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He led a Hamlet workshop with the LOST Youth Theatre Company in London which is now under threat because its home for the past 20 years, below Fulham Methodist Church, is being demolished.
"Being a member of the company gave me the confidence to apply to drama school," said the star of The English Patient and Schindler's List.
Fiennes, whose portrait adorns the wall of the venue as one of the company's biggest successes, is also a patron of LOST Youth - whose name comes from its original home, London Oratory School Theatre.
He put nearly 20 members through their paces as he discussed scenes and gave an insight into the Shakespeare play.
Fiennes said: "One of the reasons that these youth theatres are so important is because it is now terribly difficult for actors to get grants to go to drama school. There are lots of kids who would like to go and can't actually afford to, and while they don't actually pretend to be schools, theatres like this offer a fantastic opportunity to learn their craft in a fairly disciplined way."
The company - which has seen 3,000 people perform on its stage over the years - has been offered two new homes but says neither is suitable.
Hannah Eidinow, chair of the theatre, said: "We have been blessed with the venue that we've had over the years but we'd like to be recognised for what we've achieved."
The company is either looking for a new venue to move into or to raise
funds to buy a permanent home.
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© EL STEPHO
Added to the RF Reading Room on August 8, 1999
EL STEPHO