Cillian Murphy denies Harry Potter TV role

Cillian Murphy has denied he is set to play Voldemort in the TV adaptation of the Harry Potter books.

The Oppenheimer star shut down rumours he will play Voldemort in the upcoming Harry Potter TV series, explaining he would never want to follow in Ralph Fiennes’ footsteps.

Speaking with Josh Horowitz on his Happy Sad Confused podcast, Cillian, 49, was quick to refute the idea he was set to play the dark lord.

“No. No. Genuinely,” he said, when asked whether there was any truth to the casting speculation. “I mean, my kids show me occasionally, but I don’t know anything about that.”

He described Ralph, 62, who played Voldemort in five of the Harry Potter movies, as a “legend”.

“Also, it’s just really hard to follow anything Ralph Fiennes does,” Cillian declared. “The man is an absolute acting legend. So good luck to whoever is going to fill those shoes.”

Josh later joked that to play the snake-like character, Cillian would have to cover up his “beautiful nose”.

In response, the actor quipped, “I’m very attached to it!”.

Ralph, who will co-star with Cillian in the 2026 movie 28 Years Later: The Bone Temple, previously stated he would enjoy seeing his colleague take on the role of Voldemort.

“Cillian is a fantastic actor,” he told Watch What Happens Live in 2024. “I actually think that’s a wonderful, wonderful suggestion. I would be all in favour of Cillian.”