Talking To Ralph Fiennes


Woman's Own Magazine
March 17, 1997




The star of Schindler's List and The English Patient reveals why he's so protective of his private life.


Q: Where was The English Patient filmed?
RF: In the desert in Tunisia. It was winter, which meant it was warm during the day, but freezing at night. You'll see scenes of us at night wearing shorts, pretending it was hot, but when the director said "Cut" we were under blankets.

Q: How did you get on with the locals?
RF: Very well. I went for walk in the market in Tozeur, and an extra from the film was running a stall. He asked me to sit down for a cup of tea, so I sat -- and he went off to get the tea, leaving me, who didn't know any Arabic, to run his stall.

Q: And your co-stars?
RF: Juliette Binoche and I had worked together on Wuthering Heights, so it was great to work with her again. I got along very well with both her and Kristen Scott Thomas.

Q: You and Kristen have a passionate on-screen affair. In real life, have you ever felt that passion?
RF: Oh, yes. And that's all I'm going to say about it.

Q: Your marriage to Alex Kingston is over. What are the differences between men and women in a relationship?
RF: Well, I'm talking generally here, but I think women are more acutely aware of the power of the heart and soul. Emotions tend to be present in their thoughts. Men find it hard to understand passion, or pain or loss.

Q: Who has had the greatest influence on your life?
RF: My mother -- who died two years ago. She was a writer and she encouraged me and my five siblings to think. That's the legacy she left us, and I become more aware of it as time moves on.

Q: You're a private man. Does that make it hard to be famous?
RF: It's made me very protective of my private life. What I'm interested in is doing the work. Beyond what I show on stage or screen, I don't see why I should expose myself in public.

Q: Were you shy as a child?
RF: Yes. And maybe that's something I still carry with me. Shyness is to do with trust, and when I'm with people I trust, I'm okay. But people ask me very personal questions which makes me close myself off. If that comes across as shyness, I'm sorry.

Q: We won't see you doing any nude scenes, then?
RF: I don't think so. I don't like to give away everything. I'd like to preserve a bit of mystery."

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