Mt. Rushmore- Ralph Fiennes
One of our greatest working actors, the man formally known as Ralph Nathaniel Twisleton-Wykeham-Fiennes has had a slew of iconic roles. While I do feel very strongly about my choices, Fiennes definitely does have some roles that are worth honorably mentioning as honorable mentions. László Almásy in ‘The English Patient,’ Chris Marshall in ‘Maid in Manhattan,’ Chef Julian Slowik in ‘The Menu,’ M in the James Bond series, Lord Victor Quartermaine in ‘Wallace & Gromit: The Curse of the Were-Rabbit,’ & Rameses in ‘The Prince of Egypt.’
Amon Göth in ‘Schindler’s List’- Fiennes’ first Oscar nomination came in this 1993 film that follow Liam Neeson as the titular Oskar Schindler. Fiennes plays the role of the main antagonist, a Nazi concentration camp commandant. Fiennes later said the role greatly disturbed him & a real Holocaust survivor was said to have had a panic attack when she witnessed Fiennes’ performance in person due to its accuracy. Neither of those are good things, but they do show the levity of a performance considered an all-time great film villain.
Cardinal Thomas Lawrence in ‘Conclave’- One of the best films of 2024, ‘Conclave’ is really just a movie about people talking, gossiping, & politicking. And those people just happen to be Catholic Cardinals electing a new pope, with their conclave being led by Cardinal Lawrence. Fiennes has effective chemistry & dialogue with every other member of the cast & I would credit the success of the film to a few things, like the writing, editing, score, and Fiennes’ performance.
M. Gustave in ‘The Grand Budapest Hotel’- One of the actor’s silliest performances, it is also one of his best. A film considered one of the best of the century, it is also considered the best film from director, Wes Anderson. While he didn’t earn an Oscar nomination, he did get one at the Golden Globes & the character became something of a pop culture & aesthetic icon.
Lord Voldemort in ‘Harry Potter’- One of the greatest literary sagas turned into one of the greatest film sagas, with one of the greatest film villains. Voldemort is pure evil & Fiennes is nearly unrecognizable in the role. No matter who is standing across from, you fear for the other person due to the cruelty Voldemort exudes. Even with his lack of a nose, Fiennes brought his A game to this role across five films.
