As the cast list grows for Harry Potter's fresh new trip to television, one actor that has been named ironically in connection with a character that shouldn't be is Cillian Murphy as Lord Voldemort. Ever since it was announced that we'd be getting an HBO series, fans began backing the idea of the Oscar winner taking on the role of the Dark Lord who was out to kill Hogwarts' top pupil (now played by Dominic McLaughlin). Now the Oppenheimer star has put any potential rumors to bed and given a solid reason as to why.
While appearing on the Happy Sad Confused podcast, Murphy revealed that he had become aware of his name popping up for the new take on The Boy Who Lived, but confessed that that's as far as things went. “No, my kids show me it occasionally, but no, I don’t know anything about that," Murphy revealed. By the sounds of things, the Peaky Blinders star wouldn't dream of taking on the role anyway, due to the pressure of following the actor who previously held it. "I mean, also, it’s just really hard to follow anything Ralph Fiennes does. The man is an absolute acting legend. So, good luck to whoever is going to fill those shoes.”
Murphy might sound reluctant to take over from Fiennes' now legendary turn as Voldemort, but the original head of the Death Eaters did share his opinion on the casting suggestion and was all for the idea. Harry Potter and the Sorcerer's Stone director, Chris Columbus, also backed the suggestion saying, “Well, Cillian is one of my favourite actors, so that would be amazing."
As it stands, no name has been attached to the upcoming take on Voldemort just yet, which makes sense given that he doesn't make that much of a, shall we say, full-bodied appearance in the first book, which the initial season will be based on. We've got plenty of time to wait though, given that Harry Potter won't be expected to arrive in his new televised tale until 2027. In the meantime, check out our ranking of the original Harry Potter movies here.
