He has also acted in Quiz Show (1994), Maid in Manhattan (2002), The Constant Gardener (2005), In Bruges (2008), The Reader (2008), The Duchess (2008), The Hurt Locker (2009), The Grand Budapest Hotel (2014), A Bigger Splash (2015), Hail, Caesar!

His nephew, Hero Fiennes Tiffin, played Tom Riddle, young Lord Voldemort, in Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince.

[11][12] He had a major role in Peter Greenaway's historical drama film The Baby of Mâcon with Julia Ormond, which provoked controversy and was poorly received.

In 1993, he portrayed the brutal Nazi concentration camp commandant Amon Göth in Steven Spielberg's historical holocaust drama epic Schindler's List.

[13] Todd McCarthy, film critic of Variety praised his performance describing it as "extraordinary" adding that he "creates an indelible character in Goeth.

With paunch hanging out and eyes filled with disgust both for his victims and himself , he’s like a minor-league Roman emperor gone sour with excess, a man in whom too much power and debauchery have crushed anything that might once have been good.

[15] In 1994, Fiennes portrayed the American academic Charles Van Doren in Robert Redford's historical drama Quiz Show acting opposite John Turturro and Paul Scofield.

In 1996, he was nominated for the Academy Award for Best Actor for playing László Almásy in the epic World War II romantic drama The English Patient, in which he starred with Kristin Scott-Thomas.

"[16] He starred in the romantic drama Oscar and Lucinda (1997) opposite Cate Blanchett, played John Steed in spy comedy The Avengers (1998), and voiced Ramesses II in an animated Biblical epic The Prince of Egypt (1998).

Fiennes's film work has encompassed a variety of genres, including thrillers (Spider, Strange Days), romantic comedy (Maid in Manhattan), and historical drama (Sunshine).

Film critic David Sterritt wrote, "Ralph Fiennes is scarily good as [Hannibal Lecter's] fellow lunatic.

[18][19] In 2005, Fiennes starred in Fernando Meirelles's The Constant Gardener, a film based off the 2001 novel of the same name by John le Carré acting alongside Rachel Weisz.

The situation affected the cast and crew to such an extent that they set up the Constant Gardener Trust to provide basic education for children of these villages.

The role saw him play a cruel upper class bounder who courts Lady Tottington (Helena Bonham Carter) and despises Wallace & Gromit.

In 2008, he worked with frequent collaborator director Jonathan Kent, playing the title role in Oedipus the King by Sophocles, at the National Theatre in London.

That same year he also appeared in Martin McDonagh's black comedy crime thriller In Bruges starring Colin Farrell and Brendan Gleeson.

Fiennes reunited with Kathryn Bigelow for her Iraq War film The Hurt Locker, released in 2009, appearing as an English Private Military Contractor.

David Rooney of The Hollywood Reporter wrote of his performance that "Fiennes is feral and frightening" adding, "[He] is a touching figure of unexpected integrity and enormous pathos".

[28] Also in 2012 he reprised his role of Hades again acting opposite Liam Neeson's Zeus in the action fantasy sequel Wrath of the Titans.

[29] In 2013, Fiennes returned to the directors chair helming over the biographical romance drama The Invisible Woman where he also acted portraying the leading role of Charles Dickens opposite Felicity Jones as Ellen Ternan.

The film was well-received with Peter Bradshaw of The Guardian writing, "Fiennes himself portrays a complex figure: a showman, an egotist and an applause-addict whose lovers and children were his enablers, but also a genuine artist and social idealist.

[30][31] Though he is not commonly noted as a comic actor, in 2014, Fiennes made an impression with his farcical turn as a flirty and eccentric concierge, Monsieur Gustave in Wes Anderson's comedy-drama The Grand Budapest Hotel.

[41] Also in 2021, he starred in the British drama film The Dig playing the Suffolk archaeologist Basil Brown alongside Carey Mulligan and Lily James.

His performance has received rave reviews with Variety declaring, "Fiennes is all boldly convincing, controlled threat, his monomania teetering on the edge of malevolence".

[52] In 2023, Fiennes reunited with the director Wes Anderson in an anthology of short films adapted from the works of British author, Roald Dahl, The Wonderful Story of Henry Sugar and Three More (2023).

The play, which also starred Indira Varma as Lady Macbeth, was a success, beginning at Liverpool's The Depot in November, before moving on to Edinburgh, London, and Washington, DC.

[58] Annis and Fiennes separated on 7 February 2006, after 11 years together,[59][60] in a parting described as "acrimonious", following rumours that he had an affair with the Romanian singer Cornelia Crisan.

"[66] In a March 2021 interview with The Daily Telegraph, Fiennes voiced support for J. K. Rowling following backlash against her views on transgender people, arguing "I can't understand the vitriol directed at her.