It’s been 25 years since Julianne Moore and Ralph Fiennes starred in The End of the Affair, Neil Jordan’s drama about a torrid extramarital affair set during and after World War II. The film was critically acclaimed and nominated for two Oscars (cinematography and best actress for Moore). It showcased both leads’ powerhouse acting, from their tingling chemistry to their ability to deliver the most gut-wrenching emotion with a simple look.
Since then, both have gone on to deliver decades of incredible performances—Moore in films such as Far From Heaven, The Hours, Still Alice, and May December; and Fiennes in The Constant Gardener, The Reader, the Harry Potter series, and A Bigger Splash. They have also stayed in touch over the years, even though they have not yet worked together again.
Just days before reuniting for Vanity Fair at Moore’s home, they ran into each other on the street in New York. Fiennes had just come out of a screening of Queer (“I was all jangling because…it’s amazing, but, well, it’s intense”) and noticed Moore walking on the street with her family. He called out to her. “She momentarily looked a little bit like, Who is this? Should I walk on? Should I ignore?” he says with a laugh. They agreed to meet soon for a coffee—which they’re now having at Moore’s house as they participate in this installment of Reunited.
There’s a lot to talk about. This year Fiennes starred in the compelling papal drama Conclave as a cardinal tasked with coordinating the election of a new pope; his latest film, The Return, a retelling of Homer’s Odyssey, just hit theaters on December 6. Moore, meanwhile, starred opposite Tilda Swinton in Pedro Almodóvar’s first English-language feature, The Room Next Door, playing a woman whose close friend is dying of cancer.
The pair have an easy warmth as they reveal memories from working together, what makes acting in a different accent so tough, and the joy they find in their chosen profession.
Vanity Fair: Do you remember the first time you met?
Ralph Fiennes: I remember because I met Julianne at the after-closing-night party of the run of Hamlet that I did. It was ’95. It was on a boat, and I was already a bit in awe of her and admiring of her. It was quite a party, I have to say.
Julianne Moore: And also I ended up in your car! I didn’t even know him, but the party was insane.
Fiennes: It was an insane party because it was a company of actors having done Hamlet for three and a half months. We’re all going crazy.
And when did you meet up again for The End of the Affair?
Moore: It was a screen test. What I remember is that there were several actresses screen-testing, and we all wore the same trench coat because Neil [Jordan] wanted us costumed. I think I was the last one to test. And when I put my hands in the pockets, there were all these Kleenexes in there because all the other actresses had been crying so much. And I didn’t cry at all in my audition! I was thinking I didn’t get it. I was sure because I didn’t cry. I was so scared. I was terrified. I think also being American—that was hard.
