Fiennes is in Fine Form for Santa Barbara Film Festival’s Outstanding Performer of the Year Award

The incredible breadth and depth of Ralph Fiennes’ career was on display when he received the SBIFF Outstanding Performer of the Year Award on February 6 for his Oscar-nominated role in Conclave. In a far reaching conversation with moderator Scott Feinberg (The Hollywood Reporter), Fiennes discussed his extraordinary career in great depth. Two of his early roles were in the seminal films The English Patient and Schindler’s List, and he spoke with great affection about his experiences with both directors.

“He’s a very special human being who had this amazing quality of bringing all his crew and cast into a sort of deeper sense of collaboration with what he was doing,” said Fiennes of the late Anthony Minghella, who directed The English Patient.

In speaking of his experiences of working with many of today’s most legendary directors, including Steven Spielberg, who directed him in Schindler’s List, Fiennes humbly talked about how much he learned. “I’ve attempted since then to direct some films and if I remember three energies, I think it would be Steven Spielberg’s incredible knowledge of film and his energy. I can remember Anthony Minghella’s wonderful nurturing way of talking to actors and getting them to go a bit further, but being quite involved with speaking to actors in depth — a kind of intimacy of communication. And David Cronenberg (who directed him in Spider), being very economical.

His most recent director, Edward Berger (Conclave), who will be back on stage at SBIFF on Monday night as part of the Directors of the Year Awards, presented the award at the end of the evening to Fiennes. “ I learned so much from you, from your kindness, from your generosity, from your ability to listen,” said Berger.  “And I’m eternally grateful for the trust that you gave me on this film. It is with great pleasure and honor that I hand you this award, the Outstanding Performer of the Year.”

“Life is fragile,” said Fiennes in his acceptance speech. “And looking back at some of my work tonight with Scott, I just realized how profoundly lucky I’ve been to have had these opportunities and to have shared them with so many remarkable people.”