Ralph Fiennes: I’m not someone who can just be fun

RALPH Fiennes isn't naturally funny.

The 56-year-old actor waited a long time to work in comedy until he got roles in the likes of ‘Hail, Caesar!' and ‘The Grand Budapest Hotel' but he credits their success to the quality of the writing.

He said: “It wasn't me waiting (for a comedy), it was people suddenly scratching their heads and going, ‘Maybe this could work'.

“I think Martin McDonagh got some humour out of me in ‘In Bruges', which is a lot to do with his writing.

“I always had a sense that I could do comedy, but the writing has to be right and the director has to be right.

“I'm not someone who can just be fun. Disappointed “There are actors who naturally have a thing, a spiel, a schtick. I don't feel any of that but I can identify it in a situation.

“Wes Anderson is very particular, and comedy and timing have to be right. And the Coen brothers are very skilful at guiding you.

“So if my comedy work is any good, it's because I've had great scripts and directors really.”

And Ralph admitted he was left disappointed when ‘Homes & Watson' - in which h e stars alongside Will Ferrell and John C. Reilly in the title roles - was savaged by critics because it had seemed so funny when they were shooting, though he hasn't seen the finished movie to understand the backlash.

He told Empire magazine: “They were very, very funny on set, so I'm sad that - for whatever reason and I've not seen the film yet - it seems that has not carried into the finished film.

“But it was entertaining to watch them do their stuff.

“It seemed like it would be very funny. So that's a disappointment.”