Ralph Fiennes

Born in Ipswich in December 1962, Fiennes graduated from the Royal Academy of Dramatic Art in 1985 and made his name interpreting Shakespeare at the Royal National Theatre and Royal Shakespeare Company. His 1992 film debut as Heathcliff in Wuthering Heights opened the door to Schindler's List a year later - his SS officer earned him his first Academy Award nomination. The English Patient brought a second in 1996. He won a Tony in 1995 playing Hamlet on Broadway, then spent the 2000s splitting time between prestige work and the Harry Potter franchise, where his skeletal Voldemort became a cultural fixture. He's directed twice, voiced animated films from The Prince of Egypt to Lego Batman, and picked up a third Oscar nomination in 2024 for Conclave - still working both ends of the spectrum three decades in.