Ralph Fiennes biography, net worth, height, age, wife, children 2025

Biography of Ralph Fiennes

Ralph Fiennes is a British actor who has also ventured into film directing. He shot to fame in the mid-90s thanks to his powerful performances in "Schindler's List" and "The English Patient" (1996). Net worth: $50 million.

Early years

Ralph Nathaniel Twisleton-Wykeham-Fiennes was born in Ipswich on December 22, 1962. He was the eldest child of writer Jennifer Lash and photographer Mark. The couple went on to have five more children, including Michael Emery, whom they adopted when he was 11. His father worked in various fields—farming, building repair—before settling on photography.

The Fiennes family moved frequently, traveling throughout England and Ireland, so Ralph attended several different schools. He completed his education at Bishop Wordsworth's School, then enrolled in the painting program at Chelsea College of Art, but soon realized his true calling was acting and transferred to the Royal Academy of Dramatic Art in 1983. At different times Sean Bean, Alan Rickman, and Anthony Hopkins graduated from this prestigious institution.

Acting career

In 1986, Ralph completed his studies and joined the British Royal National Theater a year later. In 1988, the actor moved to the Royal Shakespeare Theater. There, Fiennes earned a Tony Award in 1995 for his roles in «Hamlet», «King Lear» and «Coriolanus».

Filmmakers took notice: his first screen work was a small television role in «Prime Suspect» (1991) alongside Helen Mirren. His film debut came in «Emily Brontë's Wuthering Heights» (1992), landing one of the leading roles opposite acclaimed actress Juliette Binoche.

Ralph Fiennes and Juliette Binoche in «Emily Brontë's Wuthering Heights»

Recognition came quickly: his role in Steven Spielberg's drama «Schindler's List» (1993) brought both fame and major award nominations including Oscar, Golden Globe, and BAFTA. He won the BAFTA on his first nomination. His portrayal of Nazi concentration camp commandant Amon Göth would later be considered his career-defining performance.

Ralph Fiennes in the movie «Schindler's List»

«The English Patient» (1996), featuring Ralph, became a true drama classic. While the film, in which Fiennes starred as Count László de Almássy, won the Oscar for Best Picture, the actor received only a nomination.

Ralph Fiennes in the film «The English Patient»

One of the few missteps in Fiennes's career was «The Avengers» (1998). Even its star-studded cast featuring Uma Thurman and Sean Connery couldn't save the movie from box office disaster. His unconvincing performance even earned him a Golden Raspberry Award nomination.

Ralph Fiennes and Uma Thurman in «The Avengers»

In «The Prince of Egypt» (1998), the actor made his debut as a dubbing actor and voiced Ramesses. A year later, he ventured into producing with «Onegin» (1999), also starring in the title role. Liv Tyler and Lena Heade played Tatiana and Olga.

On the set of the film «Maid in Manhattan»

In 2002, Fiennes appeared in two completely different yet equally career-defining films. He expanded his range with the romantic comedy «Maid in Manhattan» (2002) opposite Jennifer Lopez, and reunited with Anthony Hopkins in the dark, complex thriller «Red Dragon» (2002). After a brief hiatus from major recognition, Ralph returned to the BAFTA shortlist for his role in «The Constant Gardener» (2005).

That same year, Fiennes took on the role of the fearsome Lord Voldemort in the next part of the saga of a young wizard called «Harry Potter and the Goblet of Fire» (2005). Hours of intricate makeup transformed the actor into something so terrifying that a child on set once burst into tears at the sight of the evil wizard. The fantasy saga's main villain appeared in three more films, with the character's importance growing each time. They were: «Harry Potter and the Order of the Phoenix» (2007), «Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows ‒ Part 1» (2010), «Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows ‒ Part 2» (2011).

Ralph Fiennes in the image of the great and terrible Lord Voldemort

In 2009, at the Golden Globe Awards ceremony, Ralph was nominated for statuettes in two categories: for his role in the miniseries «Bernard and Doris» (2006) and for the historical drama «The Duchess» (2008) but didn't win either.

Nearly every Fiennes film became a cult classic: fans of black comedies appreciated his role in «In Bruges», and the character of Older Michael Berg in the film «The Reader» (2008), in which Kate Winslet also starred, resonated with fans of emotional dramas.

In the film «Coriolanus» Ralph Fiennes acted as an actor and director

Ralph skillfully juggled vastly different roles while balancing his acting career with directing. For example, in 2010, Fiennes released the film «Coriolanus», making his directorial debut. The film adaptation of Shakespeare's play screened at the Berlin International Film Festival and competed for a BAFTA.

In 2012, he received a proposal to replace Judi Dench in the role of M in «Skyfall».

Fiennes is a devoted James Bond fan: as a child, he spent all his pocket money on 007 accessories and books about the British secret agent. When he landed the role, his siblings joked that they hoped his paycheck would finally cover all that childhood spending.

While filming Wes Anderson's «The Grand Budapest Hotel» (2014), Ralph drew inspiration from a real concierge at Brown's Hotel in London, whom he'd often observed. The role became one of his career-defining performances, earning Fiennes another Golden Globe nomination.

Ralph Fiennes in the film «The Grand Budapest Hotel» (trailer)

Ralph's refusal to be typecast has made him one of Hollywood's most in-demand actors. His busy schedule allowed him to appear in two major 2015 releases: he reprised his role as M in «Spectre» while also starring in the Coen Brothers' «Hail Caesar!»

Ralph Fiennes in the film «Hail Caesar!»

Ralph returned to dubbing: he voiced the Moon King in «Kubo and the Two Strings»(2016) and Alfred in «The Lego Batman Movie» (2017).

One of his most anticipated projects was the comedy «Holmes and Watson» (2018). The film was based on a Saturday Night Live sketch from the long-running comedy show that's been on air since 1975. Will Ferrell and John C. Reilly starred in this unconventional take on Arthur Conan Doyle's characters, with Fiennes bringing the villainous Moriarty to life.

Personal life of Ralph Fiennes

In 1993, Ralph married fellow actor Alex Kingston, whom he'd met during their studies. While their marriage officially lasted four years, they actually separated earlier.

Following his divorce, Ralph was in a relationship with Francesca Annis for nearly 10 years, until 2006. Reports suggested their split was caused by Fiennes' brief fling with a Romanian singer.

The Fiennes family has distant ties to British royalty, though the connection is quite remote.

Ralph Fiennes in kinship with members of the royal family of Great Britain

He became a Serbian citizen in 2017. Ralph has deep connections to the country. He's worked there multiple times, visited for personal reasons, and even attended President Aleksandar Vučić's inauguration.

Ralph Fiennes in The Graham Norton Show

He is the ambassador of UNICEF. Through his UNICEF work, he's visited several countries including Uganda, Romania, and India. He's also a member of the Canadian-based organization «Against Racism».

Ralph Fiennes now

The actor stays busy and has several major film releases lined up for fans. In 2019, Fiennes appeared in two films that hit theaters. These include "Official Secrets," where he played Ben Emmerson, and "The Voyage of Doctor Dolittle," where Ralph voiced one of the characters.

2020 brought the premiere of "The King's Man," where Ralph played Herbert Kitchener, plus the 25th James Bond film "No Time To Die" - where Fiennes reprised his role as M.

Ralph Fiennes: latest news and articles

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Jose Johnson

Now I think he always will have a stigma of Bond :)

2021-05-14 22:06:12
Jesse Hill

He was so lucky to have the role of agent 007, many people were fighting for this role.

2021-04-17 20:15:42
Matthew Justin Roberts

He played in many movies and mostly in the role of evil persons maybe because of his appearance.

2021-04-16 08:29:37
Everett Bailey

The most important role of this actor is Schindler`s List of course.

2021-03-10 16:38:07
Jason Kelly

That person the name of you don`t pronounce :) Very cool actor.

2021-02-12 20:45:03

Photos: Ralph Fiennes