Ralph Fiennes Offers Surprising Advice to His Voldemort Successor

Original Voldemort actor Ralph Fiennes offered up some advice to Entertainment Tonight for the next actor to take on the role which shall not be named. The Oscar-nominated actor, who played Voldemort in five of eight Harry Potter movies, offered some advice to the still-unknown actor who will take on the fearsome role in HBO’s new Potter series.

"Make sure you can handle the long, flowing robes, and don't trip over them," Fiennes said. "Practice your long, flowing robe walk." Fiennes recalled how his robes "kept getting lower and lower throughout the shooting day and became uncomfortable." Eventually, he felt enough was enough and asked the wardrobe department for "individual tights like a garter belt” that might better hold his costume in place.

"So, I enjoyed teasing the stunt guys by lifting up my robes and showing them my garter belt," Fiennes joked.

Related: Eric Dane Makes First Red Carpet Appearance After ALS Diagnosis

When asked in 2022 if he would reprise the role of Voldemort if asked, Fiennes replied, “Sure, of course, no question about it.” But more recently, in December 2024, Fiennes advocated for 28 Years Later producer (and Oppenheimer Oscar winner) Cillian Murphy to take over the fearsome role. “Cillian is a fantastic actor,” Fiennes said when asked who he would want to replace him. “That’s a wonderful suggestion. I would be all in favor of Cillian.”

Fiennes is fresh off the awards circuit for his performance in last year’s political thriller Conclave, which earned the actor his third Oscar nomination following Schindler’s List (1993) and The English Patient (1996). He’s now playing a vastly different role in 28 Years Later,  currently in cinemas.