Top 10 Ralph Fiennes movies

Actors can sometimes be shoved into one role and recast as the same type of person in every film. Ralph Fiennes is certainly an exception as he has played an extremely diverse set of characters.

Fiennes might not be a name that comes immediately to mind when thinking of famous actors. However, his list of awards and films acted in is exceptional. According to the Telegraph, this actor “enjoys a free-spirited and unpredictable career that sees him frolicking light-heartedly on screen with Jennifer Lopez in a frothy romantic comedy one minute and then delivering an acclaimed performance on stage as Mark Antony in Julius Caesar the next” which gives him “one of the most diverse and interesting careers of any actor working today.”

Plus, some of Fiennes roles are famous such as the evil Voldemort, angst-ridden Hamlet and brilliant Charles Dickens. All of his various characters are intriguing – if sometimes hated – as he shows the ability to get inside of their heads and be someone other than himself. M Live claimed that Fiennes “shows an invigorated commitment to character” in The Grand Budapest Hotel.

Time, as well as other critics, are hopeful that Fiennes might receive at least an Oscar nomination for his “grandly mannered performance” in The Grand Budapest Hotel. He at least was nominated for Best Actor in the 2015 Golden Globes. In honor of that, here are some of his best films.

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10. The Duchess – playing The Duke

Starring opposite of Keira Knightley, Fiennes is the cruel duke in this historical drama. His performance was praised even by those who dismissed the rest of the film. The Telegraph states that he “is…engaging. His Duke emerges as a vulgar brute, a clammy blackmailer, a sexual monster. And yet, a monster prone to droll one-liners and to doleful grace notes.”

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9. The Reader – playing Michael Berg

This story entangles two lovers in mystery, scandal, crime and passion. Fiennes plays a lawyer who rediscovers the woman who he had loved as a young man in the court room. Tensions and lines between right and wrong are blurred as he struggles to know what to do. Kate Winslet plays the other lead in this film that was nominated for the Oscar’s Best Picture in 2009.

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8. Spider – playing Spider

Portraying a character with mental illness is a difficult task. Fiennes proved his talent with his depiction of a schizophrenic man in this movie. Although the film is not well-known, critics praised both the director and actor.

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7. The Harry Potter films – playing Voldemort

Perhaps the most popular character Fiennes has ever played is Lord Voldemort. His creepy rendition of this evil wizard is chilling but mesmerizing. Viewers might not recognize his altered face, but his performance continues to be brilliant.

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6. Skyfall – playing Gareth Mallory

No, Fiennes did not have the honor of playing James Bond. However, he was in the most recent addition of this series as the new chairman who opposes M. This causes M to get the help of Bond which leads to a film of action and suspense.

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5. The English Patient – playing Count Laszlo de Almásy

In this movie, a count sets off across the Sahara Dessert in hopes to map it. Later, while dying from a plane crash, he must try to recall that time of love and betrayal. Colin Firth, an Oscar winner, also stars in The English Patient.

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4. The Hurt Locker – playing Contractor Team Leader

This Oscar-winning movie takes place during the Iraq War. These army men are not fighting but searching for an explosive when tragic and violent events ensue. Fiennes has a relatively small role, but this film and his performance are too good to skip on this list.

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3. The Grand Budapest Hotel – playing M. Gustave

In this film that Fiennes got a Golden Globe nomination for, Gustave owns a renowned European hotel. His legacy is at stake when war, a theft of a Renaissance painting, murder and change in times threaten his hotel. Although humorous at times, Fiennes does not take this movie as a joke but gives his character grandness.

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2. Quiz Show – playing Charlie Van Doren

When the legitimacy of a game show is questioned, winner Charlie is suddenly investigated by a lawyer. Based on a true story, this movie was nominated for four Oscars. According to Rolling Stone, “Fiennes gives a brilliant performance in the role, alert to every flicker of insecurity and resentment behind Van Doren's ready smile. This is acting of the highest order, exactly what you would expect from the British actor who stunned audiences as the Nazi commandant in Schindler's List. Fiennes' American accent wavers but not his fix on the character.”

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1. Schindler’s List – playing Amon Goeth

Rated in eighth place in the top 250 movies by IMDB, Schindler’s List is regularly listed among the best films ever made. Better yet, it is based on a true story of a man who saved over a thousand Jews in Holocaust using his factory. Fiennes plays a Nazi who attempts to bring the Jews to a concentration camp but later allows them to work in the factory for a fee. This part is not huge but gives the film a chilling sense of the awfulness of that time.