The Express
December 15, 1998
By Mark Jagasia
Showbusiness correspondent

They share the same good looks and undoubted acting talent, but until now Joseph Fiennes has been in the showbusiness shadow of his older brother Ralph.

All that seems about to change, however, with the release of Joseph's new film Shakespeare In Love. It has been so well received in its first few days of opening in the United States that Fiennes the younger is set to steal his brother's glory.

The film, which also stars Gwyneth Paltrow, Ben Affleck and Dame Judi Dench, is already being talked about as one of the best comedies of the last few years, with Joseph's captivating portrayal of the Bard winning huge plaudits.

"The prospect of becoming a public figure makes me anxious," admits the RSC-trained actor, who at 28 is seven years younger than Oscar-nominated Ralph, star of The English Patient, Schindler's List and the decidedly less successful Avengers with Uma Thurman.

"The loss of privacy I saw my brother experience over the last few years is not something that I relish. But I am firmly rooted to the ground."

His stage career, which includes a West End production of A View From The Bridge, has been patchy and he only recently made the transition into films. His first role was the low-budget British comedy Martha - Meet Frank, Daniel and Laurence.

His follow-up film, the costume drama Elizabeth, gave him a chance to try out tights and doublet, though he insists that movie and Shakespeare in Love are "entirely different beasts".