Cillian Murphy as Lord Voldemort? Five reasons he’s the perfect choice for HBO’s Harry Potter

While HBO has revealed the core cast members of the new Harry Potter series, the question of who will play Lord Voldemort remains. Here are five reasons why we think Cillian Murphy could fit the bill perfectly.

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Haunting Screen Presence

“There's nothing to fear but fear itself... Would you like to see my mask?” Cillian Murphy as Dr Jonathan Crane in The Dark Knight trilogy is one of the most haunting characters that the actor has played. Murphy plays with rhythm and quiet menace. His actions seamlessly shifts from softness to pure derangement, and mimics the dark presence of Voldemort. Voldemort needs to be terrifying—but also hypnotic, someone followers obsess over. Murphy has that strange, dark charisma that can draw people in and unsettle them at the same time.

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Voice that demands to be heard

“You make one sound and your dad dies. You don't even look at him.” In Red Eye directed by Wes Craven, Cillian Murphy plays the role of Jackson Rippner. He delivers this iconic dialogue that arrests the audiences and makes them pay attention. Murphy’s precise, sinister tone is perfect for Voldemort’s slow, deliberate speech. He can twist words into weapons, just as Voldemort does when manipulating or threatening. With strong theatre training, Murphy has the ability to deliver Voldemort’s lines—often Shakespearean in tone—with dramatic weight and precision.

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Range of Emotions

"There was a woman. I loved her, and I got used to having her in my bed. And now she's dead." Murphy as Tommy Shelby in Peaky Blinders says this with a flat, hollow tone—no dramatic emotion, only a cold acceptance of pain. Underneath the calmness is deep, contained anger—the kind Voldemort often shows when betrayed. New layers of Lord Voldemort could be unlocked, such as the life of Tom Riddle, before he became a monster. 

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Shape-shifting abilities

"Now I am become Death, the destroyer of worlds." Cillian Murphy's ability to disappear into roles became all the more clear with his role as Oppenheimer in the Christopher Nolan film. Murphy whispers the line with quiet devastation, as if realizing the monstrous power he helped unleash—eerily similar to Voldemort's twisted pride in his own destructive path. Like Voldemort, Oppenheimer steps into a role where knowledge becomes annihilation. With makeup, VFX, and prosthetics, Murphy could physically embody Voldemort’s snakelike look without losing nuance.

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Approved by Ralph Fiennes

"Cillian is a fantastic actor. That’s a wonderful suggestion."  Ralph Fiennes, renowned for his portrayal of Lord Voldemort in the Harry Potter films, has expressed strong support for Cillian Murphy potentially taking on the role in HBO's upcoming series adaptation. He elaborated on Murphy's suitability for the role, highlighting his ability to bring depth and nuance to complex characters.