Cillian Murphy has again rejected rumors of portraying Voldemort in HBO's Harry Potter TV series, following hints from original actor Ralph Fiennes. In a new interview, the Oscar winner dismissed the idea outright as production ramps up.
Cillian Murphy, acclaimed for Oppenheimer and Peaky Blinders, has quashed speculation about joining HBO's Harry Potter reboot as Voldemort. In an interview with The Times on February 28, the 49-year-old Irish actor said, "I'm categorically not," and urged, "Can you make that the headline?"
The denial comes after Ralph Fiennes, who played Voldemort in the films starting with Goblet of Fire, appeared to endorse Murphy during a January red-carpet interview for 28 Years Later: The Bone Temple. Fiennes suggested the role might be filled, calling Murphy "a very, very good choice." He had previously praised the idea on Bravo's Watch What Happens Live.
This echoes Murphy's earlier dismissal of the rumors on the Happy Sad Confused podcast in September 2024. HBO has not confirmed Voldemort's casting, despite announcing other roles: Dominic McLaughlin as Harry Potter, Arabella Stanton as Hermione Granger, Alastair Stout as Ron Weasley, Paapa Essiedu as Severus Snape, John Lithgow as Albus Dumbledore, Janet McTeer as Minerva McGonagall, Nick Frost as Rubeus Hagrid, Johnny Flynn as Lucius Malfoy, and Lox Pratt as Draco Malfoy.
The series, adapting J.K. Rowling's seven books across seven seasons, was announced by Warner Bros. Discovery in April 2023. Filming for season one (Philosopher's Stone) began in July 2025 and is set to conclude mid-2026, with a premiere eyed for early 2027.
