From Lord Voldemort to a disillusioned head chef, Fiennes has played all kinds of characters throughout his career.
He’s equally well-equipped to bring gravitas to heavy projects and a sense of cheeky whimsy to lighter affairs.
Here are 20 of Ralph Fiennes' best film roles.
Ralph Fiennes in ‘The Menu’.Searchlight Pictures/Courtesy Everett Collection
Kevin Jacobsen
19.
He’s a cruel, unlikable character, but Fiennes ensures that he’s far from one-note.
Martius is a complicated figure that Fiennes defines by his sense of honor and endless rage.
Ralph Fiennes in ‘Bernard and Doris’.Cinematic Collection/Alamy Stock Photo
His hardened relentlessness makes his military prowess unsurprising, but also makes him thorny and unapproachable.
Laurence Laurentz, Hail, Caesar!
Fiennes earned his second (and still, unbelievably, his most recent) Oscar nomination for his performance.
Ralph Fiennes in ‘Skyfall’.Danjaq/Eon Productions/Kobal/Shutterstock
Fiennes plays Lenny Nero, a former cop who now illegally deals these immersive virtual reality clips.
It’s an odd, wonderful performance at the center of an odd, wonderful film.
His quiet performance seldom exceeds the volume of a gentle murmur yet contains disparate multitudes.
Nick Wall/Paramount
The actor has less than 20 minutes of screen time, but his limited presence is incredibly impactful nonetheless.
The actor’s Oscar-nominated performance highlights the horrific mundanity of genocidal evil.
Fiennes plays Monsieur Gustave, the beloved concierge at the Grand Budapest Hotel.
Everett Collection
Gustave is a deceptively complex character prickly yet loyal, pretentious yet empathetic.
Sony Pictures Classics
Larry Horricks/TWC
Everett Collection
Everett Collection
Universal Pictures
Ralph Fiennes in ‘Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows — Part 2’.Warner Bros/Courtesy Everett Collection
Phil Bray
Everett Collection
Ralph Fiennes as Cardinal Lawrence in ‘Conclave’.Courtesy of Focus Features
Ralph Fiennes as the fictional Duke of Oxford in ‘The King’s Man.'.20th Century Studios
Jack English/Searchlight Pictures
Jaap Buitendijk/Focus Features
Everett Collection
David James/Universal
Martin Scali
