12 Years Before Appearing in Harry Potter, One of the Franchise’s Biggest Stars Received an Oscar Nomination for Portraying a Much Different (And Even More Evil) Villain

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Category: Animations & Comics

When Schindler’s List hit theaters in 1993, it wasn’t just another war movie—it was a cinematic gut-punch. Steven Spielberg took audiences deep into the horrors of the Holocaust, crafting a black-and-white masterpiece that remains one of the most powerful films of this genre to date.

While the movie tells the story of Oskar Schindler’s efforts to save Jews from Nazi extermination, there’s another unforgettable force lurking in the film’s shadows: Ralph Fiennes as Amon Göth, one of the most chilling villains ever to grace the silver screen. Fiennes is known for many villainous characters, but his portrayal of the Austrian SS-Commander remains one of the best performances of his career.

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Before diving into Fiennes’ nightmarishly brilliant performance, let’s set the stage. By the early ‘90s, Spielberg had built a reputation as Hollywood’s blockbuster king, thanks to Jaws, E.T., and Jurassic Park. But when he took on Thomas Keneally’s historical novel Schindler’s Ark, he knew he was stepping into much darker territory. At first, Spielberg hesitated to take on such a harrowing story, fearing he wasn’t mature enough. But the director wanted to get this film off the ground and offered it to other great directors, such as Roman Polanski, who declined because his mother was killed in Auschwitz. Ultimately, Spielberg changed his mind, realizing he could do something meaningful for his family.

The casting was an interesting process. Many famous actors wanted to be part of this movie. Warren Beatty, Mel Gibson, and Kevin Costner wanted to play Schindler, but Spielberg didn’t want an actor whose star power could overshadow the role and decided to cast Liam Neeson, who worked diligently to acquire the correct intonations and Schindler’s pitch. Fiennes was cast after Spielberg saw his performances in A Dangerous Man: Lawrence After Arabia and Emily Brontë’s Wuthering Heights.

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Schindler’s List features a total of 126 speaking roles, with thousands of extras hired throughout the production. Spielberg carefully selected Israeli and Polish actors to authentically represent Eastern European characters. Some German actors hesitated to wear SS uniforms for their roles but later expressed gratitude to Spielberg, describing the experience as emotionally cathartic.

Spielberg aimed for brutal realism in his execution. He decided to shoot most of the film in black and white on location in Kraków, Poland, near actual Holocaust sites. The result was a film so emotionally devastating that even Spielberg had to take breaks from editing by watching episodes of Seinfeld to cope.

The Tragic Storyline of Schindler’s List

The girl in a red coat is in a crowd in Schindler's List — Image via Universal

For those who somehow missed Schindler’s List, here’s a quick recap: Oskar Schindler (portrayed by Liam Neeson) is a German businessman and member of the Nazi Party who sees an opportunity in wartime Poland. By employing Jewish workers in his factory, he first profits from their forced labor, but as he witnesses the horrors of the Holocaust, he transforms. Schindler uses his wealth and influence and bribes Nazi officials to keep his workers alive, ultimately saving over a thousand Jews from certain death. At the center of this nightmare is the film’s horrific antagonist, Amon Göth, portrayed by Ralph Fiennes, who turns in a performance so terrifying and eerily believable that he makes other movie villains look like playground bullies.

Midway through filming, Spielberg knew how to go about the film’s poignant epilogue, in which 128 survivors gather at Oskar Schindler’s grave in Jerusalem to pay their respects. The production team quickly arranged for the Schindlerjuden to travel to the site, ensuring the powerful scene could be brought to life. The epilogue also reveals that Göth was executed via hanging for crimes against humanity and a tree was planted in his honor in the Garden of the Righteous Among the Nations.

Ralph Fiennes Made Amon Göth an Iconic Cinematic Villain

Liam Neeson & Ralph Fiennes look toward the camera while sitting down in Schindler's List — Image via Universal

When Fiennes took on the role of Göth, he wasn’t just playing a villain—he was portraying a real-life monster. Göth was a Nazi officer overseeing the Plaszów concentration camp, known for his sadistic brutality. Spielberg needed an actor who could embody both his charm and his moral corruption. Ralph Fiennes was a relatively unknown British actor at the time, who would soon redefine what it meant to play pure evil on screen. Fiennes didn’t just wear the Nazi uniform—he inhabited it. His portrayal of Göth is chilling because it doesn’t feel like a performance; it feels like a window into something truly horrifying. One minute, Göth is joking with Schindler over drinks; the next, he’s shooting prisoners from his villa balcony as if it’s a morning exercise. The randomness of his violence makes him all the more terrifying—he doesn’t rage, he doesn’t monologue like a Bond villain, he simply kills because he can.

One of the most unsettling aspects of Fiennes’ performance is how effortlessly he shifts between cruelty and charm. He can appear suave, even seductive, as in his interactions with his Jewish maid, Helen Hirsch (portrayed by Embeth Davidtz), but beneath that thin veneer of civility lies a pitiless monster. He doesn’t see his victims as people but as playthings for his amusement. Fiennes was fully committed to the role. He gained weight to better fit Göth’s imposing frame and immersed himself in historical research. The result is a performance so disturbingly authentic that Holocaust survivors who visited the set had visceral reactions when they saw him in costume.

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When Schindler’s List premiered, critics and audiences were shaken. While Neeson’s Schindler was inspiring, and Ben Kingsley’s portrayal of Schindler’s accountant Itzhak Stern was deeply moving, it was Fiennes, who truly haunted viewers. His performance was widely recognized as one of the most realistic and horrifying depictions of evil ever put to film.

Critics raved about his work. Roger Ebert called it “one of the most terrifying performances in film history.” The New York Times praised Fiennes for portraying Göth not as a cartoonish villain but as a man whose casual cruelty was all the more chilling for its realism. He was rewarded with an Academy Award nomination for ”Best Supporting Actor”, and won a BAFTA for the role, cementing his status as one of Hollywood’s most formidable actors.

But the most powerful reactions came from audiences—especially Holocaust survivors. Many reported that Fiennes’ portrayal was so disturbingly accurate that they struggled to separate him from the real Amon Göth. Spielberg himself recalled one survivor approaching Fiennes on set, trembling in fear. That level of authenticity is a testament to the raw power of his performance.

The Lasting Impact of Fiennes’ Performance

Today, more than 30 years after its release, Schindler’s List remains one of the most important films ever made, and Ralph Fiennes’ Amon Göth stands among the greatest movie villains of all time. His performance doesn’t just make you hate him—it’s unsettling to the core. It forces the audience to confront the terrifying reality that such people existed and that their evil was disturbingly mundane. While Fiennes would go on to play other famous villains—Voldemort in Harry Potter, Francis Dolarhyde in Red Dragon—nothing quite matches the raw, unfiltered terror he brought to Schindler’s List. His Göth isn’t just a movie character; he’s a horrifying reminder of history’s darkest moments. His performance as Göth ranks at number 15 on AFI’s List of the Top 50 Film Villains.

While Ralph Fiennes is a superb screen villain, he’s played many different kinds of characters, including some romantic roles, such as Count László de Almásy, a Hungarian cartographer and explorer involved in a tragic love affair during World War II in English Patient. The actor has been nominated for three Academy Awards in his career, the last one for Conclave.

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Conclave had a great night at the SAG Awards.

Conclave is a political drama about the Catholic Church. Ralph Fiennes portrays Cardinal Lawrence. After the pope dies of a heart attack, the College of Cardinals convenes to elect his successor. The leading candidates include Aldo Bellini (a liberal), Joshua Adeyemi (a social conservative), Joseph Tremblay (a moderate), and Goffredo Tedesco (a traditionalist). Cardinal Thomas Lawrence unexpectedly finds himself in the mix after the arrival of Archbishop Vincent Benitez, a secret cardinal appointed by the late pope. As the voting for the new pope progresses, the political maneuvering intensifies. Conclave received eight Oscar nominations in total, including for “Best Picture,” “Best Supporting Actress” (Isabella Rosselini), and “Best Adapted Screenplay.” The Academy Awards are scheduled for March 2. If the SAG Awards are any indication for the Oscars, Conclave might continue on its winning streak. Conclave is now available to stream on Peacock and Fandango At Home.