Cillian Murphy 'Categorically' Denies Playing Voldemort In Harry Potter Series – So Stop Asking Him

Cillian Murphy has shut down rumours that he will play Voldemort in the upcoming Harry Potter series once and for all.

The Oscar winner has long been rumoured for the villainous role ever since the TV adaptation was first announced in 2024, with original Voldemort actor Ralph Fiennes giving him his blessing.

However, when asked about the speculation in a recent interview, Cillian was definitive with his answer.

“I’m categorically not,” Cillian told The Times (or “scoffed”, as the publication writes) when asked about the Harry Potter rumours

He then quipped: “Can you make that the headline?”

This isn’t the first time Cillian has shot down rumours about playing “He Who Shall Not Be Named”, previously claiming he “didn’t know anything about” where the internet theories had come from.

“Also, it’s just really hard to follow anything Ralph Fiennes does,” he said during an appearance on Josh Horowitz’s Happy Sad Confused podcast in September 2025. “The man is an absolute acting legend, so good luck to whoever’s gonna fill those shoes”.

Besides, he added, he is too “attached to his nose” to play the flat-faced skeletal bad guy. 

In December of last year, Ralph Fiennes gave a positive response to the suggestion that the Oppenheimer actor could take on the role during an appearance on Watch What Happens Live.

“Cillian is a fantastic actor. That’s a wonderful suggestion. I would be all in favour of Cillian,” Ralph said when asked his thoughts on the Peaky Blinders star playing Voldemort in the Wizarding World’s latest adaptation.

Fuelling the rumours even further, filmmaker Chris Columbus – who directed the first two Harry Potter movies – also expressed his approval for the popular fan cast choice.

“Cillian is one of my favorite actors, so that would be amazing,” the director told Entertainment Weekly in January 2025.

At present, no other actor is attached to play Voldemort in the upcoming Harry Potter series, but it has already announced an all-star cast, including John Lithgow as Albus Dumbledore, Nick Frost as Hagrid, Janet McTeer as Minerva McGonagall, and Paapa Essiedu as Severus Snape.

Cillian will next be seen in action as Tommy Shelby, reprising his iconic Peaky Blinders role in the new film The Immortal Man, which arrives in cinemas on Friday 6 March, before landing on Netflix two weeks later.