Performer
A performer whose catalogue work here is strong, with the fuller case still to be made.
Nutevio rank
#334
of 909177 performers
Top 1%
Rachel Weisz represents the rare performer whose career became more ambitious with every decade — 31 years in, and Rachel is still choosing the harder script.
The essay
Our editors on the work, the patterns and the reason this body of work holds together.
Rachel Weisz appears in 39 films in the Nutevio catalogue, and none of them would work the same way without Rachel. The Favourite is the clearest case: a film rated 7.5 by our editors, where the performance carries weight the script only implies.
The recognisable elements are versatility, transformation, quiet performance. Watch two of these films back to back and the method separates from the material — the same instrument, tuned differently for action, fantasy, adventure. It is a style built on what is withheld as much as what is played.
Working with Matt Bettinelli-Olpin, Cate Shortland, James Marsh and others, Rachel Weisz helped set a standard other performers now audition against. Awards bodies have been slower than the work, which is usually the sign of a career built on choices rather than campaigns.
The Favourite (2018) as Lady Sarah · Black Widow (2021) as Melina · Enemy at the Gates (2001) as Tania Chernova
Career snapshot
Ranked #334 of 909177 performers tracked in the Nutevio library.
Films in Nutevio
39
1996–2027
Career length
31 yrs
Measured across our catalogue
Academy Awards
—
Unknown
Oscar nominations
—
Unknown
Highest Nutevio score
7.5
The Favourite
Average Nutevio score
6.4
Across catalogue work
Highest IMDb rating
7.5
The Favourite
Most frequent director
Fernando Meirelles
2 films together
Longest collaboration
2×
With Fernando Meirelles
Most common genre
Drama
26 titles
Average runtime
1h 52m
Across catalogue work
Golden Globe wins
—
Unknown
Nutevio metric
Ten weighted categories, applied identically to everyone we cover.
Nutevio Performer Score
6.9
out of 10
A performer whose catalogue work here is strong, with the fuller case still to be made.
Nutevio metric
Cultural impact and legacy, measured separately from craft — how far the work travelled once it left the cinema.
Nutevio Influence Score
6.5
out of 10
A quieter influence — felt inside the films rather than across the industry.
How far the work travelled past the people who saw it first.
What survives once the release-week conversation has burned off.
Institutional acknowledgement, weighted but never decisive.
Years of chosen, relevant work rather than years merely employed.
Statuettes, read as evidence rather than verdict.
Roles named without needing the film named alongside them.
Directors who wrote parts because this performer existed.
The reading other performers now have to answer.
Actor DNA
A fingerprint derived from the roles themselves — register, range and the kind of film they carry.
The shape of a career
Every performance plotted in time. Hover a point to read the title behind it.
Peak years
Where the scores, the awards and the sheer volume of work agree with each other.
Best decade
1990s
6.6 average MV
The 1990s are where the work and the material meet. Sunshine, The Mummy, Bent — the run our editors reach for first when the argument is about range rather than fame.
Highest average Nutevio score
1990s
6.6
Across 5 catalogue films in this decade, our scores never drop below the level a career is judged on.
Highest average IMDb rating
1990s
6.6
The public agrees most strongly about this stretch — useful context, and occasionally a decade behind our own reading.
Most awarded era
1990s
0 Academy Awards
Statuettes for the films themselves, which is the honest way to read an ensemble career. Sunshine, The Mummy, Bent.
Most productive era
2000s
16 films
The busiest stretch of the catalogue — volume that reads as appetite rather than availability.
Range, mapped
Genres down the side, decades across the top. Warmer cells mean stronger titles.
| Genre | 1990s | 2000s | 2010s | 2020s |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Drama | 6.73 films | 6.89 films | 6.414 films | — |
| Action | 6.52 films | 6.34 films | 6.31 film | 3.72 films |
| Thriller | 5.81 film | 6.83 films | 6.25 films | — |
| Comedy | — | 6.36 films | 7.13 films | — |
| Crime | — | 6.31 film | 6.71 film | — |
| Romance | 6.73 films | 6.66 films | 6.57 films | — |
| Horror | — | 7.31 film | — | — |
Chronology
Firsts and peaks
The turning points, in the order they happened.
First film in Nutevio
1996Chain Reaction
Where our catalogue meets this career, as Dr. Lily Sinclair.
Highest rated performance · Career peak
2018The Favourite
7.5 on the Nutevio scale, the top of the catalogue for this performer. Weighing billing against the film's own quality, this is the point where everything aligned at once.
Most recent film
The current state of the argument, as Evelyn Carnahan.
Our order
Every performance in the catalogue, ordered by Nutevio Score.
Every title
Filter by genre or decade, and compare any two titles side by side.
39 of 39 films
as Lady Sarah
Directed by Unknown
as Melina
Directed by Cate Shortland
as Tania Chernova
Directed by Jean-Jacques Annaud
as Angela Dodson / Isabel Dodson
Directed by Francis Lawrence
From the library
Every movie and TV credit stored for this name in the Nutevio catalogue — filter by media, role or sort by rating.
Loading credits…
The defining work
#1
Lady Sarah
The Favourite (2018)
Performance score7.8
The performance the rest of the career is read through. Lady Sarah gives Rachel Weisz a structure to work against, and the film hands over its centre of gravity without hesitation.
View movie#2
Melina
Black Widow (2021)
Performance score7.7
Black Widow asks for something the previous films did not, and gets it. Melina is played without a single line of pleading for the audience's sympathy — which is exactly why it lands.
View movie#3
Tania Chernova
Enemy at the Gates (2001)
Performance score7.7
Enemy at the Gates asks for something the previous films did not, and gets it. Tania Chernova is played without a single line of pleading for the audience's sympathy — which is exactly why it lands.
View movie#4
Hypatia
Agora (2009)
Performance score7.6
Agora asks for something the previous films did not, and gets it. Hypatia is played without a single line of pleading for the audience's sympathy — which is exactly why it lands.
View movieStart here
A guided path through the work, ordered so each film explains the next.
Best entry point
as Lady Sarah
Start here. The Favourite is the clearest statement of what Rachel Weisz does — accessible, 120 minutes, and rated 7.5 by our editors. No context required.
Our editors order this path by accessibility first and chronology second. You meet Rachel at the most legible performance, then move forward in time so each film reads as a response to the one before it rather than a repetition of it.
Enemy at the Gates (2001)
Keeps the history register of The Favourite but asks for a colder reading of it.
Constantine (2005)
A deliberate change of key after Enemy at the Gates — same instrument, unfamiliar tuning, and the reason range gets mentioned.
Agora (2009)
A deliberate change of key after Constantine — same instrument, unfamiliar tuning, and the reason range gets mentioned.
Black Widow (2021)
Keeps the adventure register of Agora but asks for a colder reading of it.
Company kept
The directors and performers this career keeps returning to.
Stephen Sommers
Director
2 films together
Notably The Mummy
Fernando Meirelles
Director
2 films together
Notably The Constant Gardener
Bernardo Bertolucci
Director
1 film together
Notably Stealing Beauty
Andrew Davis
Director
1 film together
Notably Chain Reaction
István Szabó
Director
1 film together
Notably Sunshine
Jean-Jacques Annaud
Director
1 film together
Notably Enemy at the Gates
Chris Weitz
Director
1 film together
Notably About a Boy
James Foley
Director
1 film together
Notably Confidence
Neil LaBute
Director
1 film together
Notably The Shape of Things
Gary Fleder
Director
1 film together
Notably Runaway Jury
Barry Levinson
Director
1 film together
Notably Envy
Francis Lawrence
Director
1 film together
Notably Constantine
Darren Aronofsky
Director
1 film together
Notably The Fountain
Wong Kar-Wai
Director
1 film together
Notably My Blueberry Nights
Adam Brooks
Director
1 film together
Notably Definitely, Maybe
Rian Johnson
Director
1 film together
Notably The Brothers Bloom
Peter Jackson
Director
1 film together
Notably The Lovely Bones
Larysa Kondracki
Director
1 film together
Notably The Whistleblower
Jim Sheridan
Director
1 film together
Notably Dream House
David Hare
Director
1 film together
Notably Page Eight
Tony Gilroy
Director
1 film together
Notably The Bourne Legacy
Sam Raimi
Director
1 film together
Notably Oz the Great and Powerful
Paolo Sorrentino
Director
1 film together
Notably Youth
Joshua Marston
Director
1 film together
Notably Complete Unknown
Mick Jackson
Director
1 film together
Notably Denial
Derek Cianfrance
Director
1 film together
Notably The Light Between Oceans
Roger Michell
Director
1 film together
Notably My Cousin Rachel
James Marsh
Director
1 film together
Notably The Mercy
Cate Shortland
Director
1 film together
Notably Black Widow
Matt Bettinelli-Olpin
Director
1 film together
Notably Untitled Mummy Sequel
Behind the camera
Who casts this performer, how often, and what the pairing produces.
Stephen Sommers
Director
2 films together · 6.9 avg MV
A working relationship rather than a booking — 2 films, and the register shifts each time.
Best film together
The MummyFernando Meirelles
Director
2 films together · 6.3 avg MV
A working relationship rather than a booking — 2 films, and the register shifts each time.
Best film together
The Constant GardenerCate Shortland
Director
1 film together · 7.4 avg MV
One film, but the kind that reorganises how a performer is cast afterwards.
Best film together
Black WidowJean-Jacques Annaud
Director
1 film together · 7.4 avg MV
One film, but the kind that reorganises how a performer is cast afterwards.
Best film together
Enemy at the GatesFrancis Lawrence
Director
1 film together · 7.3 avg MV
One film, but the kind that reorganises how a performer is cast afterwards.
Best film together
ConstantineDerek Cianfrance
Director
1 film together · 7.1 avg MV
One film, but the kind that reorganises how a performer is cast afterwards.
Best film together
The Light Between OceansPeter Jackson
Director
1 film together · 7.1 avg MV
One film, but the kind that reorganises how a performer is cast afterwards.
Best film together
The Lovely BonesGary Fleder
Director
1 film together · 7.0 avg MV
One film, but the kind that reorganises how a performer is cast afterwards.
Best film together
Runaway JuryMick Jackson
Director
1 film together · 6.9 avg MV
One film, but the kind that reorganises how a performer is cast afterwards.
Best film together
DenialPaolo Sorrentino
Director
1 film together · 6.9 avg MV
One film, but the kind that reorganises how a performer is cast afterwards.
Best film together
YouthAdam Brooks
Director
1 film together · 6.9 avg MV
One film, but the kind that reorganises how a performer is cast afterwards.
Best film together
Definitely, MaybeDarren Aronofsky
Director
1 film together · 6.9 avg MV
One film, but the kind that reorganises how a performer is cast afterwards.
Best film together
The FountainLarysa Kondracki
Director
1 film together · 6.7 avg MV
One film, but the kind that reorganises how a performer is cast afterwards.
Best film together
The WhistleblowerChris Weitz
Director
1 film together · 6.7 avg MV
One film, but the kind that reorganises how a performer is cast afterwards.
Best film together
About a BoyBernardo Bertolucci
Director
1 film together · 6.7 avg MV
One film, but the kind that reorganises how a performer is cast afterwards.
Best film together
Stealing BeautyDavid Hare
Director
1 film together · 6.6 avg MV
One film, but the kind that reorganises how a performer is cast afterwards.
Best film together
Page EightRian Johnson
Director
1 film together · 6.6 avg MV
One film, but the kind that reorganises how a performer is cast afterwards.
Best film together
The Brothers BloomWong Kar-Wai
Director
1 film together · 6.4 avg MV
One film, but the kind that reorganises how a performer is cast afterwards.
Best film together
My Blueberry NightsIstván Szabó
Director
1 film together · 6.4 avg MV
One film, but the kind that reorganises how a performer is cast afterwards.
Best film together
SunshineTony Gilroy
Director
1 film together · 6.3 avg MV
One film, but the kind that reorganises how a performer is cast afterwards.
Best film together
The Bourne LegacyJames Foley
Director
1 film together · 6.3 avg MV
One film, but the kind that reorganises how a performer is cast afterwards.
Best film together
ConfidenceJim Sheridan
Director
1 film together · 6.2 avg MV
One film, but the kind that reorganises how a performer is cast afterwards.
Best film together
Dream HouseNeil LaBute
Director
1 film together · 6.2 avg MV
One film, but the kind that reorganises how a performer is cast afterwards.
Best film together
The Shape of ThingsJames Marsh
Director
1 film together · 5.9 avg MV
One film, but the kind that reorganises how a performer is cast afterwards.
Best film together
The MercySam Raimi
Director
1 film together · 5.9 avg MV
One film, but the kind that reorganises how a performer is cast afterwards.
Best film together
Oz the Great and PowerfulAndrew Davis
Director
1 film together · 5.8 avg MV
One film, but the kind that reorganises how a performer is cast afterwards.
Best film together
Chain ReactionRoger Michell
Director
1 film together · 5.7 avg MV
One film, but the kind that reorganises how a performer is cast afterwards.
Best film together
My Cousin RachelJoshua Marston
Director
1 film together · 5.1 avg MV
One film, but the kind that reorganises how a performer is cast afterwards.
Best film together
Complete UnknownBarry Levinson
Director
1 film together · 4.9 avg MV
One film, but the kind that reorganises how a performer is cast afterwards.
Best film together
EnvyMatt Bettinelli-Olpin
Director
1 film together · 0.0 avg MV
One film, but the kind that reorganises how a performer is cast afterwards.
Best film together
Untitled Mummy SequelSix degrees
Follow the thread outward — director, film, co-star, and the film after that.
Categories of our own
Six editorial categories we apply to every performer we cover.
Most rewatchable
Enemy at the Gates
as Tania Chernova
The one that survives a fourth viewing. Nothing in the performance depends on surprise, which is why it keeps paying out.
Most emotional performance
The Light Between Oceans
as Hannah Roennfeldt
Grief played at conversational volume. The film never asks the audience to cry; the performance simply makes it difficult not to.
Most influential performance
Enemy at the Gates
as Tania Chernova
You can hear this reading in other actors' auditions a decade later — the surest measure of influence there is.
Best ensemble performance
Bent
as Prostitute
Work that makes everyone else in the frame better without ever pulling the camera towards itself.
Career defining performance
The Favourite
as Lady Sarah
If the career had to be argued in a single scene, our editors would pick one from this film and rest the case.
In their films' words
“You can build a whole film around a performer who knows when not to speak. Rachel Weisz has known it for a long time.”
Head to head
Put two careers on the same scale and see where the argument actually sits.
Ours alone
Recognitions handed out by this desk, on criteria no awards body uses.
Career Achievement
Awarded
31 years of relevant work — not merely a long career, but a long career of choices.
Modern Classic Performer
Awarded
Defining performances delivered inside the last twenty-five years, in films already being taught rather than merely remembered.
Drama Legend
Awarded
26 catalogue titles in drama, each one a reference point for the films that followed.
Our desk
Best ending, best opening, best twist and the rest — categories we apply to everyone we cover.
Best ending
The Constant Gardener
as Tessa Quayle
The last five minutes reorganise everything before them, and hold up when you already know what's coming.
Best opening
Constantine
as Angela Dodson / Isabel Dodson
A first sequence that states the rules of the film without explaining a single one of them.
Most emotional
Disobedience
as Ronit Krushka
The film where the technique steps aside and lets the feeling arrive undefended.
Best twist
Page Eight
as Nancy Pierpan
A reversal earned by information the film gave you and trusted you to misread.
Best visual achievement
Black Widow
as Melina
Images that would survive with the sound switched off.
Best action sequence
Black Widow
as Melina
Geography, stakes and consequence held in the same frame — spectacle you can follow.
Best dialogue
The Brothers Bloom
as Penelope Stamp
Lines written to be spoken, staged so the pauses do half the work.
Most underrated film
Black Widow
as Melina
The public vote sits below ours on this one, and the direction is the reason for the gap.
If you like this performer
Matt Damon
Built a career in the same territory: adventure and drama
Michael Caine
Built a career in the same territory: adventure and drama
David Krumholtz
Built a career in the same territory: action and adventure
Tom Hanks
Built a career in the same territory: family and comedy
Bonnie Hunt
Built a career in the same territory: family and comedy
Cillian Murphy
Built a career in the same territory: drama and history
Have your say
Community
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Reference
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