Ralph Fiennes Biography
Ralph Fiennes, born on December 22nd, 1962 in Ipswich, England, is a multi-talented actor, film producer, and director. He grew up in Ireland, where his family moved to in 1973, before eventually settling in Salisbury, England.
Fiennes studied at several schools, including St Kieran’s College and Newtown School, before attending Bishop Wordsworth’s School. He started out as a painter, but discovered his true passion for acting and trained at the Royal Academy of Dramatic Art.
Ralph Fiennes made his film debut in the 1992 adaptation of Wuthering Heights as Heathcliff. He went on to star in numerous films including Quiz Show, The End of the Affair, Maid in Manhattan, The Duchess, The Reader, The Hurt Locker, Clash of the Titans, Great Expectations, The Grand Budapest Hotel, Hail, Caesar!, and The King’s Man.
He has also lent his voice to several animated films, such as The Prince of Egypt, Wallace & Gromit: The Curse of the Were-Rabbit, and The Lego Batman Movie.
Ralph Fiennes is arguably best known for his roles as Lord Voldemort in the Harry Potter film series, and as Gareth Mallory / M in the James Bond series, which he has starred in Skyfall (2012), Spectre (2016), and most recently No Time to Die (2021).
He received critical acclaim for his performance as Nazi war criminal Amon Göth in Schindler’s List in 1993, which earned him nominations for the Academy Award and Golden Globe for Best Supporting Actor, as well as a BAFTA Award for Best Actor in a Supporting Role. He was also nominated for Best Actor for his role as Count Almásy in The English Patient.
In 2011, Ralph Fiennes made his directorial debut with Coriolanus, a film adaptation of the Shakespearean tragedy. He followed this up with The Invisible Woman, where he portrayed Charles Dickens. He has also won a Tony Award for Best Actor in a Play for his performance as Prince Hamlet on Broadway.
Ralph Fiennes is the eldest of six children, four of whom are also in the arts: Martha Fiennes, a director, Magnus Fiennes, a musician, Sophie Fiennes, a producer, and Joseph Fiennes, an actor.
Fiennes was married to English actress Alex Kingston, whom he met while they were students at the Royal Academy of Dramatic Art. They divorced after his affair with actress Francesca Annis, who he then spent 11 years together. Ralph Fiennes has no children.
