On-screen, Ralph Fiennes (pronounced “Rafe Fines” for those of us west of the Atlantic) is the epitome of Mr. Dark and Brooding Lover. Whether playing a tortured writer having a passionate love affair with a married woman in “The End of the Affair,” or well, another tortured writer having a passionate love affair with a married woman in “The English Patient,” this classically trained actor has made a career of out being forever tormented on the big screen. But despite (or perhaps because of) his penchance for playing troubled souls, he has maintained a critically acclaimed career and established a reputation as possibly the next Laurence Olivier.
Originally from Suffolk, England, Fiennes was born the eldest son of farmer-turned photographer Mark Fiennes and the late novelist-painter, Jennifer Lash. Raised in an art-oriented environment, it is no surprise that Fiennes and the majority of his younger siblings (director Martha, producer Sophie, musician Magnus, and actor Joseph of “Shakespeare in Love” fame) chose to enter show business. After deciding against a painting career, he quickly transferred from the Chelsea College of Art and Design to London’s Royal Academy of Dramatic Art, where he starred in productions of “Twelfth Night” and “A Midsummer’s Night Dream,” among other plays. After graduation, the young actor went on to join both the National Theatre in 1987 and the prestigious Royal Shakespearean Company two years later.
By 1992, Fiennes had established himself as an actor in his home country, but it was his turn as Heathcliff in Paramount’s European production of Emily Bronte’s “Wuthering Heights” that caught the attention of none other than Steven Spielberg. Impressed with his work, he immediately cast the young actor as the sadistic Amon Goeth in his Academy Award winning Holocaust epic “Schindler’s List.” The director raved that his new star’s performance was “absolutely brilliant” and the critics agreed – he was consequently nominated for a best supporting actor Oscar.
Since then, Fiennes has continued to make films that intrigue him. He quickly followed up his American debut with roles in Robert Redford’s “Quiz Show,” the sci-fi futuristic thriller “Strange Days,” and as a gambling priest in Gillian Armstrong’s “Oscar and Lucinda,” co-starring Cate Blanchett. In 1996, he was nominated for another Academy Award for his role in Miramax’s adaptation of Michael Ondaatje’s novel, “The English Patient” and his most recent works include starring roles in the films “Onegin,” and his sister’s generational epic “Sunshine.” When asked about the apparent similarity of the characters he chooses to play, he remarks that “I do films when often the emotions and the characters and the events seem to have a reality and thought to them that really appeals to me. I love history and I’ve always been interested in the past. I probably am more imaginatively drawn to things that have happened some time ago.”
And as for fans eagerly awaiting his foray into comedy, the wait may be quite long. Admitting his reluctance to venture into comedy in “People” magazine, he explains, ‘I think comedy is really hard. I think I would have to have a director I trusted who guided me.” His most recent attempt into lighter material, “The Avengers” was a full-blown flop, although in his defense, it was co-star Sean Connery who was unhappy with the minimal size of his original role and demanded that the script be drastically revamped in his own favor.
Divorced from actress and fellow RADA classmate Alex Kingston (Dr. Elizabeth Corday on “ER”) since 1996, Fiennes is now involved with Francesca Annis, an actress 17 years his senior, who, in a twist of Freudian fate, had played Queen Gertrude to his Hamlet while on Broadway in 1995.
