Voldemort actor Ralph Fiennes is giving his blessing to Cillian Murphy to take over the role of the infamous “Harry Potter” villain, should the “Oppenheimer” Oscar winner choose to do so in HBO’s upcoming television series. Rumors have been circulating online in recent weeks that Murphy is being considered for Voldemort. Fiennes was asked to respond during an interview on Bravo’s “Watch What Happens Live.”
“Cillian is a fantastic actor,” said Fiennes. “That’s a wonderful suggestion. I would be all for Cillian. Yes.”
Fiennes first appeared as Voldemort in the fourth “Harry Potter” film, 2005’s “Harry Potter and the Goblet of Fire,” and he returned for three additional films: “Order of the Phoenix” and “Deathly Hallows” installment 1 and 2. A few years before HBO announced it would reboot “Harry Potter” as a television series, Fiennes said Variety that he would certainly be willing to play He Who Shall Not Be Named again and there was “no doubt about it.”
Variety reported last month that “Bridge of Spies” Oscar winner Mark Rylance is being eyed by HBO to play Dumbledore in the “Harry Potter” series. Warner Bros. Television was not yet in negotiations with the actor at the time, but had reached out to gauge his interest in the project and his availability. No other casting information has been reported for the series at this time.
While Fiennes hasn’t said whether or not he would return for the show, it seems like he has no problem coming back and working with JK Rowling again. The author is heavily involved with the HBO series, despite ongoing controversy over her views on biological sex and transgender people. Fiennes defended Rowling against backlash in October 2022.
“JK Rowling has written these amazing books about empowerment, about young children discovering themselves as human beings,” Fiennes said. The New York Times. at the time. “It’s about how to become a better, stronger, more morally centered person. The verbal abuse against her is disgusting and appalling.”
Fiennes continued, “I mean, I can understand a point of view that might be angry about what she says about women. But it’s not some obscene, far-right fascist. It’s just a woman saying, ‘I’m a woman and I feel like I’m a woman, and I want to be able to say I’m a woman.’ And I understand where she’s coming from. Even though I’m not a woman.”
Watch Fiennes’ performance on “Watch What Happens Live” in the video below.