Ralph Fiennes

The first in-studio Empire Podcast of the year, following hot on the heels of our triumphant live episode at Kings Place, sees Chris Hewitt, Helen O'Hara, James Dyer, and John Nugent get together to discuss their New Year's resolutions and define what 'cinema' means for them in 2026; review 28 Years Later: The Bone Temple, The Rip, and Rental Family, and discuss the week's movie news. Guest-wise, Chris has lovely chats with two twosomes — Ralph Fiennes and Chi Lewis-Parry (yes, back for more after the live show, even if this was recorded months before the live show) from 28 Years Later: The Bone Temple, and Rental Family's star/director duo, Brendan Fraser and Hikari. Oh, and James tells a joke. Enjoy!

" The Choral " is a British historical drama film co-produced and directed by Nicholas Hytner and written by Alan Bennett. Set in 1916, during World War I, in the fictional town of Ramsden, Yorkshire, the film follows the members of the local choral society, which recruits a group of teenage boys and girls for a performance of Edward Elgar's "The Dream of Gerontius," a work chosen because a German did not write it. It stars Ralph Fiennes, Roger Allam, Mark Addy, Alun Armstrong, Robert Emms, and Simon Russell Beale. The film had its world premiere at the 2025 Toronto International Film Festival, where it received positive reviews for its feel-good story and performances. Hytner and Fiennes were both kind enough to spend some time speaking with us about their work and experiences making the film, which you can listen to below. Please be sure to check out the film, which is now playing in theaters from Sony Pictures Classics. Thank you, and enjoy! Check out more on NextBestPicture.com Please subscribe on... Apple Podcasts - https://itunes.apple.com/us/podcast/negs-best-film-podcast/id1087678387?mt=2 Spotify - https://open.spotify.com/show/7IMIzpYehTqeUa1d9EC4jT YouTube - https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCWA7KiotcWmHiYYy6wJqwOw And be sure to help support us on Patreon for as little as $1 a month at https://www.patreon.com/NextBestPicture and listen to this podcast ad-free Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

How can a film with a queer protagonist, written by a queer playwright, and directed by a queer man… not be a queer film? That's the tricky question I'm tackling with The Choral, the WWI period drama that just premiered at the Toronto International Film Festival (TIFF). In this episode: my Ralph Fiennes/Nicholas Hytner fangirling, why the film works as a crowd-pleaser but flattens queerness and other marginalized identities, and the bigger questions it raises about reclaiming — or sanitizing — queer history. 🎟 Plus, a sneak peek at Living Out Loud, my FREE three-day summit on queer and trans storytelling happening Oct 3–5. 👉 Sign up for Living Out Loud

It's another packed episode of the Empire Podcast, the show that dares to ask the big questions: isn't the Mona Lisa just a woman sitting down? Who's the richest Northern Irish person? Can you buy stocks in Glen Powell? Join the pod team — Chris Hewitt, Helen O'Hara, James Dyer, and Amon Warmann — as they tackle those questions, discuss the original 1977 print of Star Wars that Chris and James saw last week at the BFI, look at the week's movie news (Dune! Saw! Clayface! Naked Gun!), and review Danny Boyle's 28 Years Later, and the new Pixar joint, Elio. And guest-wise we've also got you covered as Chris sits down with Echo Valley's star-director duo, Julianne Moore and Michael Pearce, [26:05 - 40:09 approx] and the stars of 28 Years Later, Jodie Comer and Ralph Fiennes. [1:06:45 - 1:22:26 approx] Will Ralph commit to starring in Chris' new play? Give it a listen and find out. Enjoy!

" The Return " had its world premiere at the 2024 Toronto International Film Festival, where it received solid reviews for its performances from Ralph Fiennes and Juliette Binoche playing Odysseus and Penelope, respectively, from Homer's The Odyssey. The two iconic actors, along with co-star Charlie Plummer and Director/Writer Uberto Pasolini were all kind enough to spend a few minutes speaking with us about their work on the film, which can be listened to below. Please be sure to check out the film, which is now playing in theaters from Bleecker Street and is up for your consideration for the 97th Academy Awards in all eligible categories. Thank you, and enjoy! Check out more on NextBestPicture.com Please subscribe on... Apple Podcasts - https://itunes.apple.com/us/podcast/negs-best-film-podcast/id1087678387?mt=2 Spotify - https://open.spotify.com/show/7IMIzpYehTqeUa1d9EC4jT YouTube - https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCWA7KiotcWmHiYYy6wJqwOw And be sure to help support us on Patreon for as little as $1 a month at https://www.patreon.com/NextBestPicture and listen to this podcast ad-free Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

It's a shorter Empire Podcast this week, folks (blame Hollywood for shutting down for Thanksgiving, which is just plain selfish), but that doesn't mean it's any less jampacked with guests, greatness, and guesty greatness than usual. First, Chris Hewitt sits down with Auli'i Cravalho, Moana herself, to talk about returning for this week's Moana 2 and the art of not talking to people on planes. [16:03 - 29:35 approx] And then Ian Freer has an audience with... well, if not the Pope, then the next best thing in the guise of legendary trio Ralph Fiennes, Stanley Tucci, and Isabella Rossellini, the stars of new papal election thriller, Conclave. [46:49 - 1:04:52 approx] Either side of those, with Chris incapacitated by a last-minute case of neck-knack, Helen O'Hara hosts and is joined by James Dyer and Amon Warmann for a fun episode in which they discuss what they're thankful for this year, run their eye over what passes for movie news, and review Conclave, Moana 2, and Dear Santa. Oh, and Helen tries desperately not to do a Mount Rushmore question. Will she succeed? Find out by listening. Enjoy!

Two divine guests this week as Ralph Fiennes and Stanley Tucci join Simon to discuss ‘Conclave’, the papal political thriller from ‘All Quiet on the Western Front’ director Edward Berger. Set in the Vatican’s pontific conclave, where cardinals are sequestered during the selection of the new Pope, the film follows the taut power struggle as these men of the cloth vie for the Catholic Church’s top job. The pair talk faith and doubt, Isabella Rossellini, and whether those robes can possibly be comfortable??? We find out whether Mark thought the film was a spiritual experience, or should be atoning for cinema sins... As well as Conclave we’ve got reviews this week of ‘Moana 2’, sequel to the 2016 Disney smash where this time the Polynesian not-a-princess must journey to the lost land of Motufetū to lift a curse from her island community—and ‘Your Monster’, the comedy-horror-musical mash-up that sees dumped and depressed actress Laura unexpectedly reunited with the childhood monster from under her bed. Plus your stellar correspondence adds more names to the overly-polite Brits abroad league table, and we’ve got more on Galdiator II space monkeys too. Our Christmas Spectacular with Mark and Simon live onstage at London’s Prince Edward theatre is now sold out! Event info here: https://www.fane.co.uk/kermode-and-mayo Timecodes (for our ad-free Vanguardistas): Moana 2 Review: 06:35 Ralph Fiennes and Stanley Tucci Interview: 24:08 Conclave Review: 41:16 Your Monster Review: 53:36 You can contact the show by emailing correspondence@kermodeandmayo.com or you can find us on social media, @KermodeandMayo EXCLUSIVE NordVPN Deal ➼ https://nordvpn.com/take Try it risk-free now with a 30-day money-back guarantee! A Sony Music Entertainment production. Find more great podcasts from Sony Music Entertainment at sonymusic.com/podcasts and follow us @sonypodcasts To advertise on this show contact: podcastadsales@sonymusic.com And to find out more about Sony’s new show Origins with Cush Jumbo, click here Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Alex Kingston's career really took off in the mid-1990s, first portraying Dr. Elizabeth Corday on NBC's ER, and then in the late 2000s, as River Song, the mysterious friend who knew Doctor Who's future on the hit BBC series. Spoilers! All of it followed a devastating split from her partner of 12 years, and husband of two years, Ralph Fiennes. While playing Hamlet, Fiennes fell in love with the actress playing Hamlet's mother Gertrude - launching a decade long relationship that would itself implode amid infidelity allegations. Want early, ad-free episodes, regular Dumpster Dives, bonus divorces, limited series, Zoom hangouts, and more? Join us at patreon.com/trashydivorces ! Want a personalized message for someone in your life? Check us out on Cameo ! Sponsors This episode is sponsored by BetterHelp. Visit BetterHelp.com/trashy today to get 10% off your first month. To advertise on our podcast, please reach out to sales@advertisecast.com or visit https://www.advertisecast.com/TrashyDivorces . Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Alex Kingston's career really took off in the mid-1990s, first portraying Dr. Elizabeth Corday on NBC's ER, and then in the late 2000s, as River Song, the mysterious friend who knew Doctor Who's future on the hit BBC series. Spoilers! All of it followed a devastating split from her partner of 12 years, and husband of two years, Ralph Fiennes. While playing Hamlet, Fiennes fell in love with the actress playing Hamlet's mother Gertrude - launching a decade long relationship that would itself implode amid infidelity allegations. Want early, ad-free episodes, regular Dumpster Dives, bonus divorces, limited series, Zoom hangouts, and more? Join us at patreon.com/trashydivorces ! Want a personalized message for someone in your life? Check us out on Cameo ! Sponsors This episode is sponsored by BetterHelp. Visit BetterHelp.com/trashy today to get 10% off your first month. To advertise on our podcast, please reach out to sales@advertisecast.com or visit https://www.advertisecast.com/TrashyDivorces . Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info .

A film critic for publications such as LA Weekly , New York Magazine , Vulture , The New York Times , and formerly, The Village Voice , the brilliant Bilge Ebiri is one of my favorite journalists working today. And recently, he was kind enough to name Watch With Jen one of the best current film podcasts in an article for Vulture . Additionally, a writer-director who's known for the films New Guy , Purse Snatcher , and for assistant directing The Barber of Siberia , Bilge and I had so much fun with our Colin Farrell episode last March that while talking about In Bruges , we knew immediately that Ralph Fiennes should be next. Celebrating the great range and remarkable films of the powerful and unpredictable performer who fluctuates between charm and menace, while we cite numerous movies from Fiennes' career, in this nearly two-hour episode, we spend the most time on Sunshine , The End of the Affair , Coriolanus , The Invisible Woman , and The Dig . One of my favorite things about chatting with the great Bilge is just how wonderfully descriptive he is, often using his hands to drive home precisely what it is that makes actors' faces and physicality so unique. The end result is a delightful and illuminating conversation about acting, character, filmmaking, and storytelling - including what Fiennes has in common with Prince - that cinephiles are bound to appreciate. Theme Music: Solo Acoustic Guitar by Jason Shaw, Free Music Archive Logo: Kate Gabrielle (KateGabrielle.com) Originally Posted on Patreon (11/7/22) here : https://www.patreon.com/posts/74350007