Paul Bettany Shares His Appreciation for Harry Potter Amid Voldemort Role Rumors for HBO Series
Paul Bettany Addresses Rumors of Voldemort Casting in HBO’s ‘Harry Potter’ Series
At the Saturn Awards on Sunday, actor Paul Bettany discussed speculation about his potential role as Lord Voldemort in HBO’s upcoming Harry Potter series, clarifying that he has not been approached for the part. “I haven’t heard anything about that [playing Voldemort]…. I’m a big fan of the [Harry Potter] IP, and I’m a big fan of HBO, but nobody has called me up about that,” he stated in an interview with Screen Rant.
Bettany’s name surfaced in connection with the role after Daniel Richtman reported that the actor was HBO’s preferred candidate to portray the iconic antagonist from J.K. Rowling’s adaptation. The casting of Voldemort remains a significant question as production progresses on Season 1 of the series in the UK. Other actors, including Cillian Murphy and Tilda Swinton, have also been mentioned in discussions regarding the role.
Ralph Fiennes, who previously portrayed Voldemort in the Harry Potter film series, expressed support for Murphy, but the Oppenheimer star has since distanced himself from the role. During an appearance on the Happy Sad Confused podcast, Murphy remarked, “No, my kids show me it occasionally, but no, I don’t know anything about that. I mean, also, it’s just really hard to follow anything Ralph Fiennes does. The man is an absolute acting legend. So, good luck to whoever is going to fill those shoes.”
The new Harry Potter television series features a cast that includes Dominic McLaughlin as Harry Potter, Alastair Stout as Ron Weasley, and Arabella Stanton as Hermione Granger. Lox Pratt is set to portray Draco Malfoy, while John Lithgow will take on the role of Albus Dumbledore, with Janet McTeer as Minerva McGonagall and Paapa Essiedu as Severus Snape. Nick Frost is also part of the cast as Rubeus Hagrid, alongside Bertie Carvel as Minister of Magic Cornelius Fudge and Johnny Flynn as Lucius Malfoy. The Dursley family will be played by Bel Powley as Petunia and Daniel Rigby as her husband Vernon.
As anticipation builds for the series, the search for Voldemort continues to capture the interest of fans and industry insiders alike.
