Earlier this year, Ralph Fiennes appeared to confirm that Cillian Murphy would be succeeding him as Lord Voldemort in the Harry Potter TV series.
His admission caused major confusion, given that a) no official announcements had been made and b) Cillian had already ruled himself out of the role.
Now, the Peaky Blinders icon has set the record straight.
He is not, in fact, playing the antagonist when JK Rowling’s wizarding novel series hits the small screen, with each of the seven movies being adapted into a season of television.
This is despite getting Ralph’s blessing, with the 63-year-old three-time Oscar nominee hailing him as a ‘very good choice’.
However, it seems his intel wasn’t accurate.
In a new interview, when asked if he will be playing the evil one for the HBO project, Cillian, 49, scoffed: ‘I’m categorically not.’
‘Can you make that the headline?’, he quipped to The Times.
The Oppenheimer lead then laughed, insisting that he wasn’t even aware his name was in the mix, given that he’s famously offline and out of the loop when it comes to showbiz rumours.
‘Being a personality is not what I am good at,’ he continued as he delved deeper into the world of celebrity.
‘But then existing in this world? Talking about yourself, going on f***ing red carpets? It’s not healthy if you start to believe this s**t, and I’m really bad at it too.’
The beloved Irish film star concluded modestly: ‘I’m an incredibly average person, really.’
So, there you have it – the search is still on for the next Voldemort actor (someone should update Ralph).
And it seems the internet is largely pleased with the development, with Reddit user ElmoreHayne saying, ‘good for him,’ while MichaSound wasn’t convinced to begin with: ‘I can’t imagine Cillian Murphy committing to a prominent role in a massive franchise that would have him tied to the project for years on end.’
‘Him clearing up the Voldemort rumours makes sense. Fan casting can get out of hand, and whoever plays Lord Voldemort in will already face big expectations,’ added PixelCreamz.
In his original, surprising comments, Ralph, who played Voldemort in every Harry Potter film except the Prisoner of Azkaban, appeared to have let a major casting secret slip.
Attending a red carpet event in late January, he was asked: ‘Who do you think should fill your shoes for Voldemort in the upcoming HBO show?’
He replied: ‘Well, I’m told they’re already filled, aren’t they?’
Visibly confused, the journalist then probed, ‘Who do you think it should be? If anyone could do Voldemort the way that you did Voldemort…’
‘I’ve already said, I think Cillian Murphy is very good,’ Ralph responded, before clearly realising he might have said too much.
‘I think they’ve cast it, haven’t they?’, he asked.
The interviewer responded with, ‘I hope so. I love Cillian Murphy,’ as Ralph turned to his team, looking flustered.
‘I don’t know. I thought they had,’ he stuttered, jokingly scolding the journo for inadvertently catching him off-guard.
A clip of the interaction soon went viral, and Harry Potter fans had plenty to say, with some declaring Cillian a perfect fit, while others were ‘disappointed’, given the controversy surrounding the TV series due to the author’s anti-trans views.
But now it appears that disappointment was unwarranted, as Cillian had already previously shut down any suggestion that he might step into the villainous cloak.
‘No, no, no. It would be very hard to follow Ralph Fiennes,’ he told Variety last October.
When reminded that anyone else reportedly up for the role has said the same thing, Cillian added: ‘Ha! No, I don’t play those games.’
As for which other actors are in the race to play Voldemort instead, Matt Smith and Tom Hiddleston have been listed by bookies, as well as Matthew Macfadyen, who is already voicing him in Audible’s audiobook series.
Tilda Swinton’s name has also been rumoured, with articles surfacing last autumn that she’d be portraying a female Voldemort.
We have no idea when Voldemort’s casting will be confirmed, but when it is, the actor will join actors such as John Lithgow as Albus Dumbledore, Nick Frost as Hagrid, and Paapa Essiedu as Professor Severus Snape.
As for the three child leads, Dominic McLaughlin will play Harry Potter, Alastair Stout will play Ron Weasley, and Arabella Stanton will play Hermione Granger.
A final release date is yet to be confirmed, but the first Harry Potter season is expected to land on HBO in the United States in early or mid-2027.
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