When you want to win an Oscar, it helps to know people who vote for Oscars. Few have that level of familiarity like Ralph Fiennes. Since he burst into our movie consciousness in the mid-‘90s with central roles in Schindler’s List, Quiz Show, and The English Patient—did anyone that decade have a better few years?—Fiennes has been a fixture in our film firmament. What’s remarkable is not just the consistency he’s had, acting regularly for the past 30+ years, but the diversity of his roles.
One wouldn’t expect a Shakespeare-trained actor with a Tony Award for playing Hamlet under his belt to turn up in franchises like Harry Potter or romantic comedies like Maid in Manhattan. Yet there Fiennes has been, lending his robust dramatic and often droll comedic talents in whatever context he lands. Indie roles like The Hurt Locker, espionage spoofs like The King’s Man, and even animated pictures such as The Lego Movie series—Fiennes has graced and often won the day in all of them.
Even when Fiennes is playing to the debonair British type, he often undercuts it. A memorable line from The Grand Budapest Hotel illustrates this well: “You see, there are still faint glimmers of civilization left in this barbaric slaughterhouse that was once known as humanity; indeed, that’s what we provide in our own modest, humble, insignificant—oh, fuck it.” Not surprisingly, Fiennes has been nominated for three Oscars. Surprisingly, he hasn’t won any of them. In fact, until this year, he hadn’t been nominated since 1997. Amazingly, he hasn’t won a Golden Globe either, going 0 for 7. Perhaps it’s his low-key demeanor or how he makes it all look so effortless. But that Fiennes mantle remains vacant.
This Oscar streak could change this year with Conclave, in which Fiennes, of course, plays Thomas Lawrence—an efficient, buttoned-up cardinal leading the papal conclave as agendas swirl around him. The actor’s performance is layered and subtle enough to possibly land him that elusive statue. Yet, even if it doesn’t, it’s worth cataloging what he’s done—a galaxy of genre planets that he encircles with many movie moons and even more actors. It’s Ralph Fiennes’ solar system, and we just live in it.
Many shout to the heavens to win an award, but Fiennes doesn’t need to. Filling his orbit are a host of nominees and winners, all of whom now are part of the Academy that will decide the fate of their north star. Films like Schindler’s List with Liam Neeson, The Constant Gardener with Rachel Weisz, Quiz Show with John Turturro, and Conclave with Isabella Rossellini only heighten his stature in Hollywood.
You’d think Fiennes only stays in the rarefied air of upscale projects. That would be as misguided as a flat-earther. Loosening that fitted tuxedo, the cosmic wonder shone bright while romancing Jennifer Lopez in Maid in Manhattan, shocking diners in The Menu, and questioning Rasputin if he’s a monk or a ballet dancer in The King’s Man.
Sometimes you want to sprinkle a little stardust on the smaller rocks. For that, the celestial god descends to the indie planet, bossing around hitmen in In Bruges, conciergeing for fellow nominee Adrien Brody in The Grand Budapest Hotel, or going rogue in Iraq in The Hurt Locker.
Sometimes you don’t need to be seen—you just want your voice to boom across the cosmos. That’s why Fiennes has taken on so many animated roles, as the rich guy tormenting Wallace and Gromit, enslaving people in The Prince of Egypt, and butlering Bruce in The Lego Movie series, sharing the screen with some of the biggest voice actors of our time.
Theater is the oxygen of Suffolk, England’s own Ralph Nathaniel Twisleton-Wykeham-Fiennes. That’s why he’s played so many of the Bard’s roles at the Royal Shakespeare Company and won a Tony on Broadway for Hamlet. Awards meteor-showered down on him for playing Francis Hardy in Faith Healer, gracing stages across both sides of the Atlantic.
Dominating a galaxy takes talent. It also takes money, and for that, there are box office blockbusters. Fiennes has known a few. He’s starred in three James Bond films, two of them as M, and all those Harry Potter films as Lord Voldemort, including Deathly Hallows 2, which grossed $1.3 billion globally. Only Fiennes can aspire to live forever.
This exploration of Ralph Fiennes’ Oscar nominations and cinematic journey highlights not only his diverse body of work but also his unique position within Hollywood. His collaboration with esteemed filmmakers and his ability to transcend genres have created a legacy that resonates with both audiences and critics alike. The coming months will be exciting for Fiennes, and many will be watching closely to see if this year’s nominations finally yield the gold he so richly deserves.