8 Actors Who Unexpectedly And Brilliantly Played Against Type
8. Ralph Fiennes As M. Gustave (The Grand Budapest Hotel)
Ralph Fiennes has always seemed a little po-faced in both his roles and real life hardly surprising, when he became known for playing a Nazi officer in Schindler's Listand followed it up with terribly worthy roles in films such as The English Patient and The Constant Gardner. Also, really, isnt there something altogether terribly serious about a man who insists on pronouncing Ralph as Rafe? Yes, there were cracks in his solemn exterior throughout the years namely a surprising turn as the voice of a villainous hunter in The Curse Of The Were-Rabbitand his brilliant performance as the psychotic Harry in In Bruges but he hardly seemed like the sort of man to carry a quirky comedy. After all, even when he was having fun, he seemed to be the eternal bad guy. Enter Wes Anderson. Capable as ever of seeing the little things others might miss, he cast Fiennes as Gustave in The Grand Budapest Hotel and let him shine as the hotels meticulous and hilarious concierge, on the run from the police after being accused of the murder of one of his many elderly lovers. Few people especially those whod missed In Bruges imagined that the man who played Amon Goeth could have them rolling in the aisles and surely no one couldve have seen themselves rooting for him so fiercely.
