Why Ralph Fiennes Was the Only Choice for ‘The Grand Budapest Hotel’
Among the most beloved Wes Anderson films, The Grand Budapest Hotel is chock-full of primo talent. This is nothing new for Anderson, who has been making A-list ensemble movies since the late nineties. But when it came to casting Monsieur Gustave, Anderson says Ralph Fiennes was the only choice.
‘The Grand Budapest Hotel’ stars Ralph Fiennes as Monsieur Gustave
The Grand Budapest Hotel is a story within a story, with the majority of the film unfolding in the 1930s. Anderson takes viewers on a whimsical journey back to the heyday of the fictional Grand Budapest Hotel. There, the devoted and meticulous Monsieur Gustave provides guests with the experience of a lifetime. Viewers soon find out that Gustave will go to any length to ensure guest satisfaction — including sleeping with the elderly women staying there.
Gustave’s well-practiced routine gets thrown into discord, however, after one of his lovers, Madame D. (Tilda Swinton) is found dead. After inheriting a priceless painting, Gustave becomes the prime suspect in her murder. With the help of his trusty protégé, Zero (Tony Revolori), he begins a hilarious journey to evade Edward Norton’s Capt. Albert Henckles.
Director Wes Anderson wrote ‘The Grand Budapest Hotel‘ role for Ralph Fiennes
Like so many of Anderson’s films, The Grand Budapest Hotel features a knock-out cast. In addition to Fiennes, Swinton, Revolori, and Norton, the film also boasts Hollywood A-listers Adrien Brody, Willem Dafoe, Jeff Goldblum, Harvey Keitel, Jude Law, Bill Murray, Saoirse Ronan, Jason Schwartzman, Léa Seydoux, Tom Wilkinson, and Owen Wilson among others. But no role was as important to cast in The Grand Budapest Hotel as Gustave. And Anderson only had one person in mind for it.
“The first idea for the movie had nothing to do with the setting,” Anderson revealed to the Belfast Telegraph shortly after the film’s debut in 2014. “It had to do with this one character… Monsieur Gustave… and he is inspired by an old friend.”
When Anderson and Hugo Guinness began writing the movie, Anderson had long wanted to work with Ralph Fiennes. At the time, the actor was best known for his roles in Schindler’s List and The English Patient. “I started thinking I would love to write this for Ralph,” Anderson recalls. “In the end, I really don’t know who else could play this, nor would I want to see anybody else play it.”
‘The Grand Budapest Hotel’ remains one of the most popular Wes Anderson movies
Frequently ranked as Anderson’s best film, The Grand Budapest Hotel was a hit with critics and general audiences alike. The film won four Oscars and was nominated in five additional categories in 2015 including the coveted Best Picture, Best Director, and Best Original Screenplay.
Known for his repeated collaborations with his favorite talent, Anderson teams up with The Grand Budapest Hotel’s Fiennes again in the upcoming The Wonderful Story of Henry Sugar. The film will star Benedict Cumberbatch (a newcomer to Anderson’s famous troupe) in the title role of Henry Sugar, a man able to “see through objects and predict the future with the help of a book he stole” (via IMDb).
The film is expected in 2023. It stars Rupert Friend, Dev Patel, Ben Kingsley, and Richard Ayoade in addition to Cumberbatch and Fiennes. But more huge names are sure to be spotted in Anderson’s next cinematic romp.
