9 Milestones in the Evolution of Ralph Fiennes

The Miracle Maker (2000)

I now present you with another milestone in the career of Ralph Fiennes: The Miracle Maker, a credit that proves that even actors capable of portraying some of the most bone-chilling miscreants in the history of cinema can mix it up. In case you haven't caught this flick yet, just know that Fiennes voices an eerie, stop motion-animated Jesus Christ. Julie Christie, Ian Holme, Alfred Molina and Emily Mortimer also lend their voices to this religious film from directors Derek W. Hayes and Stanislav Sokolov.

Watch the entire film on YouTube here.

Spider (2002)

Speaking of eerie, the actor returned to the realm of the disturbed (only this time, the micro-budgeted disturbed) to work with venereal horror director David Cronenberg. Based on Patrick McGrath's stark novel, the film centered on a schizophrenic tormented by his own childhood and blurred the lines of real and psychotic fantasy. In order to pull off the low-budget film, Cronenberg, Fiennes and co-star Miranda Richardson all agreed to waive their salaries.

Maid in Manhattan (2002)

2002 was a big year for Fiennes, not just because of Spider -- or his menacing role as a deranged serial killer in the Silence of the Lambs prequel Red Dragon -- but because Fiennes appeared in a rare role as a rom-com lead. Playing a Republican senatorial candidate who falls in love with a hotel maid disguised as a socialite (Jennifer Lopez), Fiennes proved that he could shed character complexity for a brainless (but highly enjoyable) modern-day Cinderella story.

Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows: Part 2 (2011)

This weekend, Fiennes reprises his role of Lord Voldemort -- whom he first played in 2005's Goblet of Fire -- for his final showdown with Harry Potter. The successful franchise has introduced Fiennes' onscreen nefariousness to an entirely new generation and has proven to be the actor's most lucrative project at the box office yet.

Coriolanus (2011)

After nearly two decades in front of the camera, Fiennes made his directorial debut earlier this year with his modern-day adaptation of the Shakespeare play Coriolanus, featuring himself as the title character opposite Gerard Butler, Brian Cox, Vanessa Redgrave and Jessica Chastain. Our own Stephanie Zacharek commended Fiennes' rookie filmmaking chops and ambition from last year's Berlinale; Coriolanus has been picked up for domestic distribution by the Weinstein Co.; its Dec. 2 release date places it in the prime of awards season.

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