Ralph Fiennes

Born: 22 December 1962

Age:

Years Active: 1985-present

Ralph Nathaniel Twisleton-Wykeham-Fiennes (born 22 December 1962) is an English actor and director. Recognised for his work on stage and screen, he has received numerous accolades, including a BAFTA Award and a Tony Award, as well as nominations for three Academy Awards, seven Golden Globe Awards, and a Primetime Emmy Award.

Born in Ipswich, Suffolk, Fiennes was trained at and graduated from the Royal Academy of Dramatic Art in 1985. A Shakespeare interpreter, he excelled onstage at the Royal National Theatre before having further success at the Royal Shakespeare Company. In 1995, Fiennes made his Broadway debut playing Prince Hamlet in the revival of Hamlet, for which he won the Tony Award for Best Leading Actor in a Play. He was later Tony-nominated for his role as a traveling faith healer in the Brian Friel play Faith Healer (2006).

Fiennes made his film debut playing Heathcliff in Emily Brontë's Wuthering Heights (1992). He has earned three Academy Award nominations for his performances in the films Schindler's List (1993), The English Patient (1996), and Conclave (2024). He has also acted in Quiz Show (1994), Maid in Manhattan (2002), The Constant Gardener (2005), In Bruges (2008), The Reader (2008), The Duchess (2008), The Hurt Locker (2009), The Grand Budapest Hotel (2014), A Bigger Splash (2015), Hail, Caesar! (2016), The King's Man (2021), The Menu (2022) and two films in the 28 Days Later series (2025–2026).

Fiennes gained wider recognition for playing Lord Voldemort in the Harry Potter film series (2005–2011) and Gareth Mallory / M in the James Bond films (2012–2021); he has voiced roles in the animated films The Prince of Egypt (1998), Wallace & Gromit: The Curse of the Were-Rabbit (2005), Kubo and the Two Strings (2016), and The Lego Batman Movie (2017). He directed and starred in the films Coriolanus (2011) and The Invisible Woman (2013). Aside from acting, Fiennes is an Honorary Associate of London Film School and has served as an ambassador for UNICEF UK since 1999.