The 15 Best Ralph Fiennes Movie Roles

Monstrous villains, comic eccentrics, and quietly shattered men, his range stretches from chilling to charming across three decades. Which performance is his finest?

1

Amon Goth, Schindler's List

His chilling, Oscar-nominated turn as the sadistic Nazi camp commandant in Spielberg's 1993 masterpiece.

1000pts

2

Chef Slowik, The Menu

The terrifying celebrity chef orchestrating a deadly tasting menu in the 2022 satire.

999pts

3

Harry Waters, In Bruges

The volatile, foul-mouthed crime boss with a moral code in the 2008 dark comedy.

856pts

4

Maurice Bendrix, The End of the Affair

The jealous novelist consumed by a wartime love affair in the 1999 drama.

818pts

5

Dennis Cleg, Spider

The fragile, mentally ill protagonist in David Cronenberg's 2002 psychological drama.

807pts

6

Count Almasy, The English Patient

The doomed, badly-burned romantic at the heart of the 1996 Best Picture winner.

807pts

7

M. Gustave, The Grand Budapest Hotel

The fastidious, fast-talking concierge in Wes Anderson's 2014 comedy that earned him awards buzz.

807pts

8

Rameses II, The Prince of Egypt

His commanding vocal performance as the pharaoh in DreamWorks' 1998 animated epic.

749pts

9

Francis Dolarhyde, Red Dragon

The tormented 'Tooth Fairy' serial killer in the 2002 Hannibal Lecter prequel.

599pts

10

Lord Voldemort, Harry Potter

The serpentine Dark Lord he played across the Harry Potter franchise, his best-known role.

599pts

11

M, James Bond

Gareth Mallory, who becomes the new M across Skyfall, Spectre, and No Time to Die.

599pts

12

Charles Van Doren, Quiz Show

The patrician academic caught in a rigged game-show scandal in Robert Redford's 1994 drama.

599pts

13

Justin Quayle, The Constant Gardener

The grieving diplomat uncovering a pharmaceutical conspiracy in the 2005 thriller.

599pts

14

Cardinal Lawrence, Conclave

The conflicted dean of cardinals running a papal election in the acclaimed 2024 thriller.

499pts

15

Coriolanus

The banished Roman general in Fiennes' own 2011 directorial debut adapting Shakespeare.

499pts