Fienes as Director
Ralph Fiennes studied at the Royal Academy of Dramatic Art (RADA) and won his first role immediately after graduating when he appeared in two productions of Shakespeare at the Open Air Theatre in London's Regent's Park.
In 1988 he was invited to join the prestigious Royal Shakespeare Company for which he played Henry VI, 'Edmund' in King Lear and 'Berowne' in Love's Labour's Lost.
Ralph's first film role was as 'Heathcliff' in Wuthering Heights which brought him to the attention of Steven Spielberg who cast him as the Nazi officer 'Amon Goeth' in Schindler's List in 1994. The role won him a BAFTA Award, the New York Critics' Best Supporting Actor prize, the London Film Critics' Best Actor award and the National Society of Film Critics award. He was also nominated for both a Golden Globe and an Academy Award®.
He went on to star in Robert Redford's Quiz Show, Kathryn Bigelow's Strange Days, Anthony Minghella's The English Patient, for which he received his second Academy Award® and BAFTA nominations, Oscar and Lucinda, The End of the Affair (winning a BAFTA nomination as Best Actor), Red Dragon, Onegin (which he also produced), Sunshine, Spider, Maid in Manhattan, The Constant Gardener, for which he received numerous nominations including his fourth BAFTA nomination, The White Countess, The Duchess (Golden Globe and British Independent Film Awards nominations as Best Supporting Actor), In Bruges (a BIFA nomination) and The Reader.
Ralph has made his mark as one of literature's most terrifying villains, as the evil 'Lord Voldemort' in the Harry Potter series of films.
He was nominated for an Emmy and a Golden Globe for his performance in HBO's biopic Bernard and Doris.
Throughout his film career, Ralph has continued to work on the stage. Among the highlights of his theatre work are the title roles in Hamlet (London and Broadway), Ivanov (London and Moscow), Richard II and Coriolanus for the Almeida Theatre, Brand for the RSC, 'Mark Anthony' in Julius Caesar, The Faith Healer in Dublin and New York, Oedipus at the Royal National Theatre and a comic success in God Of Carnage. In 2011, he took on 'Prospero' in Trevor Nunn's production of The Tempest to rave reviews.
In 2009 he filmed roles in Clash of The Titans, Cemetery Junction, Nanny Mcphee and the Big Bang and the final installments of the Harry Potter films. In 2010 he realized a long-held ambition to direct and star in a feature film of Shakespeare's tragedy, Coriolanus, which he also produced. The film premiered in competition at the 2011 Berlin Film Festival and was selected for the Toronto and London Film Festivals the same year.
Ralph was nominated for a BAFTA for Outstanding Debut as director and for a British Independent Film Award (BIFA) in 2012. He received the 2011 Richard Harris Award from BIFA for his career achievements.
Recent films have included Wrath of The Titans, Skyfall and Great Expectations. Ralph has recently completed filming Wes Anderson's The Grand Budapest Hotel.
Last modified 15 December 2013