Ralph Fiennes claims Cillian Murphy will play Voldemort in Harry Potter series

‘I’m told my shoes are already filled,’ actor said on red carpet

Ralph Fiennes has sent the Harry Potter fandom into meltdown after claiming that Cillian Murphy has been cast as Voldemort in the forthcoming TV series.

Peaky Blinders star and Oppenheimer Oscar winner Murphy has been rumoured to be in the running to play the evil wizard in the new show, but has denied reports he is involved.

Now, Fiennes, who previously played the character in the film adaptations, appeared to jump the gun when asked on the red carpet for 28 Years Later: The Bone Temple: “Who do you think should fill your shoes for Voldemort in the upcoming HBO show?”

In a viral TikTok clip shared by Let’s Talk Film, he responded: “I'm told they are already filled, aren't they? I think Cillian Murphy is very good. A very good choice.”

He became visibly more panicked as he continued: “I’ve already said, I think Cillian Murphy is very good. I think they’ve cast it, haven’t they? You don’t know?”

An increasingly uncertain Fiennes then said, while turning to his team: “I don’t know. I thought they had.”

Many fans are unsure, however, whether this constitutes confirmation of Murphy’s involvement, or whether Fiennes mistakenly believed the media speculation surrounding the Irish actor’s possible casting. The Independent has contacted HBO, Murphy and Fiennes for comment.

In 2024, it was announced that HBO had begun casting for roles for a reboot series, inspired by JK Rowling’s best-selling series of novels. The series is expected to run for a decade, with each season based on one of the seven Rowling books.

After auditioning more than 30,000 actors for the three main characters, the production cast Dominic McLaughlin as Harry, Arabella Stanton as Hermione, and Alastair Stout as Ron. The three newcomers’ characters were originated on screen by Daniel Radcliffe, Emma Watson, and Rupert Grint, respectively.

ADVERTISEMENT. If you sign up to this service we will earn commission. This revenue helps to fund journalism across The Independent.

ADVERTISEMENT. If you sign up to this service we will earn commission. This revenue helps to fund journalism across The Independent.

Meanwhile, John Lithgow will play Hogwarts headmaster Albus Dumbledore, with Paapa Essiedu playing Severus Snape, Janet McTeer playing Minerva McGonagall and Nick Frost playing groundskeeper Rubeus Hagrid.

Ralph Fiennes played Lord Voldemort in the Harry Potter film franchise (Warner Bros Pictures)

Fiennes previously supported the idea of Murphy playing Voldemort, telling Bravo’s Watch What Happens Live: “Cillian is a fantastic actor. That’s a wonderful suggestion. I would be all in favour of Cillian. Yeah.”

However, Murphy denied claims on Happy Sad Confused podcast in September 2025, revealing that he’s only aware of the speculation because of his children.

Cillian Murphy previously denied claims he was playing Voldemort (AFP/Getty)

“I don’t know anything about that. Also, it’s just really hard to follow anything Ralph Fiennes does. The man is an absolute acting legend, so good luck to whoever’s gonna fill those shoes.”

The actors being cast in the new series have come under fire from some fans calling for a boycott of the series due to Rowling’s views on transgender people, which many consider transphobic.