Ralph Fiennes revealed the heartbreaking family bereavement he suffered at the same time as the film Schindler's List was experiencing universal critical acclaim
Ralph Fiennes revealed a heartbreaking family bereavement left him "reeling from grief" after filming a hugely successful Oscar-winning film. The actor is one of the most recognisable names from the British film world, earning himself three Academy Award nominations over the decades, Ralph's first nomination came for his role as a sadistic Nazi concentration camp commanding officer in 1993 historical classic Schindler's List.
However, despite the enormous success of the Hollywood classic, the star once made a heartbreaking confession – revealing it prevented him from properly mourning the death of his mother. Ralph, who was born in Suffolk, was close to his mum, Jennifer, and credited her with introducing him to Shakespeare, poetry, and the theatre when he was just a young child, reports the Irish Star. In a frank interview on the Happy Sad Confused podcast, the acclaimed actor, 63, who also played Voldemort in the Harry Potter films, explained that while the movie transformed the trajectory of his life, it also coincided with personal tragedy. He said: "She died at the end of '93, so Schindler's List was filmed in the spring of '93 and my mum sadly died at the very end of December' 93. "It was a funny time, I mean, not funny like hilarious, it was odd and emotional and full of grief. But there was Schindler's List getting such an extraordinary response and I was reeling from the loss of my mother at the time. "It was bewildering because I didn't, I suppose... the movement and focus on the film's success and being asked to fly here to this event, and that, so probably not really having time. People say you need time to grieve, and I suppose I didn't. I mean, I found the time but then it was bewildering." Both of Ralph's parents had careers in the arts, with his mother being a novelist and his father, Mark, working as a photographer. Jennifer, who had been diagnosed with breast cancer, was just 55 years old at the time of her death, and her final novel Blood Ties was released posthumously. Many of his six siblings also embarked on careers in creative professions, including his younger brother Joseph, who is also an actor. Since Schindler's List, Ralph has been nominated for two more Oscars, receiving Best Actor nods for The English Patient and Conclave. Ralph appears on The Claudia Winkleman Show tonight from 10.40pm to 11.25pm on BBC One. He will be joined by fellow actors Anna Faris, Olivia Cooke and Michelle de Swarte.
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