Ralph Fiennes Biography

On himself:

“It’s ‘Rafe’, actually.”

On acting:

“Awards are like applause, and every actor likes to hear applause.”

“I think it’s a badge of honour to have a real flop on your resume.” [commenting on his role in “The Avengers” (1998)]

“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.”

“I tried not to play Voldemort over the top, and then I realised there’s no other way…. When Children were introduced to Lord Voldemort, they looked suitably terrified, which gave me great satisfaction.”

“I veer away from trying to understand why I act. I just know I need to do it.”

On film-making:

“The process of making a film is a mad lottery. Whenever you get the feeling that you’re making something special. You have to quickly squash it because you are so often proved wrong.”

Other quotes:

“People were asking ‘How was your trip to Uganda?’ and I say, ‘Well it was devastating and depressing, but amidst the things that are depressing, I met some extraordinary people and I carry that very strongly as a memory…. I feel very privileged to have met them.” [commenting on his visit to a UNICEF project in Uganda]

“Daniel had to put up with a lot from me. Here's a boy who's tied up with a man pushing his finger into the wound on his head, laughing and delighting in the pain he's causing. He had to act as though he was in agony and terror without having many words to say. I was full of admiration for him.” [speaking of his role as Voldemort and Daniel Radcliffe’s role as Harry in “Harry Potter and the Goblet of Fire” (1995)]