Before taking on the role of President Coriolanus Snow in the upcoming The Hunger Games: Sunrise on the Reaping, Ralph Fiennes embarked on a demanding music conducting journey to prepare for his part in the World War I drama The Choral. The Oscar-nominated actor spent weeks learning how to conduct a choir with the guidance of acclaimed conductor Natalie Murray Beale, demonstrating his dedication to fully embodying his character.
Intensive Preparation for a Role as a Choir Master
Fiennes, already familiar with intense stage performances from his lead in a Washington, D.C. production of MacBeth, faced a new challenge portraying Dr. Guthrie, an exacting music director in The Choral. His character demanded proficiency in conducting, a skill Fiennes did not possess, leading him to train intensively with Beale, who had previously coached Cate Blanchett for the film Tár. With under six weeks before filming began, this crash course was crucial to convincingly wielding the baton.
I don’t read music, so it was very hard to understand, not just the beats, but how the hand moves,
Fiennes explains.
But Nat was terrifically patient. They tell me that thanks to some skillful camera angles, I got away with it.
—Ralph Fiennes, Actor
A Moving Story Rooted in Music and War
The Choral, premiering at the Toronto Film Festival, is directed by Nicholas Hytner, a longtime collaborator of Fiennes. The project brought together a script by Tony-winning playwright Alan Bennett that mixes humor and poignancy to highlight how music unites a community during the turmoil of World War I. Fiennes found the story deeply affecting, appreciating its message about music’s power amid grief and loss.
The spirit of the script was so moving,
Fiennes reflects.
I loved its essential message that music brings people together, even in the context of the terrible loss of life during the First World War. It was very painful, but also beautiful.
—Ralph Fiennes, Actor
Portraying Dr. Guthrie: A Complex Character
Fiennes took the role of Dr. Guthrie after another project unexpectedly fell through, stepping into the shoes of a closeted gay man whose past as a music director in Germany complicates his standing in a small English town. The character pours his identity into music, finding meaning and fulfillment through artistic expression—a theme that resonated with Fiennes deeply.
He can’t talk about his life as a gay man, so he’s put everything into music,
says Fiennes.
That’s where he gets fulfillment and meaning in his life. And that moves me. There are artists, whether they’re writers or composers or painters, whose raison d’etre is to create. They have this profound belief that art is this transformative thing that humans need to survive.
—Ralph Fiennes, Actor
The Film’s Chorus and Contemporary Resonance
In The Choral, a group of amateur singers from Yorkshire comes together under Dr. Guthrie’s guidance to perform Edward Elgar’s The Dream of Gerontius for their community. The ongoing war places immense pressure on the characters, from the anxiety of enlistment among younger men to the grief of parents who have lost children. Fiennes draws parallels between this historical strife and current global conflicts, emphasizing music’s role as a refuge.
In so much of the world you’ve got horror and the destruction of war happening and people not knowing if they’ll go off to fight and not come back. Man hasn’t stopped killing and destroying. What do we have? We have music, we have art. We have something that can, for a moment, take us away from the obscenities that keep happening.
—Ralph Fiennes, Actor
Transitioning from Historical Drama to a Sci-Fi Franchise
Looking ahead, Fiennes will leave the early 20th-century Yorkshire countryside to portray President Coriolanus Snow in The Hunger Games: Sunrise on the Reaping, with shooting scheduled to begin in October. He expressed admiration for Donald Sutherland’s previous portrayal of the character and shared excitement about working alongside Jesse Plemons, calling the script compelling.
I’m a great fan of Donald Sutherland, who played the role in ‘The Hunger Games,’ and I think it’s a smart franchise,
Fiennes remarks.
The script is quite good and I have a scene with Jesse Plemons, who I’m a huge fan of, that I can’t wait to shoot.
—Ralph Fiennes, Actor
Embracing Supporting Roles and Ensemble Collaboration
Although Fiennes has earned three Oscar nominations and led major films like The Grand Budapest Hotel and The English Patient, he is comfortable playing supporting parts and appreciates the dynamic of working within an ensemble cast. This approach, he says, fosters a strong sense of community among the actors, enhancing the creative experience.
When you’re in an ensemble film, it creates a great community atmosphere,
Fiennes shares.
If everyone has their slice of the cake, they feel much more invested. It’s more like a family.
—Ralph Fiennes, Actor
