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Joseph Alberic Twisleton-Wykeham-Fiennes (; born 27 May 1970), Wishing Joseph Fiennes a happy 50th birthday! known as Joseph Fiennes, is an English actor of film, stage, and television. Fiennes is particularly known for his versatility and period pieces. Journalist Zoe Williams observed that "he seemed to be the go-to actor for English cultural history". His numerous accolades include one Screen Actors Guild Award and nomination for a British Academy Film Award.
He is known for his portrayals of William Shakespeare in Shakespeare in Love (1998), for which he was nominated for the BAFTA Award for Best Actor in a Leading Role and the Screen Actors Guild Award for Outstanding Performance by a Male Actor in a Leading Role, 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 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' 2023 portrayal of Gareth Southgate in James Graham's Dear England earned him a nomination for a Laurence Olivier Award for Best Actor.
His siblings are actor Ralph Fiennes, well known for playing Lord Voldemort in Harry Potter and the Goblet of Fire to Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows – Part 2; directors Martha Fiennes and Sophie Fiennes; composer Magnus Fiennes; and conservationist Jacob Fiennes, Joseph's twin brother. His foster brother, Michael Emery, is an archaeologist. His nephew Hero Fiennes Tiffin played Tom Riddle, young Lord Voldemort in Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince. His cousin is Ranulph Fiennes, a decorated English explorer.
Fiennes was briefly educated in the Republic of Ireland, then at Swan School For Boys and Bishop Wordsworth's School in Salisbury. He then attended art school in Suffolk for a year, before joining the Young Vic Youth Theatre. Fiennes subsequently trained for three years at London's Guildhall School of Music and Drama, graduating in 1993.
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 Screen Actors Guild Award for Outstanding Performance by a Male Actor in a Leading Role. He appeared in Running with Scissors (2006).
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 opposite Brad Pitt. The same year, he starred in the limited-release film Luther, playing Martin Luther, and he also appeared in 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.
In 2006, he appeared in the films The Darwin Awards and Goodbye Bafana. In Goodbye Bafana Fiennes portrayed James Gregory, author of the book Goodbye Bafana: Nelson Mandela, My Prisoner, My Friend.
In 2023, he appeared in the play Dear England, portraying the England football manager Gareth Southgate.
In the 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.
| 1995 | The Vacillations of Poppy Carew | Willy | Television film |
| 1996 | Stealing Beauty | Christopher Fox | |
| 1998 | Martha, Meet Frank, Daniel and Laurence | Laurence | Released as The Very Thought of You in the US |
| Elizabeth | Robert Dudley, Earl of Leicester | ||
| Shakespeare in Love | William Shakespeare | ||
| 1999 | Forever Mine | Manuel Esquema/Alan Riply | |
| 2000 | Rancid Aluminum | Sean Deeny | |
| 2001 | Enemy at the Gates | Commisar Danilov | |
| Dust | Elijah | ||
| 2002 | Leo | Stephen | |
| Killing Me Softly | Adam Tallis | ||
| 2003 | Proteus | Voice role | |
| Luther | Martin Luther | ||
| 2004 | The Merchant of Venice | Bassanio | |
| 2005 | The Great Raid | Major Gibson | |
| Man to Man | Jamie Dodd | ||
| 2006 | Running with Scissors | Neil Bookman | |
| The Darwin Awards | Michael Burrows | ||
| 2007 | Goodbye Bafana | James Gregory | |
| 2008 | The Escapist | Lenny Drake | |
| The Red Baron | Arthur Roy Brown | ||
| You Me and Captain Longbridge | Narrator | ||
| Spring 1941 | Artur Planck | ||
| 2009 | Against the Current | Paul Thompson | |
| 2014 | The Games Maker | Morodian | |
| Hercules | King Eurystheus | ||
| 2015 | Strangerland | Matthew Parker | |
| Psy | American man | ||
| 2016 | Risen | Clavius | |
| On Wings of Eagles ( The Last Race) | Eric Liddell | ||
| 2023 | The Mother | Adrian Lovell | |
| TBA | The Way of the Wind | TBA | Post-production |
| 2008 | Pretty/Handsome | Bob Fitzpayne | Unsold TV pilot |
| 2009–10 | FlashForward | Mark Benford | 22 episodes |
| 2011 | Camelot | Merlin | 10 episodes |
| 2012–13 | Monsignor Timothy Howard | 10 episodes | |
| 2017 | Urban Myths | Michael Jackson | Episode: "Elizabeth, Michael, and Marlon" |
| 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 Ranulph Fiennes | |
| TBA | Dear England | Gareth Southgate | Four-part drama |
| Young Sherlock | Silas Holmes | Filming | |
| 1998 | Las Vegas Film Critics Society Awards | Most Promising Actor | Shakespeare in Love | |
| 1999 | BAFTA Awards | Best Actor in a Leading Role | ||
| Blockbuster LLC | 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) | ||||
| Screen Actors Guild 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 | |
| 2008 | Cinema for Peace | Best Short Film | The Spirit | |
| 2018 | Screen Actors Guild 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 | ||
| Screen Actors Guild 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 |
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