
This Man Candy Monday arose because I wondered what Joseph Fiennes did between playing 16th-century heartthrobs in 1990s frock flicks and now playing creepy Commander Waterford in The Handmaid’s Tale on Hulu. Apparently he kept himself busy with a mix of World War II movies and medieval-fantasy TV roles, at least when it comes to historical costume!
Robert Dudley, Earl of Leicester, in Elizabeth (1998)

Will Shakespeare in Shakespeare in Love (1998)

Commisar Danilov in Enemy at the Gates (2001)

Elijah in Dust (2001)

Martin Luther in Luther (2003)

Bassanio in The Merchant of Venice (2004)


Jamie Dodd in Man to Man (2005)

Major Gibson in The Great Raid (2005)

Artur Planck in Spring 1941 (2007)

Brown in The Red Baron (2008)

Merlin in Camelot (2011)

King Eurystheus in Hercules (2014)

Clavius in Risen (2016)

Eric Liddell in On Wings of Eagles (2016)

What’s your favorite historical costume movie or TV role by Joseph Fiennes?
Sorry, but I just can’t deal with the 5-o’clock-shadow stubble. Either grow a beard or shave it off; the middle ground is no option, especially in historical portrayals.
Thank you!
I’m sitting you gals.
Shakespeare in Love, FTW! He was also in this interesting show on ABC called Flash Forward; pity it was only on for one season. :)
I totally forgot about Flashforward! It was full of the hottest of the hotties — Joseph Fiennes, Courtney B. Vance, Jack Davenport, John Cho, Michael Ealy, even Dominic Monaghan for those who appreciate hobbitty hotness.
As for the subject at hand, definitely Shakespeare in Love. And Elizabeth. I’m not sure I’ve seen any of the others, but I will have to start searching!
Yes to all those hotties (especially John Cho)! :)
I will always have a soft spot in my heart for Flash Forward. It was a GREAT series and deserved one than one season. I’m salivating at the memory of Ralph Fiennes and the other hotties, especially John Cho!!! P.S. I’m stealing the phrase “hobbity-hotness.” And yes, Dominic Monaghan was a total cutie in the show.
Seen only about half, but I’ll go for Shakespeare In Love., with Danilov a close second.
Shakespeare in Love but where did you find Wings of Eagles?
It’s interesting. I don’t want to say he’s a one-note actor, because his performance in The Handmaid’s Tale is totally different, but I feel like in all the period roles I’ve seen him in – Elizabeth, Shakespeare in Love, even The Merchant of Venice – he was basically doing the same performance. Not a bad performance by any means, but it definitely felt like variations on the same theme.
Maybe he suffered a bit from typecasting at first?
That Camelot series was watchable only for the divinely goth costumes of Eva Green in the role she was born to play.
Raven feathers! black leather! chain mail. Plate armor corsetry! I die.
I really got into this version of Camelot and wished it had gone on for more than one season. Yes, Eva Green was awesome and beautiful as usual. But the supporting cast was strong as well, especially Joseph Fiennes. And let’s not forget James Purefoy’s GORGEOUS arc as King Lot.
It’s so hard to answer your question! It’s a kinda three-way-tie Shakespeare in Love, Elizabeth, and Enemy at the Gates.
P.S. He’s not the villain in Enemy at the Gates. And also, Jude Law is in one of the sweetest scenes in movie history in that movie. Even for people who are not into WWII movies, I highly recommend it.