The acclaimed actor Cillian Murphy, nominated and winner of several awards including the Oscar for his work in Oppenheimer and known for playing Tommy Shelby in Peaky Blinders, has responded clearly and definitively to the insistent rumors linking him to the role of Lord Voldemort in the upcoming Harry Potter series produced by HBO.
Murphy was directly questioned about the possibility of playing the emblematic villain in the television adaptation of the magical saga and left no room for doubt “Categorically, I am not going to be Voldemort. Can you put that in the headline?” with those words he made it clear that he will not participate in the project in that role, although speculation had been active for weeks and months.
The confusion increased after actor Ralph Fiennes, who played Voldemort in the original films, commented in an interview that Murphy would be a “very good choice” for the role, which further fueled the fan-casting and theories among followers.
Although the series' production has not yet officially announced who will bring the mythical villain to life, Murphy's refusal —supported even with a touch of humor about his discomfort with fame and media spotlights— puts an end to one of the most repeated rumors surrounding the casting.
The series of Harry Potter, which plans to cover the seven books of the saga in television format and is expected to reach screens in 2027, continues its development with an already confirmed cast of characters, although the role of Voldemort remains one of the best-kept secrets of the production.