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Sophie Fiennes, Ralph Fiennes, and Martha Fiennes. | Source: Getty Images
Sophie Fiennes, Ralph Fiennes, and Martha Fiennes. | Source: Getty Images

Ralph Fiennes & His 6 Siblings had a Rural and Creative Upbringing

Christell Fatima M. Tudtud
Dec 13, 2022
05:15 A.M.

Ralph Fiennes and his siblings had an imaginative, active, and rural upbringing. Two of the actor's brothers pursued completely different careers, while the other five made it big in the entertainment industry.

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Mark Fiennes and his wife Jennifer Lash raised Ralph Fiennes and his five siblings, Joseph Fiennes, Jacob Fiennes, Sophie Fiennes, Magnus Fiennes, Martha Fiennes, and Mike Emery, in an expressive home. Mark was a photographer and illustrator, while Jennifer was a novelist.

Sophie once described their upbringing as a "creative experiment" primarily because of their parents' emphasis on encouraging their artistic interests. On top of that, their parents taught them to be competitive and opinionated.

Ralph Fiennes attends the CineMerit Gala at the Munich Film Festival at Gasteig on July 1, 2019, in Munich, Germany. | Source: Getty Images

Ralph Fiennes attends the CineMerit Gala at the Munich Film Festival at Gasteig on July 1, 2019, in Munich, Germany. | Source: Getty Images

Joseph Fiennes Is Looking More and More like Ralph

Joseph Fiennes is an actor born on May 27, 1970, in Salisbury, Wiltshire, U.K., and raised in West Cork, Ireland. His acting career started in the theater, and then he moved on to appearing in movies and TV shows.

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He rose to fame for his roles in period movies such as "Shakespeare in Love" and "Elizabeth," where his characters are often writers or literary artists. He is best known for his roles in the historical films "Enemy at the Gate" and "Risen."

Ralph is Joseph's older brother. Many people often mistake Joseph for his older sibling. In an interview for 2021, the actor admitted that it used to upset him when people compared him to his Ralph.

Ralph Fiennes and his brother Joseph Fiennes attend the aftershow party of "The Constant Gardener" Opening Gala at the Park Lane Hotel on October 19, 2005 , in London, England. | Source: Getty Images

Ralph Fiennes and his brother Joseph Fiennes attend the aftershow party of "The Constant Gardener" Opening Gala at the Park Lane Hotel on October 19, 2005 , in London, England. | Source: Getty Images

Even Joseph's wife could see that he looked more and more like his older brother. Although he felt terrible and was bothered by being compared to his twin, Joseph appreciated Ralph's helpfulness.

When they were still young, Joseph recalled how Jacob aided him in preparing his speeches for drama school and helped him get a job as a dresser at the National Theatre.

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Joseph Fiennes attends the EE British Academy Film Awards Gala Dinner at Grosvenor House on February 10, 2019, in London, England. | Source: Getty Images

Joseph Fiennes attends the EE British Academy Film Awards Gala Dinner at Grosvenor House on February 10, 2019, in London, England. | Source: Getty Images

Jacob Fiennes Was a Clubber and Became a Gamekeeper

Jacob Fiennes, born on May 27, 1970, in Salisbury, Wiltshire, England, is Joseph's fraternal twin brother. While he was never involved in acting, Jacob was a clubber and gamekeeper.

Jacob no longer works at the club and has adopted a new way of life and career. He is now a conservationist and a book author who works with ecologists and farmers.

Jacob Fiennes poses inside the Raveningham Hall Estate on March 18, 1997, in Norfolk, United Kingdom. | Source: Getty Images

Jacob Fiennes poses inside the Raveningham Hall Estate on March 18, 1997, in Norfolk, United Kingdom. | Source: Getty Images

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According to his LinkedIn profile, Jacob is the director of Holkham Nature Reserve in the United Kingdom since 2019. He also published "Land Healer," a book about how farming can save the country's natural estates.

If anything, Magnus seems to have benefited from being the only musician in his family.

In addition to science, technology, and the environment, the successful conservationist is passionate about animal welfare, economic empowerment, arts, and culture.

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Sophie Fiennes Brought Her Brother's Stage Production to the Screens

Meanwhile, Sophie Fiennes, born on February 12, 1967, is a director and editor. She is best known for making documentaries such as "Over Your Cities, Grass Will Grow" and "The Pervert's Guide to Ideology."

She also directed model and singer Grace Jones' documentary "Grace Jones: Bloodlight and Bami." In addition to her interest in documentary films, Sophie is skilled in directing stage productions.

She directed late author T.S. Elliot's "Four Quartets," which first appeared on the London stage and was later adapted for the big screen. Her brother Joseph starred in the classic book's stage and film adaptations.

Sophie Fiennes attends the 31st Annual Toronto International Film Festival for the "The Perverts Guide to Cinema" party on September 7, 2006, in Toronto, Canada. | Source: Getty Images

Sophie Fiennes attends the 31st Annual Toronto International Film Festival for the "The Perverts Guide to Cinema" party on September 7, 2006, in Toronto, Canada. | Source: Getty Images

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Magnus Fiennes Is Glad That He Is the Only Musician among the Siblings

Magnus Fiennes is a writer and musician born on November 21, 1965. He has composed more than 240 hours worth of scores for various media, including films, TV shows, plays, and video games.

The highly skilled musician's work includes the movies "Unleashed" and "Five Seconds to Spare" and the TV series "Freefonix." He also made a digital installation called "Nativity," shown in London's Covert Garde piazza in 2011.

He collaborated on the installation with his sister Martha. Meanwhile, Martha praised her brother and said that he was a "genius" and that his music was "so completely brilliant."

 Magnus Fiennes attends the launch party for The Legacy Football League at Hollywood Athletic Club on November 6, 2021, in Hollywood, California. | Source: Getty Images

Magnus Fiennes attends the launch party for The Legacy Football League at Hollywood Athletic Club on November 6, 2021, in Hollywood, California. | Source: Getty Images

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If anything, Magnus seems to have benefited from being the only musician in his family. Even though he is proud of his siblings' acting and filmmaking success, he is pleased to be different. He said:

"Luckily, no one else is in music; I'm sure I would feel competitive if they were."

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Martha Fiennes Directed the Film in Which Her Brother Starred

Like her sister Sophie, Martha Fiennes, born on February 5, 1965, is an award-winning filmmaker, writer, and producer. Martha gained recognition for her work in the films "Onegin," "The Fatal Lover, Mata-Hari," and "Chromophobia."

The multihyphenate is a proud mother of three children, whom she shares with her ex-partner, film writer George Tiffin. Hero Fiennes Tiffin, one of their kids, is now an actor who rose to prominence in the film series "After."

Martha is currently in a relationship and engaged to her fiancé Simon Finch, a rare book dealer whose famous clients include actress Whoopi Goldberg and rock legend Mick Jagger.

Martha Fiennes and Simon Finch attend the "Operation Mincemeat" special screening hosted by John Madden, at The Electric Cinema on April 11, 2022, in London, England. | Source: Getty Images

Martha Fiennes and Simon Finch attend the "Operation Mincemeat" special screening hosted by John Madden, at The Electric Cinema on April 11, 2022, in London, England. | Source: Getty Images

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Mike Emery Is Ralph's Adopted Brother

Mike Emery, Ralph's adopted brother, is an archaeologist. Mike is little known and rarely seen, but he made headlines in 2003 after discovering the first-ever Bronze Age burial site in Cheshire.

At the time, Mike led the excavation, which Ralph partially funded. Even though his brother aided him with funding, Mike stated that they were eventually able to run the site through "self-financing."

Mike also helped establish an independent charitable trust called the Poulton Research Project. Its goal is to preserve archaeological finds and make them available to the public.

Ralph Fiennes visits 92Y to discuss "The White Crow" at Kaufman Concert Hall on April 21, 2019, in New York City. | Source: Getty Images

Ralph Fiennes visits 92Y to discuss "The White Crow" at Kaufman Concert Hall on April 21, 2019, in New York City. | Source: Getty Images

Ralph had a great childhood because he grew up with his six siblings. Even though they have all moved on to have fruitful careers and lives, it's interesting to see how they have maintained their closeness through the years.

Besides his family, Ralph's relationship has also left many people intrigued. The acclaimed actor's last known marriage was with actress Alex Kingston.

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