There are many reasons why Shakespeare in Love, the 1998 historical drama, became such a motion picture hit. Directed by John Madden and featuring an all-star cast led by Gwyneth Paltrow and Joseph Fiennes, this production is centered around one of the chapters in the mysterious life of playwright William Shakespeare, specifically on the events that led him to write his landmark play Romeo & Juliet. In Shakespeare in Love, young Will (Fiennes) was experiencing major writer’s block while working on the comedy Romeo and Ethel, the Pirate’s Daughter. However, after he meets the beautiful Viola de Lesseps (Paltrow) and unleashes a forbidden love story, Shakespeare soon finds the inspiration he needs to turn his play into the world-renowned tragedy. Meanwhile, the audience gets to witness how their love for each other grows, even though it doesn’t necessarily lead to the happy ending everyone is hoping for.
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In addition to Fiennes and Paltrow, the cast features Geoffrey Rush, Colin Firth, Ben Affleck, Judi Dench, and Imelda Staunton, among others, all of whom give brilliant performances. As a matter of fact, Dench won an Academy Award for Best Supporting Actress for her portrayal of Queen Elizabeth I, which is impressive considering she had very minimal screen time — approximately five minutes.
Overall, Shakespeare in Love won seven Academy Awards, four BAFTA Awards, and three Golden Globe Awards, among many other accolades and nominations. With an outstanding response from both critics and audiences, the movie also became the most nominated production at the 1998 Academy Awards, receiving a total of 13 nominations. Nearly 25 years later, and in spite of not being a film noted for its historical accuracy, Shakespeare in Love is still relevant in the film industry, and its cast actors went on to become major stars. In this article, we will take a look back at the careers of many of the actors of this dramatic comedy and review their current projects.
Gwyneth Paltrow
Miramax
It was the role of Viola de Lesseps in Shakespeare in Love that brought Gwyneth Paltrow the most recognition from critics and audiences. Following the film, the actress went on to play a number of movie and television roles, including Pepper Potts in the MCU, most notably in the Iron Man movies. Over the years, Paltrow has also ventured into other fields, and found success as a children’s book narrator, cookbook writer, and founder of Goop, a wellness and lifestyle company. Her latest works in movies and television so far have been the film Avengers: Endgame in 2019 and the documentary series The Goop Lab.
Joseph Fiennes
Joseph Fiennes headlined Shakespeare in Love as the eponymous up-and-coming playwright. In real life, this English actor is particularly known for his versatility as well as his appearances in period pieces, and following the 1998 film, he went on to star in Elizabeth, Enemy at the Gates, and Luther. Among his most outstanding television projects are his roles in The Handmaid’s Tale and American Horror Story: Asylum. Over the past year, Fiennes took part in two movie projects: the action thriller The Mother, to be released on Netflix later in 2022, and the epic biblical drama The Way of the Wind, a film that will recount certain episodes of Jesus Christ’s life, which is currently in post-production.
Geoffrey Rush
The actor who brought Philip Henslowe to life is one of the few artists to have won the Triple Crown of Acting: an Academy Award, a Primetime Emmy Award, and a Tony Award for his work in film, television, and theater respectively. Following Shakespeare In Love, Geoffrey Rush’s most well-known roles in film productions were in The King’s Speech and in the Pirates of the Caribbean franchise as Captain Barbossa. As the founding president of the Australian Academy of Cinema and Television Arts, his most current project is the movie Raised Eyebrows, in which Rush will play Groucho Marx. So far, details on the release of this production are still unknown.
Colin Firth
Colin Firth’s portrayal of Mr. Darcy in the 1995 television adaptation of Pride & Prejudice was what eventually landed him the parts that would follow, including Lord Wessex in Shakespeare in Love. After that performance, Firth went on to star in productions as varied as The King’s Speech, in which he starred as King George VI, Bridget Jones’s Diary, and Mamma Mia!, to name just a few of his most successful productions. The actor, writer, and tribal peoples’ rights activist kept himself busy in recent years, mainly starring in a number of films. However, 2022 would mark his return to television in The Staircase, the HBO Max drama miniseries based on the true crime story.
Ben Affleck
Ben Affleck is probably one of the most famous actors of the 1990s, who has since become an acclaimed director, producer, and writer. Before starring as Ned Alleyn in Shakespeare In Love, Affleck already garnered some international notoriety for starring in and co-writing the drama film Good Will Hunting with Matt Damon. Since taking part in Madden’s film, he has gone on to star in blockbusters such as Argo and The Town, both of which he also directed. In 2022, Affleck co-starred alongside Ana de Armas in the psychological thriller Deep Water for Hulu, and by next year he is expected to take part in the cast of The Flash, where he will reprise the role of Bruce Wayne/Batman alongside Michael Keaton’s.
Judi Dench
The actress who played Queen Elizabeth I is considered one of Britain’s finest, accomplished in movies, theater, and television, and well known for her numerous performances in Shakespeare’s plays. Among Judi Dench’s most famous productions following the movie are Chocolat, Iris, Notes on a Scandal, and Philomena, all of which earned her Oscar nominations. Over the years, Dench remained active in stage, film, and television roles, and her latest project to date is Allelujah, a film adaptation of Alan Bennett’s play, due in 2023.
Imelda Staunton
Imelda Staunton is also one of Britain’s greatest actresses, known for her outstanding work in theater and musicals, such as Into the Woods, Sweeney Todd, and Gypsy. Since playing the Nurse in Shakespeare In Love, Staunton moved on to star in hit films. Her most famous roles include the wicked Dolores Umbridge in the Harry Potter franchise and Vera Drake in the period drama of the same name. Over the past few years, Staunton has kept herself busy by taking on both film and television projects. She was recently in the news for being cast as Queen Elizabeth II in the fifth season of The Crown. Simultaneously, she also worked on Downton Abbey: A New Era, the sequel to the 2019 film Downton Abbey. Her latest project so far is the movie Chicken Run: Dawn of the Nugget, the sequel to Chicken Run, in which she will be voicing Bunty. This movie is scheduled for 2023 and will premiere on Netflix.
Tom Wilkinson
The actor who played Hugh Fennyman, Tom Wilkinson, garnered several awards and nominations throughout his career for participating in all kinds of projects. Among his most acclaimed productions are the movies In the Bedroom, Eternal Sunshine of the Spotless Mind, Batman Begins, Selma, and The Grand Budapest Hotel. His latest works so far were in the TV series Belgravia, in 2020, and in the movie SAS: Red Notice, an action thriller inspired on Andy McNab’s novel of the same name, directed by Magnus Martens and released in 2021.
