Skip to main content
Close

AFI Fest: Ralph Fiennes and The Invisible Woman

By Meredith Alloway · November 14, 2013

Ralph Fiennes may be best known for his acting, playing villainous roles in Schindler’s List, Red Dragon, and let’s not forget Harry Potter. When I interviewed him on the red carpet this week, I nearly wanted to say, “Nice to meet you, Lord Voldemort.”

He was at the AFI Film Festival at the legendary Chinese Theater to promote The Invisible Woman. He’s not playing a bad guy this time around. He’s directing and also starring. His second directorial feature after Coriolanus, Fiennes explores the relationship between Charles Dickens and his mistress. Felicity Jones stars opposite Fiennes as Nelly Ternan in a period piece about the classic author.

I asked Fiennes about his evolution in the industry. He’s been an actor, now a director and I wondered if writing was next. He’s worked with Shakespeare and now Dickens after all. “I don’t know. I think writing is really hard. You’re on your own on that blank page. That’s scary.”

The red carpet at the premiere was quite glamorous and it was a moment to ask where Hollywood all began for him. “My first big Hollywood moment? I think being taken on the Universal tour. The first time I went to LA, I went to that. I was a real tourist.”

It’s hard to picture the suave actor doing anything but starring on the big screen. The Invisible Woman has already garnered multiple British Independent Film Award nominations and Oscar buzz. I asked Fiennes what was up next.  “I don’t know. I’m reading scripts, meeting people. Things are being discussed. In all honesty, I can’t tell you…I don’t know!”

The Invisible Woman opens in limited release on December 25th