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Movie star Ralph Fiennes returned to the county of his birth to receive an honorary degree from Suffolk College during a degree presentation ceremony, which included a number of performing arts students.
The actor, who was Oscar-nominated for his performances in Steven Speilberg's Schindler's List and Anthony Minghellas's The English Patient, received a Doctorate of Civil Law (DCL) from the college principal, Professor Dave Muller.
Mr Fiennes arrived at the college with his partner, Francesca Annis, and was taken for drinks with senior academic staff. At first, he appeared ill at ease and relied upon the confident social skills of Ms Annis. The 55 year-old, self-assured actress, chatted easily as guests arrived.
The pair met in 1995 when she played Gertrude to his Hamlet in London. He repeated the role on Broadway for which he received a Tony Award.
Despite arriving by train from London, Mr Fiennes turned down champagne in favour of orange juice, while Ms Annis declined to drink at all, claiming she would wait until after the ceremony because she was too anxious to drink: " I think I'm more nervous than him," she remarked.
Asked if he was nervous, the actor simply replied: "Very - I just don't know what to say."
However, once he had donned his ceremonial robes, he relaxed and smiled and looked to be enjoying himself.
His father, who travelled from Southwold for the ceremony, said dressed in the robes Ralph looked like he did when he took on the role of Thomas Cromwell in a school play. He also promised Ms Annis he would show her a picture his son in the production the next time they both visited the family home.
As flashbulbs went off for the traditional photographs, which included ones taken by the attractive actress on a disposable camera, it was obvious the couple are still very much enamoured with each other, and she clearly helped him feel at ease with the proceedings.
During the presentation ceremony, a speech by senior college lecturer, Brian Ralph, included glowing tributes to the actor, which the academic had received from film directors Anthony Minghella and Steven Spielberg.
In response, the 38 year-old thespian reminded the audience that his first, "crawl-on part" had been in the Ipswich Hospital back in 1963. He advised the graduating students always to search for the truth in their future careers. He also joked that he "loved the robes."
Ralph (pronounced Rafe) was born in the Suffolk village of Wangford, near Southwold, the eldest of six children. His father Mark was a photographer and his mother, Jennifer Lash was a novelist. All but one of his siblings followed their parents into the arts and his brother Jacob, 35, works as a gamekeeper on an East Anglian estate.
Mr Fiennes' celluloid career hit a setback with his disastrous decision to take on the role of Steed in the movie of cult sixties TV series, The Avengers, which was roundly panned by both critics and the public, brother Joseph has found fame in the hit movie, Shakespeare In Love.
And while The English Patient picked up nine gongs at the 1997 Oscars, Fiennes lost out to Geoffery Rush for his portrayal of pianist David Helfgott in Shine.
After the formalities were over, the star, who has recently returned from Canada where he was working with director David Cronenberg on the film, Spider, was much more relaxed, chatting to fellow graduates, smiling, and happy to sign autographs for them.
"I really felt as though I was sharing the evening with all of the other graduates," he told his beaming partner.
The graduation ceremonies at the college, accredited to the University of
East Anglia, continue today and tomorrow when honorary degrees will be
awarded to Ipswich-based swimmer Karen Pickering, artistic director Lady Jill
Freud and Dean John F Brennan, who has forged links between the establishment
and Suffolk University in Boston.
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© EL STEPHO
Added to the RF Reading Room on December 9, 2001
EL STEPHO