Who is Ralph Fiennes Playing in 'Skyfall?'

Blofeld? 006? Moneypenny? None of the above...

January 03, 2012

Skyfall may be officially announced but much of the latest James Bond film remains shrouded in mystery. Who, for example, is Ralph Fiennes going to be playing? He's a major, Oscar-nominated actor whose presence warrants more than a mere cameo. You may recall that the producers claimed to be withholding some of the characters' names from the press releases "because Bond fans might know them." That may be the case, because the inside word from MovieWeb's source at EON Productions (which makes the James Bond movies, in case you doubt the pedigree) say that Ralph Fiennes is playing...

Oh, SPOILER ALERT, by the way...
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But wait, you say... Isn't Judi Dench playing M? Well, yes, yes she is. But "M" is a title, not a name. And according to inside sources the plot of Skyfall revolves around a changing of the guard. It seems Dench's M has a past which catches up to her in Skyfall, and she is forced to train a government agent as a replacement. That agent is reportedly played by Ralph Fiennes.

If true, and that's still a big "if" until we get some kind of formal confirmation, denial or unrelated announcement, it's not a terribly large amount to go on. Fiennes' role could be a driving force in the plot, or a minor subplot. He could secretly be the bad guy and not make it through the end of the movie, or be an honest to God replacement for Judi Dench as the franchise moves on. We certainly know that Fiennes has no problem committing to long-term movie series, what with the whole Harry Potter thing and all. With M's renewed emphasis as a character in the James Bond franchise, it certainly makes sense to transfer the position from one acclaimed actor to another.

CraveOnline will be back with more Skyfall news as these strange days continue...

http://www.craveonline.com/film/articles/180583-who-is-ralph-fiennes-playing-in-skyfall