Joseph Fiennes

Joseph Alberic Twisleton-Wykeham-Fiennes (; born 26 May 1970), known as Joseph Fiennes, is an English actor. His numerous accolades include an Actor Award as well as nominations for a BAFTA Award and a Laurence Olivier Award.

He is known for his portrayals of William Shakespeare in Shakespeare in Love (1998), for which he was nominated for the Actor Award and the BAFTA Award for Best Lead Actor, Sir Robert Dudley in Elizabeth (1998), Commisar Danilov in Enemy at the Gates (2001), Martin Luther in Luther (2003), and Monsignor Timothy Howard in the second season of the TV series American Horror Story (2012–2013). His performance as Commander Fred Waterford in the TV series The Handmaid's Tale (2017–2021) was nominated for the Primetime Emmy Award for Outstanding Supporting Actor in a Drama Series in 2018. On the stage, Fiennes's 2023 portrayal of Gareth Southgate in James Graham's Dear England earned him a nomination for a Laurence Olivier Award for Best Actor.

Early life and education

Joseph Alberic Twisleton-Wykeham-Fiennes was born on 26 May 1970 in Salisbury, Wiltshire, England, the son of Mark Fiennes (1933–2004), a farmer and photographer, and Jennifer Lash (1938–1993), a writer. His siblings are: actor Ralph Fiennes; directors Martha Fiennes and Sophie Fiennes; composer Magnus Fiennes; and conservationist Jacob Fiennes, Joseph's twin brother. They lived mainly in Suffolk as children. His distant cousin is Sir Ranulph (Ran) Fiennes, a decorated English explorer.

Fiennes trained to be an actor at the Guildhall School of Music and Drama in London, graduating in 1993.

Career

Stage and film

Fiennes' first professional stage appearance was in the West End in The Woman in Black, followed by A Month in the Country. He then became a member of the Royal Shakespeare Company for two seasons.

He made his television debut as Willy in the 1995 television film adaptation of The Vacillations of Poppy Carew. His first feature film was 1996's Stealing Beauty. In 1998, Fiennes appeared in two films that were nominated at the Academy Awards: he played Robert Dudley in Elizabeth and he portrayed William Shakespeare in Shakespeare in Love, receiving nominations for the BAFTA Award for Best Actor in a Leading Role and the Actor Award for Outstanding Performance by a Male Actor in a Leading Role.

In 2001, Fiennes appeared in the film Enemy at the Gates. In 2002, he starred in the independent film Killing Me Softly. In 2003, he lent his voice as Proteus in the DreamWorks animated film Sinbad: Legend of the Seven Seas opposite Brad Pitt. The same year, he starred in the limited-release film Luther, playing Martin Luther, and he also appeared in the 2004 film version of The Merchant of Venice, in which he portrayed Bassanio.

Fiennes returned to the theatre in 2006 to perform in the one-man play Unicorns, Almost about World War II poet Keith Douglas at the Old Vic. Also in 2006, he appeared in the films The Darwin Awards, Running with Scissors, and Goodbye Bafana. In Goodbye Bafana Fiennes portrayed James Gregory, author of the book Goodbye Bafana: Nelson Mandela, My Prisoner, My Friend.

He portrayed Roman Tribune Clavius in the 2016 biblical film, Risen alongside his brother's Harry Potter co-star, Tom Felton. Felton shared his recollections of filming scenes with Fiennes in his memoirs and praised his performance.

In 2019, he was described in The Guardian as "the go-to actor for English cultural history".

In 2023, he appeared in the play Dear England, portraying the England football manager Gareth Southgate.

Television Fiennes starred in the ABC science fiction series FlashForward, which debuted on 24 September 2009 and ran through 27 May 2010, as Mark Benford. He starred in Starz's 10-part series, Camelot, as the wizard Merlin.

In the second season of American Horror Story, which premiered in October 2012, Fiennes played the role of Monsignor Timothy Howard. From 2017 to 2021, Fiennes starred on the Hulu series The Handmaid's Tale as Commander Fred Waterford.

Personal life In August 2009, Fiennes married María Dolores Diéguez, a Swiss model and photographer of Spanish/Galician origin, in a Catholic ceremony in Tuscany. They have two daughters named Eva and Isabel. The family resided in Mallorca, Spain near Palma, then later moved back to London. .

Charity work Fiennes was one of the celebrities to design and sign his own card for the UK-based charity Thomas Coram Foundation for Children. The cards were auctioned on eBay in May 2014.

Acting credits

Films

Television Year Title Role Notes 2008 Pretty/Handsome Bob Fitzpayne Unsold TV pilot 2009–10 FlashForward Mark Benford 22 episodes 2011 Camelot Merlin 10 episodes 2012–13 American Horror Story: Asylum Monsignor Timothy Howard 10 episodes 2017 Urban Myths Michael Jackson Episode: "Elizabeth, Michael, and Marlon" (Unaired) 2017–2021 The Handmaid's Tale Commander Fred Waterford 36 episodes 2019 Fiennes: Return to the Nile† Himself 3 episodes 2019 Sherwood Sheriff Nottingham (voice) 6 episodes 2024 Royal Kill List Himself 3 episodes Fiennes Return To The Wild Himself Two-part documentary; also features Sir Ranulph Fiennes 2025 Prisoner 951 Richard Ratcliffe 4 episodes 2026 Young Sherlock Silas Holmes 8 episodes 2026 Dear England Gareth Southgate Four-part drama † released in U.S. as Egypt with the World's Greatest Explorer by the National Geographic

Theatre The Woman in Black, Fortune Theatre London (1993) A Month in the Country, Belyaev, Guildford, Richmond and the Albery Theatre London (1994) A View from the Bridge, Rodolpho, Guildford, Bristol Old Vic, Strand Theatre London (1995)

Les Enfants du Paradis, Lacenaire, Royal Shakespeare Company, London (1996)

As You Like It, Silvius, Royal Shakespeare Company, London (1997) Real Classy Affair, Billy, Royal Court Theatre Company, London (1998) Christopher Marlowe's Edward II, Edward II, Crucible Theatre, Sheffield (2001) War Poet's Reading, Apollo Theatre (2001) Othello, Iago, West End, London (2002) Love's Labour's Lost, Berowne, Royal National Theatre, London (2003)

2,000 Feet Away, Deputy, Bush Theatre, London (2008) Cyrano de Bergerac, Cyrano, Chichester Festival Theatre (2009) Ross, T. E. Lawrence, Chichester Festival Theatre (2016) Dear England, Gareth Southgate, Royal National Theatre, London (2023)

Spoken word 2002 – contributed to the compilation album, When Love Speaks, which consists of Shakespearean sonnets and play excerpts – "Be not afeard, the isle is full of noises" and "Our revels are now ended" (both from The Tempest) 2010 – starred in a series of readings of literary love scenes for The Carte Noire Readers. Joseph Fiennes reads Presumed Innocent by Scott Turow Joseph Fiennes reads The Brightest Star in the Sky by Marian Keyes

Awards and nominations Year Association Category Nominated work Result 1998 Las Vegas Film Critics Society Awards Most Promising Actor Shakespeare in Love 1999 BAFTA Awards Best Actor in a Leading Role Blockbuster Entertainment Awards Favorite Male Newcomer Broadcast Film Critics Association Awards Breakthrough Artist Elizabeth Shakespeare in Love Chicago Film Critics Association Awards Most Promising Actor MTV Movie Awards Best Breakthrough Male Performance Best Kiss (with Gwyneth Paltrow) Actor Awards Outstanding Performance by a Cast in a Motion Picture Outstanding Performance by a Male Actor in a Leading Role Teen Choice Awards Sexiest Love Scene (with Gwyneth Paltrow) 2005 Satellite Awards Best Supporting Actor – Motion Picture The Merchant of Venice 2008Cinema for PeaceBest Short Film The Spirit 2018 Actor Awards Outstanding Performance by an Ensemble in a Drama Series The Handmaid's Tale Primetime Emmy Awards Outstanding Supporting Actor in a Drama Series 2019 MTV Movie & TV Awards Best Villain Actor Awards Outstanding Performance by a Male Actor in a Drama Series Outstanding Performance by an Ensemble in a Drama Series 2020 2022 2024 WhatsOnStage Awards Best Performer in a Play Dear England Laurence Olivier Award Best Actor