Ralph Fiennes is in such an interesting/fun era of his career. A few years ago, he randomly appeared on CNN’s New Year’s Eve live show and did the “very demure” viral monologue. He randomly appears on podcasts and talks about martini recipes. Bless him. Ralph recently appeared on the Table Manners with Jessie and Lennie Ware podcast, and he called Jessie Ware “gross” for a hilarious reason. It honestly cracked me up so much, I decided to write about it.
Does Ralph Fiennes want to be the next Bond? He certainly shares some similar traits with Ian Fleming’s 007 – one of which is droning on about how he likes his martini.
‘I like Tanqueray gin, kept in the freezer, and the glass should be rinsed with vermouth,’ he says.
Just like Bond, Fiennes, 63, is fixed in his beliefs and is utterly horrified by singer Jessie Ware’s martini recipe which includes a blue cheese olive.
‘That is blasphemy. Heresy. Cheese in a martini? Gross.’
When I used to drink, I was never a martini person in general, because I think I have that genetic thing where gin makes me sick as a dog. Probably an allergy to juniper berries. But I would have stopped drinking a lot sooner if bartenders were putting damn blue cheese in my drinks. I’m with Ralph – that is super-gross. I like the idea of “rinsing” a glass in vermouth though. That’s probably the best way to just have a touch of vermouth.
In other Ralph news, he recently signed on to a film called Art, which will be directed by Fernando Meirelles. The other cast members? Wagner Moura and Colin Farrell. Insane!! Putting Wagner, Colin and Ralph in the same movie might break the internet (for women over the age of 40).
Photos courtesy of Avalon Red.
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- Ralph FIENNES (GBR, actor), single photo, one-on-one cut, portrait, portrait, portrait. Red Carpet, Red Carpet CineMerit Gala, Filmfest Muenchen on 01.07.2019, | usage worldwide,Image: 453269991, License: Rights-managed, Restrictions: Verwendung weltweit, Model Release: no, Credit line: FrankHoermann/SVEN SIMON / DPA Picture Alliance / Avalon
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- Ralph Fiennes attends the World Premiere of ‘The King’s Man’ at Cineworld, Leicester Square, London, England, UK on Monday 6 December, 2021.,Image: 646690972, License: Rights-managed, Restrictions: Please credit photographer and agency when publishing as Justin Ng/LFI/Avalon., Model Release: no, Credit line: Justin Ng / Avalon
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- Ralph Fiennes red carpet for the movie ‘Conclave’ at the 19th annual Rome International Film Fest in Rome, Italy, 26 October 2024. The Festa del Cinema di Roma runs from 16 to 27 October 2024.,Image: 926685955, License: Rights-managed, Restrictions: , Model Release: no, Credit line: Maria Laura Antonelli/AGF Foto/Avalon
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- Ralph Fiennes bei der Verleihung des 37. Europäischen Filmpreises 2024 im Kultur- und Kongresszentrum Luzern. Luzern, 07.12.2024 *** Ralph Fiennes at the presentation of the 37 European Film Awards 2024 at the Lucerne Culture and Convention Center Lucerne, 07 12 2024 Foto:xS.xGabschx/xFuturexImagex efa_4315,Image: 944325562, License: Rights-managed, Restrictions: imago is entitled to issue a simple usage license at the time of provision. Personality and trademark rights as well as copyright laws regarding art-works shown must be observed. Commercial use at your own risk., Model Release: no, Credit line: IMAGO/Sebastian Gabsch/Avalon/Avalon
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- Ralph Fiennes arrives on the red carpet of the 97th Oscars® at the Dolby® Theatre at Ovation Hollywood on Sunday, March 2, 2025.,Image: 971235006, License: Rights-managed, Restrictions: *** EDITORIAL USE ONLY! * NB: Fees charged by Avalon are for Avalon’s services only, and do not, nor are they intended to, convey to the user any ownership of Copyright or License in the material. Avalon does not claim any ownership including but not limited to Copyright or License in the attached material. By publishing this material you (the user) expressly agree to indemnify and to hold Avalon and its directors, shareholders and employees harmless from any loss, claims, damages, demands, expenses (including legal fees), or any causes of action or allegation against Avalon arising out of or connected in any way with publication of the material. * Handling Fee Only ***, Model Release: no, Credit line: Avalon.red/Avalon
Perfect example. Fiennes is considered a feasible Bond and he’s 63.
He’s not wrong.
While I enjoy martinis (made with vodka not gin) and blue cheese olives -they don’t really go together.
Garlic stuffed olives on the other hand…different story lol
This. Vodka martini with a splash of dry vermouth, two garlic stuffed olives with a splash of the garlic brine and some olive juice. I like mine filthy, not just dirty.
And I am sure this is not a popular opinion but blue cheese on anything is gross and blasphemy, including a cobb salad.
See… I would actually try the blue cheese martini, but olives are a deal breaker for me! 😄
I prefer it dirty with a splash of olive juice – and the olives themselves are delicious but the brine doesn’t quite hit right
He’s deep into his DGAF phase and it is glorious. The demure monologue had me laughing for days…
I love Martinis, but they’ve been getting wetter over the years (insert your own joke here). I like the bit of spice from Bombay Sapphire over the good Tanqueray now, it’s cheaper. A 4:1 gin to Vermouth ratio (used to be the Churchill martini where you nod in the direction of the vermouth), I like Noilly Prat. Shaken over ice for 20 seconds, chilled glass, twist of lime. Perfection in drink form
I’m another who doesn’t do well on gin — I’ve evolved into a good whiskey or Scotch girl.
But in years past, I did a stint as a bartender, and took the opportunity to read up on the lore, which is my idea of a really excellent time.
There is much to amuse (and some to frighten) in the arcane depths of cocktail construction. But one of my favorites is the classic instruction for making a Martini:
Pour the ice-cold gin into the glass.
Threaten the drink with the vermouth bottle.
Garnish if you feel the need.
Serve.
LOL
Im a Grey Goose dirty martini woman, and I love Bleu cheese stuffed olives. So, I say, “Shut it, Voldemort!”
Same! This was my exact favorite drink for years. Fresh blue cheese, though. Some bars tried to pass off gorgonzola or jarred blue cheese olives. This post is making me want one again.
I’m definitely with Ralph on this. When I used to drink, I loved a nice dry martini – Bombay Sapphire & Noilly Prat by choice. I also loved blue cheese, and still do. And I ate blue cheese with martinis. The thought of blue cheese in my martini makes me shudder. I think I might enjoy eating a blue cheese stuffed olive though.
I won’t order a dirty martini if it DOESN’T have blue cheese stuffed olives haha. The “nasty dirty martini” (rough name, I feel like a dbag ordering it) at Coopers Hawk is THE BEST
For God’s sake, ice cold vodka from the freezer; threat of vermouth; shaken, not stirred; poured into glass that had been sitting in ice for the past hour, lemon twist,
According to Martin Sheen as Jed Bartlet, when James Bond orders “shaken not stirred,” he’s ordering a weak drink and being snooty about it. Because shaking chips the ice, which melts & dilutes the gin.
Now I’M not making such an ungenerous judgement. Blame it on Aaron Sorkin!
Sorkin can have his swirly gin concoction. I’m having ice cold vodka from the freezer, shaken with ice, and poured into an icy glass. With a twist!
You go for it! 😎🍸
Meanwhile I’ll stick with a double of The Glenlivet, icewater back.
I love both vodka and gin martinis. I like ’em dry. If I’m drinking a vodka martini, I love olives. If it’s a gin martini, I prefer a twist. Bleu cheese olives in martinis are all the rage down here in Austin but I hate bleu cheese.
Sometimes, I reflect on my youth and remember youthful misadventures with Boone’s Farm and Mad Dog 20/20. I simultaneously smirk and wince in pain. Blue Cheese in alcohol sounds beyond disgusting. Kids today… lol.
OMG – Mad Dog 20/20!! For many years, you could not buy liquor on Sundays in Michigan, where I lived until I was 25. We had Mad Dog, Boone’s Farm, Bartles & James wine coolers instead. Ugh, the hangovers from all of that sugar!!!
He’s right. The cheese in the olive gets kind of a weird texture to it and it starts to make the martini cloudy. Not good.
ok I know it’s late & no one will see this but I’m DYING
I finally went and watched the Ralph “very demure” monolog (yes he nailed it) but I had no idea what the heck they were talking about so I went looking for context… OMG. Here’s all I can say:
https://www.tiktok.com/t/ZTBj4yeRB/