Harry Potter legend Ralph Fiennes reveals his pick to play Voldemort in TV series - but has he revealed who has been cast?

Ralph Fiennes has appeared to reveal who has been cast as Voldemort in the upcoming Harry Potter TV adaptation.

Rumours have been rife about who could be portraying 'He Who Cannot Be Named' in the series following the casting of the three young leads, Paapa Essiedu as Severus Snape and many of the other major players.

Oppenheimer star Cillian Murphy was previously rumoured to be being considered for the role, but the actor recently denied speculation that he was involved.

But speaking in a recent interview at an event, Fiennes, who portrayed the iconic villain in the film series, appeared to let the cat out of the bag.

Asked who he thinks should fill his shoes for Voldemort – who doesn't technically appear in person until Harry Potter's fourth book, The Goblet of Fire – in the upcoming HBO show, Fiennes responded: "Well, I’m told they’re already filled, aren’t they?"

When the journalist asked the question again, Ralph responded: "I’ve already said, I think Cillian Murphy is very good."

He continued: "Very good. Very good choice. I think they’ve cast it, haven’t they?"

As it dawned on the actor that the casting of Voldemort is yet to be revealed, he added: “I don’t know. I thought they had."

The leading three stars of the upcoming TV series were confirmed back in May after months of speculation.

The show will be led by newcomers Dominic McLaughlin as Harry Potter, Arabella Stanton as Hermione Granger and Alastair Stout as Ron Weasley.

McLaughlin has appeared in Sky Original comedy Grow, while Stanton may be familiar to some musical fans, having appeared in the West End production of Matilda, as well as the Andrew Lloyd Webber production of Starlight Express. Stout has appeared in TV advertisements.

Other previously announced castings include John Lithgow as Albus Dumbledore, Janet McTeer (Tumbleweeds) as Minerva McGonagall, Nick Frost (Shaun of the Dead) as Rubeus Hagrid, Luke Thallon as Quirinus Quirrell and Paul Whitehouse (The Fast Show) as Argus Filch.

Harry Potter author JK Rowling has faced backlash in some quarters due to her views on transgender rights. In 2020, she published a lengthy statement detailing her stance on sex and gender debates – the essay was criticised and disputed by LGBTQ+ charities including Stonewall.

Rowling has also shared her views on social media, including in a 2024 post on X (formerly Twitter), in which she insisted that “there are no trans kids” and opposed the idea that a child can be “born in the wrong body”.

In May 2025, Rowling set up the JK Rowling Women’s Fund, which describes itself as offering legal funding support to “individuals and organisations fighting to retain women’s sex-based rights”.

Harry Potter actors including Daniel Radcliffe, Rupert Grint and Emma Watson have distanced themselves from Rowling's views and have issued statements supporting the transgender community. Others, including Fiennes, Helena Bonham Carter and Jim Broadbent, have defended the author from the criticism she has received.

The Harry Potter series will air on HBO.

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