Joseph Fiennes

Biography

Joseph Fiennes is an English actor who was born in Salisbury, Wiltshire, trained at the Guildhall School of Music and Drama, and began his professional stage work in the West End before joining the Royal Shakespeare Company for two seasons. He broke through in 1998 with two Oscar-nominated films: he played Robert Dudley in Elizabeth and William Shakespeare in Shakespeare in Love, earning nominations for a BAFTA Award and an Actor Award. Other notable screen roles include Danilov in Enemy at the Gates (2001), Proteus in Sinbad: Legend of the Seven Seas (2003), Martin Luther in Luther (2003), and Bassanio in The Merchant of Venice (2004). On television, he appeared as Monsignor Timothy Howard in American Horror Story and as Commander Fred Waterford in The Handmaid's Tale, the latter bringing a Primetime Emmy nomination in 2018. He also played Gareth Southgate in the 2023 play Dear England, which earned him an Olivier Award nomination.

56years old

Turns 57 on May 27in 225 days

Born May 27, 1970Salisbury
Star sign: GeminiThe sign runs May 21 to June 20

Movie Career

Films: 23
Career span: 28 years1996 to 2024

Genres

Drama65%, 15 films
Adventure26%, 6 films
Romance26%, 6 films
Action22%, 5 films
Comedy22%, 5 films

First and latest

Photos

Did you know?!

Early training
Fiennes studied acting at the Guildhall School of Music and Drama, which is located in London, and he finished his training there in 1993.
First role
Fiennes began his professional stage career in the West End with The Woman in Black, and afterward spent two seasons as a member of the Royal Shakespeare Company.
Beyond film
In 2006, Fiennes acted at the Old Vic in a one-man play, Unicorns, Almost, which is about Keith Douglas, a poet of World War II.

Joseph Fiennes movies on Netflix

National Theatre Live: Dear England2024IMDb rating 8.1as Gareth Southgate
The Mother2023IMDb rating 5.7as Adrian
On Wings of Eagles2016IMDb rating 5.7as Eric Liddell
Risen2016IMDb rating 6.4as Clavius
Strangerland2015IMDb rating 5.2as Matthew
Hercules2014IMDb rating 6.0as King Eurystheus
The Games Maker2014IMDb rating 5.6as Morodian
Against the Current2009IMDb rating 6.1as Paul Thompson
The Escapist2008IMDb rating 6.7as Lenny Drake
The Red Baron2008IMDb rating 6.3as Brown
The Color of Freedom2007IMDb rating 7.1as James Gregory
Running with Scissors2006IMDb rating 6.1as Neil Bookman
The Darwin Awards2006IMDb rating 5.9as Michael Burrows
The Great Raid2005IMDb rating 6.6as Major Gibson
The Merchant of Venice2004IMDb rating 7.0as Bassanio
Luther2003IMDb rating 6.6as Martin Luther
Sinbad: Legend of the Seven Seas2003IMDb rating 6.8as Proteus (voice)
Dust2001IMDb rating 6.3as Elijah
Enemy at the Gates2001IMDb rating 7.5as Commisar Danilov
Elizabeth1998IMDb rating 7.4as Robert Dudley, Earl of Leicester
Shakespeare in Love1998IMDb rating 7.1as Will Shakespeare
The Very Thought of You1998IMDb rating 6.4as Laurence
Stealing Beauty1996IMDb rating 6.5as Christopher

Best known for

The films on Netflix they are best known for, with the part played in each.

Top

Shakespeare in Love1998 Comedy, Drama, Romanceas Will Shakespeare
IMDb rating 7.1244K votes
Enemy at the Gates2001 Drama, History, Waras Commisar Danilov
IMDb rating 7.5296K votes
Elizabeth1998as Robert Dudley, Earl of Leicester
IMDb rating 7.4111K votes
Risen2016as Clavius
IMDb rating 6.434K votes
Sinbad: Legend of the Seven Seas2003as Proteusvoice
IMDb rating 6.865K votes
Hercules2014as King Eurystheus
IMDb rating 6.0174K votes
The Merchant of Venice2004as Bassanio
IMDb rating 7.040K votes
The Mother2023as Adrian
IMDb rating 5.754K votes

Most often with

Ten actors appear in two of them each. Pick a number on the chart or a name in the list to see the films they share.

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Brian Cox

Dennis Haysbert

Jeremy Irons

Rachel Weisz

Gwyneth Paltrow

Tom Hollander

Films together

Brian Cox2 films together, 2006 to 2008
Brian Cox's page
- The Escapist2008IMDb rating 6.7Fiennes as Lenny DrakeCox as Frank Perry
- Running with Scissors2006IMDb rating 6.1Fiennes as Neil BookmanCox as Dr. Finch
Dennis Haysbert2 films together, 2003 to 2007
Dennis Haysbert's page
- The Color of Freedom2007IMDb rating 7.1Fiennes as James GregoryHaysbert as Nelson Mandela
- Sinbad: Legend of the Seven Seas2003IMDb rating 6.8Fiennes as ProteusvoiceHaysbert as Kalevoice
Jeremy Irons2 films together, 1996 to 2004
Jeremy Irons's page
- The Merchant of Venice2004IMDb rating 7.0Fiennes as BassanioIrons as Antonio
- Stealing Beauty1996IMDb rating 6.5Fiennes as ChristopherIrons as Alex
Rachel Weisz2 films together, 1996 to 2001
Rachel Weisz's page
- Enemy at the Gates2001IMDb rating 7.5Fiennes as Commisar DanilovWeisz as Tania
- Stealing Beauty1996IMDb rating 6.5Fiennes as ChristopherWeisz as Miranda Fox
Gwyneth Paltrow2 films together, 1998 to 2006
Gwyneth Paltrow's page
- Running with Scissors2006IMDb rating 6.1Fiennes as Neil BookmanPaltrow as Hope Finch
- Shakespeare in Love1998IMDb rating 7.1Fiennes as Will ShakespearePaltrow as Viola De Lesseps
Tom Hollander2 films together, 1998 to 2006
Tom Hollander's page
- The Darwin Awards2006IMDb rating 5.9Fiennes as Michael BurrowsHollander as Henry
- The Very Thought of You1998IMDb rating 6.4Fiennes as LaurenceHollander as Daniel
Also two films together4 more actors
- Geoffrey RushElizabeth (1998) and Shakespeare in Love (1998)
- Rufus SewellHercules (2014) and The Very Thought of You (1998)
- Steven O'DonnellShakespeare in Love (1998) and The Very Thought of You (1998)
- Antonio GilRisen (2016) and The Merchant of Venice (2004)
When several people share the same number of films, the ones with the most films on Netflix are in the chart.

Box office

What Joseph Fiennes's films earned in cinemas worldwide.

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Combined worldwide box office

$921 million

16 of the 23 films have a worldwide figure.

16Worldwide figure
2US gross only
1Streaming, short cinema run
4Figure not found

Top grosser

Shakespeare in Love1998Will Shakespeare$289 million

Highest grossing

The eight biggest films earned 97% of the total. The bars are drawn to scale.

1
Shakespeare in Love1998as Will Shakespeare
$289M31.4% of the total
2
Hercules2014as King Eurystheus
$245M26.6% of the total
3
Enemy at the Gates2001as Commisar Danilov
$97M10.5% of the total
4
Elizabeth1998as Robert Dudley, Earl of Leicester
$82M8.9% of the total
5
Sinbad: Legend of the Seven Seas2003as Proteus (voice)
$81M8.8% of the total
6
Risen2016as Clavius
$46M5.0% of the total
7
Luther2003as Martin Luther
$29M3.2% of the total
8
The Merchant of Venice2004as Bassanio
$22M2.3% of the total