Ralph Fiennes was born on 22 December, 1962 in Suffolk, England. Decided to give up his other love painting to pursue acting, Ralph (pronounced "Rafe" like "safe") studied at RADA and went on to receive critical kudos for his Shakespearean performances.
He has won acclaim for roles in some of the best works to have hit the silver screen since his movie debut in 1992. Ralph Fiennes became known throughout the world for portraying the amoral Nazi concentration camp commandant Amon Göth in Schindler's List, for which he was nominated for an Academy Award for Best Supporting Actor.
A versatile actor, Fiennes' work has ranged from thrillers (Red Dragon) to animated Biblical epic (The Prince of Egypt) to campy nostalgia (The Avengers) to romantic comedy (Maid in Manhattan).
In 2004, Fiennes was cast as Lord Voldemort in the fourth film of the Harry Potter series, Harry Potter and the Goblet of Fire. He has been contracted to reprise the role in its sequels.
His best known role in recent times alongside Lord Voldemort was as Kenya-based English diplomat Justin Quayle, a man whose wife is murdered along with the man with whom she is suspected of having an affair in The Constant Gardener. Fiennes starred alongside Rachel Weisz in the heart-rendering tale highlighting the ruthlessness of Western pharmaceutical companies in Africa and it won 13 major movie awards and 38 nominations around the world, including an Oscar.
Date and Place of Birth: 22 December, 1962; Suffolk, England.
Height: 180cm (5' 11")
Education: Bishop Woodsworth Boys' School; Chelsea College of Art and Design, London (majored in Acting); Royal Academy of Dramatic Art
Wife: Alex Kingston (actress: married in September 1993; divorced in October, 1997)
Family: Father Mark Fiennes (photographer), mother Jini Fiennes (novelist; died on Christmas 1993 from breast-cancer complications), sisters Sophia Victoria Fiennes (producer; younger), Martha Maria Fiennes (director; born in 1964) and brothers Magnus Hubert Fiennes (musician; younger), Joseph Fiennes (actor; born on May 27, 1970), Jacob Mark Fiennes (gamekeeper; twin of Joseph), Michael Fiennes (archaeologist; foster brother; family took in when he was 11).
Quotation: "I'm interested in the spirits of people. In the theatre, there's the acting part of acting - and I'm not saying that can't be great - and there's the essence. To explore that essence, you need a key, a look, a gesture, an insight that unlocks the person's soul."
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Daniel Radcliffe -
