Magnificent obsession
Published: 14/01/2012
As one of the country’s great Shakespearean thespians, Ralph Fiennes doesn’t immediately strike you as someone who gets down with the hip-hop crowd.
Yet it appears that despite his staid navy jumper and ironed jeans, he possesses some serious street cred, with internet reports that the Oscar-nominated actor is “good friends” with US rapper Jay-Z.
“No. I’m afraid I have to disappoint you, I’m not friends with Jay-Z,” he insists, suppressing a wry smile.
“But I have worked with J-Lo if that counts?” adds the softly spoken actor, referring to his role in Maid In Manhattan with Jennifer Lopez.
Ralph’s wide-ranging and respected CV includes award-nominated turns in The English Patient, Schindler’s List and The Constant Gardener, as well as Lord Voldemort in the Harry Potter films and the Greek god Hades in Clash Of The Titans.
More than two decades before he started his career on the big screen, the Suffolk-born actor was reciting William Shakespeare’s words in open-air theatre productions. And it’s the Bard’s works to which the 49-year-old has returned for his directorial debut, Coriolanus, a play that’s stayed with him since he played the flawed hero in 2000 at London’s Almeida Theatre.
Originally inspired by Baz Luhrmann’s contemporary reworking of Romeo And Juliet, Ralph’s modern-day adaptation of Shakespeare’s political thriller, in which he reprises the role of the power-hungry leader, is set in war-torn Belgrade.
“I became obsessed with Coriolanus, having played him on stage about 11 years ago,” he admits.
“I thought it could surprise people as a film, because it’s less known. It’s a very provocative piece, with a confrontational tone, and I like that,” adds the actor who starred as Prospero in a west-end production of The Tempest in September last year.
“I like the way Shakespeare confronts the audience with all the questions about loyalty and political intrigue. And it’s continually relevant, particularly now with certain uprisings and economic uncertainty around the world, which is the play’s background.”
Vanessa Redgrave stars alongside as his screen mum Volumnia, Gerard Butler as arch-enemy Tullus Aufidius and Jessica Chastain as his wife Virgilia.
“Vanessa was my dream choice to play Volumnia. I’m a great fan and admirer, she always moves me hugely whenever I see her perform,” he reveals.
“Two and a half years before we started shooting, she was the first phone call I made to any cast member. She said ‘Yes’ and was incredibly patient with the process of getting the film financed. I remember feeling very emotional when she finally arrived in Belgrade and we rehearsed the scenes.”
Ralph didn’t need much persuasion to get Butler on board either, although he soon had some doubts during their fight scenes.
“Funnily enough, I approached him thinking it was a long shot and he came enthusiastically,” he recalls.
“He was wonderful to work with and tough to fight. We had to have real battles on camera and he’s bigger and stronger than me, so it was tough. But I survived,” he adds, chuckling.
Adapting the wordy play for the big screen was a challenge in itself, and the director had no hesitation in cutting out lines with help from screenwriter John Logan.
“It’s textually dense and heavy, which is why it’s often hard for theatre audiences. It’s impenetrable in places. We both loved the original text but we wanted to make a film,” he says.
“One of the things we discovered is it helps to cull a lot of difficult bits. If you cut a 10-line speech, keeping two lines that are great, it lands really strongly.”
Editing Shakespeare’s words wasn’t the only challenge, however. Securing funding for the movie took over two years, while the actual shoot lasted over eight weeks.
“I have to admit, I was a bit mad to be in it and direct it – but no one else was clamouring to,” he says.
“I’ve become intensely curious about directing. I think for some actors, it’s a natural transition because you’re so close to it, and you become very interested in how something’s put together.”
As the eldest of six siblings, including actor Joseph, director Martha and film-maker Sophie, he knew he could always call on his family for tips.
“My sisters both came to see the early screening and were around when I shot it and I wanted their advice and input,” he recalls.
Ralph reluctantly admits enjoying the experience: “It was nervy and adrenalised, but it’s exhilarating.
“The pressure of time made it doubly hard, but I had an amazing team around me.”
Despite the film receiving critical acclaim, with Redgrave already winning awards for her performance, Ralph can’t quite give himself the credit he deserves.
“While I hesitate to use the word ‘proud’, the essential feel of the film was very close to what I wanted to make,” he says.
“Having lived with it for a long time and having that distance, I can see all kinds of things you wish you could have done differently or better. I was on a big learning curve and made choices under pressure. If I was going to do this film again, I would have a lot more shooting time and revisit certain scenes which weren’t executed to my satisfaction, because of the time pressure.”
His experience hasn’t put him off stepping behind the cameras again, as he’s considering directing another Shakespearean play, Antony And Cleopatra.
And while the Harry Potter film franchise may have reached its epic climax, his next role in front of the cameras sees him in Sam Mendes’s upcoming Bond film Skyfall, opposite Daniel Craig.
“I can only tell you it’s classified information. I’m allowed to say that I’m a government agent,” he says, with a knowing smile.
Whether it’s Shakespeare or spies, he is intent to continue keeping his plate full.
“The anxiety that you’ll never work again always lurks. But also, you want to get better,” he continues. “Every part has a new challenge and there are lots of actors and directors I long to work with.
“I hope the curiosity and excitement that made me pitch up at RADA and audition never goes away.”
Coriolanus opens in cinemas next Friday.
Romeo And Juliet (1996) – Leonardo DiCaprio and Claire Danes play the star-crossed lovers in Baz Luhrmann’s modern-day version of Shakespeare’s classic love story.
10 Things I Hate About You (1999) – Shakespeare’s comedy The Taming Of The Shrew stars Julia Stiles, Heath Ledger and Joseph Gordon-Levitt in Gil Junger’s teenage adaptation.
Hamlet (2000) – Hamlet gets the 20th-century treatment, courtesy of Michael Almereyda, as the tragic hero, played by Ethan Hawke, who plays a film student in New York.
The Tempest (2011) – There’s a gender switch as Helen Mirren takes on Prospero in Julia Taymor’s contemporary adaptation, which also stars Russell Brand and Felicity Jones.
