f...)

    1998
  • Clash of the Titans

    (Perseus demigod, son of Zeus, battles the minions of the ...)

    2010
  • Holmes And Watson

    (A humorous take on Sir Arthur Conan Doyle's classic myste...)

    2018
  • The English Patient

    (At the close of World War II, a young nurse tends to a ba...)

    1996
  • Coriolanus

    (A banished hero of Rome allies with a sworn enemy to take...)

    2011
  • Quiz Show

    (A young lawyer, Richard Goodwin, investigates a potential...)

    1994
  • Skyfall

    (James Bond's loyalty to M is tested, when her past comes ...)

    2012
  • Hail, Caesar!

    (A Hollywood fixer in the 1950's works to keep the studio'...)

    2016
  • Sea Sorrow

    (An examination of the historical context for the current ...)

    2017
  • The End Of The Affair

    (A desperate man tries to find out why his beloved left hi...)

    1999
  • Onegin

    (Eugene Onegin is a jaded and disaffected young man, who l...)

    1999
  • The White Crow

    (The story of Rudolf Nureyev's defection to the West.)

    2018

Religion

Fiennes was raised Catholic, but abandoned the religion as a youth. Defining his spirituality as an adult is a little tougher. He's not an atheist. Ralph believes in some sort of higher purpose or power. Referring to those, who "have no belief", he said, "I think that's very destructive, really, ultimately. That's not something I accept. There is something else beyond, above, even now, here, there's something bigger, more potent."

Politics

Fiennes opposed the United Kingdom's decision to leave the European Union (Brexit). Following the European Union membership referendum in 2016, Fiennes stated, "I'm strongly a remainer. I think, that our connection with Europe, faulty as it may be in its current state...it seems to me, that the point of the European Union was to take down barriers of interactive trade, culture, talk dynamic between cultures, nations."

Ralph Fiennes appears to have a liberal worldview, but rather than partisan politics, he focuses on larger, human rights issues.

Views

Quotations: "I don't collect anything as such. I buy a lot of books and that's the closest I come to collecting anything."

"One of the things, that binds us as a family, is a shared sense of humor."

"Success.. is all about being able to extend love to people... not in a big, capital letter sense, but in the everyday. Little by little, task by task, gesture by gesture, word by word."

"God is not anything human. God is a force, God is chaos, God is unknown. God is terror and enlightenment at the same time."

"There are those moments, when you shake someone's hand, have a conversation with someone, and suddenly your all bound together because you share your humanity in one simple moment."

"When you meet women, don't pretend to be anything, that you're not."

"You have to just dive over the edge. You haven't got time to mess about."

"What moves me in art is how we question who we are as people."

"People fear they won't get what they want."

"I think Shakespeare is like a dialect. If I heard a broad Scots accent, I'd probably struggle at first, but then I'd start to look for words I recognise and I'd get the gist. I think Shakespeare is like that."

"I guess I'd love to be surprised by something I had never thought of."

Membership

Fiennes is a member of the Canadian charity Artists Against Racism and an Honorary Associate of London Film School. Besides, he is an associate member of the Royal Academy of Dramatic Art.

Personality

Fiennes was granted Serbian citizenship on September 7, 2017. Awarded due to his work in the country, the decision was signed by Serbian Prime Minister Ana Brnabić.

While playing the lead villain in "Red Dragon", Fiennes he had to undergo eight hours of makeup work in order to have a tattoo applied to his body.

Besides, Ralph is a big fan of professional wrestling.

Physical Characteristics: Fiennes's height is about 1.8 m tall and his weight is 79 kg.

Interests

• Sport & Clubs

  professional wrestling

Connections

In 1993, Ralph married Alex Kingston, whom he met while they were both students at the Royal Academy of Dramatic Art. Before their marriage, they dated for ten years. In 1997, the couple divorced, following Ralph's affair with Francesca Annis. Annis and Fiennes broke up on February 7, 2006, after 11 years of relationship.

Father:

Mark Fiennes

Mark Fiennes was a British photographer and illustrator.

Mother:

Jennifer Lash

Jennifer Lash, also known as Jini Fiennes, was a British novelist and painter.

Sister:

Martha Fiennes

Martha Fiennes is a British film director, writer and producer. An award-winning director, Fiennes is best known for her films "Onegin" (1999), which starred her elder brother, Ralph, and "Chromophobia" (2005).

Brother:

Magnus Fiennes

Magnus Fiennes is a British composer, record producer and songwriter.

Sister:

Sophie Fiennes

Sophie Fiennes is a British film director and producer.

Brother:

Joseph Fiennes

Joseph Fiennes is a British film and stage actor.

Brother:

Jacob Fiennes

Jacob Fiennes, Joseph Fiennes's twin brother, is a British conservationist.

third cousin:

Ranulph Fiennes

Sir Ranulph Fiennes is a British explorer and holder of several endurance records. He is also a writer, poet and co-creator of Sir Ranulph Fiennes' Great British Rum.

eighth cousin:

Charles, Prince of Wales

Charles, Prince of Wales, is the heir apparent to the British throne as the eldest son of Elizabeth II.

nephew:

Hero Fiennes-Tiffin

Hero Fiennes-Tiffin is a British actor and model, best known for his starring role as Hardin Scott in the "After" film series and as the 11-year-old Tom Riddle, the young version of antagonist Lord Voldemort, in the film "Harry Potter and the Half Blood Prince".

Grandfather:

Maurice Fiennes

Sir Maurice Fiennes was a British industrialist.

Grandfather:

Henry Alleyne Lash

Brigadier Henry Alleyne Lash was an officer in the British Indian Army.

ex-wife:

Alex Kingston

Alex Kingston is a British actress, who became noted for her television work in both Britain and the United States in the 1990's, including her portrayal of the title role in the British miniseries "The Fortunes and Misfortunes of Moll Flanders" (1996) and her regular role as Dr. Elizabeth Corday in the NBC medical drama "ER" (1997–2004).

ex-partner:

Francesca Annis

Francesca Annis is a British actress. She is known for television roles in "Reckless" (1998), "Wives and Daughters" (1999), "Deceit" (2000) and "Cranford" (2007).

Friend:

Liam Neeson

Liam Neeson is an actor from Northern Ireland. He has been nominated for a number of awards, including an Academy Award for Best Actor, a BAFTA Award for Best Actor in a Leading Role and three Golden Globe Awards for Best Actor in a Motion Picture Drama.

Friend:

Natasha Richardson

Natasha Richardson was a British-American actress of stage and screen.

Friend:

Jay-Z (Shawn Carter)

Jay-Z (Shawn Corey Carter) is an American rapper, songwriter, record producer, record company executive and businessman.

References

• Ralph Fiennes: The unauthorised Biography This work represents an unauthorised biography of British theatre and film actor Ralph Fiennes from his bohemian childhood, through an early marriage and subsequent relationships, to Oscar success with "The English Patient".
  1997