Fiennes goes for full-haired look

Ralph Fiennes has swapped the skinhead look for a full head of hair and a beard for his new film The Invisible Woman.

The 49-year-old British actor is starring as Charles Dickens in the upcoming period drama, his second acting and directing project following the Bafta-nominated Coriolanus.

Felicity Jones plays the titular role of Nelly Ternan, a woman with whom the famous Great Expectations writer had a secret, passionate decade-long relationship.

The story follows Dickens - then a "brilliant amateur actor" - when he falls for Nelly, but as she becomes the focus of his passion and his muse, they have to pay the price with secrecy, with Nelly subjected to a life of "invisibility".

Kristin Scott Thomas has been cast in the part of Nelly's mother, while Tom Hollander is on board as Wilkie Collins, Dickens' friend and fellow author.

Ralph - who has also been filming his role in latest James Bond outing, Skyfall - is the latest actor to portray Dickens, following previous performances by Simon Callow, Sir Anthony Hopkins, Derek Jacobi and Mark Heap.

The Invisible Woman, which is based on Claire Tomalin's biography and has been adapted by The Iron Lady's Abi Morgan, is expected to be released in 2013.