Ralph Fiennes is an extremely talented and well-accomplished English actor who gained the limelight for his wonderful performances in different movies and TV shows. In addition, he has worked as a film producer and director.
Some of his world-renowned performances as an actor include the role of a Nazi war criminal Amon Göth in 1993’s Schindler’s List, Lord Voldemort [the oldest one] in the Harry Potter film series, and Gareth Mallory / M in the James Bond film series.
The 59-year-old Fiennes has worked extremely hard to get to where he is now. However, he isn’t the one person in the Fiennes family that has gained success and become a star through their hard work.
Are Joseph and Ralph Fiennes related?
Before we get into Ralph Fiennes’ family life and introduce his siblings, let’s take a short stop to answer one of the burning questions related to the actor.
It is: “Are Joseph and Ralph Fiennes brothers?” People might have wondered if the fellow actors are related as they have quite a resemblance, are English, and share the same last name.
Ralph Fiennes with Joseph Fiennes (Photo: Twitter)
Well, to answer that question directly: Yes, Ralph and Joseph are related, and they are brothers, to be precise. And if you think that two members of the same family in the entertainment industry might be enough, then think again.
It’s because Ralph has five more siblings – excluding Joseph – and three of them are involved in the entertainment industry. It seems as if that acting prowess runs in the Fiennes family. Here is a quick look at Ralph’s siblings:
Joseph Fiennes
It’s said that if you are looking for a man in your English cultural history movie or television show, then Joseph is your go-to actor. Such is his reputation, which he has made through his versatility and period pieces.
The Primetime Emmy Award-nominated actor is best known for his works in Elizabeth, Shakespeare in Love, Luther, The Merchant of Venice, Flashforward, Camelot, American Horror Story, Risen, Sherwood, and The Handmaid’s Tale.
Born on May 27, 1970, he was raised in the suburbs of Salisbury, Wiltshire, England. His birth name is Joseph Alberic Twisleton-Wykeham-Fiennes.
Martha Fiennes
Martha is a well-accomplished film director, producer, and writer. Some of her works as a director include Onegin, Indians’ Sacred Spirit, and Chromophobia – the last two were also written by her.
Similarly, she has served as an executive producer in the TV movie Ten Days to D-Day and one short film, Scrutiny.
Ralph Fiennes’ sister Martha Fiennes (Photo: Getty Images)
Born in 1964, her birthday falls on February 5 every year. She was raised in Suffolk, England, and goes by the birth name of Martha Maria Twisleton-Wykeham-Fiennes.
Sophie Fiennes
Like Martha, Sophie is also a film director, producer, and writer. Additionally, she has occasionally worked as a cinematographer, editor, assistant director, etc.
In her directing career, she has majorly worked in documentaries. As a director, some of her works include Lars from 1-10, The Pervert’s Guide to Cinema, Tanz und Ekstase: Alain Platels VSPRS, First Row Orchestra, and Artificial Things.
Ralph Fiennes’ sister Sophie Fiennes (Photo: Instagram)
Born on February 12, 1967, she is currently 55-year-old. Her birth name is Sophia Victoria Twisleton-Wykeham-Fiennes.
Magnus Fiennes
Unlike some of his brothers and sisters, Magnus has not involved himself in acting or directing. Instead, he is an accomplished songwriter, composer, and record producer.
In his career, he has worked with some renowned artists, including Pulp, Shakira, Morcheeba, Tom Jones, and more. Additionally, he has composed numerous film and television scores.
Similarly, he has composed as well as produced much of the two multi-million selling albums for the girl quartet Bond – an Australian/British string quartet specializing in classical crossover and synth-pop music.
Magnus Fiennes with his wife Maya Fiennes at their wedding (Photo: Instagram)
He was born on November 21, 1965, under the birth name of Magnus Hubert Twisleton-Wykeham-Fiennes. He spent some of his childhood in Suffolk, England.
Jacob Fiennes
Jacob is one of two Fiennes brothers who have been working fully out of the entertainment industry.
As per The Sun, he is working at the privately-owned Holkham estate and is a conservation manager. Before that, he used to work at Raveningham Estate, located in Norfolk.
An old picture of Ralph Fiennes’ brother Jacob Fiennes (Photo: Getty Images)
Born on May 27, 1970, he is also known as Jake. Furthermore, he is Joseph’s twin brother.
Michael Emery
As per reports, Michael is Joseph’s foster brother, who was born on December 31, 1952. He currently lives in Chester.
Coming over to his profession, he is an archaeologist who runs one of the most important archaeological sites. It’s said that Ralph helped him to finance the project, located in Poulton, Britain.
Ralph Fiennes was raised in a financially challenged family
Born on December 22, 1962, Ralph is the eldest child of his parents, Mark Fiennes (1933-2004) and Jennifer Lash (1938-1993). While his father was a tenant farmer turned photographer, his mother worked as a novelist.
During Ralph’s interview with The Guardian, it was stated that his family occasionally moved as their “brood led a nomadic, bohemian existence.” To be precise, they moved 14 times several early in his childhood, traveling from Suffolk to Ireland to Wiltshire to London.
Ralph said, “The moving was unsettling because it was always related to where my father could get work. In a way it was very romantic. We moved to west Cork in 1973 and we were going to live in this amazing place and my father would do up houses.”
As he went on, he mentioned, “My parents were very financially challenged. All of us children have the memory of being told that there was no money, we have to sell this, there’s no presents for Christmas. Of being in the front line of that constant worry; the atmosphere in the home always charged with anxiety. ‘What do we do? What do we do?'”
Despite the financial challenge, there was still a lot of love. Ralph and his siblings used to share rooms, stacked into bunk beds, and scrapped for space. However, there always were several books to read and woods to play in to spend time.
As he grew up, their mother introduced them to Shakespeare and Hamlet and gave him Olivier’s recordings of the speeches. Although she wasn’t grooming him to be an actor – she was a writer, and it “thrilled her” – it did leave an impression on Ralph.
As years passed, all of the Fiennes siblings grew and developed their interests in different fields. They worked hard and have now achieved success and wealth through their profession.
