Ralph Fiennes can make a courteous man seem trustworthy and give us reason to reconsider. We value that restraint, but his comedy and his tenderness matter just as much: solemnity is only part of what he does.
Fi1m perspective
In Conclave (2024), Ralph Fiennes looks permanently on the verge of saying something, then thinks better of it. His Cardinal Lawrence has a papal election to run and little appetite for the job. Edward Berger gives him a thriller full of procedure; Fiennes makes us wonder how much of the cardinal's humility we should believe. The film overstates its seriousness, but Fiennes earns our attention without any such fuss.
The early reputation for severity was understandable after Amon Goeth in Schindler's List (1993), though Quiz Show (1994) already showed how charming he could be. As Charles Van Doren, he makes composure look like a reason to trust someone. We were uncomfortable with how readily we warmed to him, because his easy manner kept working even as the story supplied reasons for suspicion. Robert Redford lets that ease sit beside John Turturro's difficult Herb Stempel, and trusts us to notice our unequal sympathies. Fiennes makes the temptation to excuse Van Doren embarrassingly easy to understand.
The romantic lead in The English Patient (1996) was followed by a long spell as Voldemort in the Harry Potter films (2005–2011). Wes Anderson's The Grand Budapest Hotel (2014) gave his comic timing a welcome outing as M. Gustave. His early association with intense men and villains had restricted those lighter opportunities. We would not use the villains as a complete guide to what he can do.
Dr Kelson in 28 Years Later (2025) and 28 Years Later: The Bone Temple (2026) gives those gentler qualities room. In Danny Boyle's film, Jon Harris's hurried cutting makes the stillness around Fiennes especially welcome, while Young Fathers' music shifts from percussion to voices. Nia DaCosta's sequel gives Kelson company in Chi Lewis-Parry's Samson, and Fiennes keeps the doctor's manners intact without making them a joke. The humour comes from a lonely man attempting ordinary companionship where little ordinary life remains. The sequel's cult scenes are loud and less interesting, but if the violence is tolerable, see it for the time Fiennes and Lewis-Parry spend together.
Biography
Ralph Fiennes is an English actor. He was born on 22 December 1962 in Ipswich, Suffolk, and trained at the Royal Academy of Dramatic Art, graduating in 1985. He began his career on stage, performing with the Royal National Theatre and the Royal Shakespeare Company, and made his Broadway debut in a 1995 revival of Hamlet, for which he won the Tony Award for Best Actor in a Play.
Fiennes made his film debut in Emily Brontë's Wuthering Heights (1992). He received Academy Award nominations for his performances in Schindler's List (1993), The English Patient (1996) and Conclave (2024). He is also known for playing Lord Voldemort in the Harry Potter film series (2005–2011) and Gareth Mallory / M in the James Bond films Skyfall (2012), Spectre (2015) and No Time to Die (2021).
His recent screen roles include Cardinal Lawrence in Conclave (2024) and Dr. Kelson in 28 Years Later (2025) and 28 Years Later: The Bone Temple (2026).
