Harry Potter: Every Actor To Play Lord Voldemort

Image via Warner Bros. Updated Oct 16, 2026, 5:30 PM EDT Several Lord Voldemort actors have appeared throughout the Harry Potter movies and beyond, and have brought one of the fantasy world's most notorious villains to the screen. The prospect of recasting Voldemort after Ralph Fiennes' incredible performance is easily one of the biggest challenges for the next Harry Potter release, and it isn't just a matter of one actor doing it. Initially spoken of in hushed tones only, the legendary Voldemort turned up in the very first Harry Potter book, and was depicted as a dark, fearsome wizard who terrorized the magic world, only to be defeated while attempting to kill a young Harry Potter. That led to various versions of Voldemort appearing throughout the franchise, meaning seven actors have already played He Who Must Not Be Named in various movies, and several more are coming thanks to HBO's upcoming reboot of The Philosopher's Stone. Over the years, every version of Voldemort had to be depicted on the big screen. That means there was someone to portray him when he took control of a Hogwarts professor, there were Tom Riddle actors when he showed up in flashback memories, and there was a star to play him when he returned to his full form. That means we'll see at least two, and most likely more in the upcoming series to account for all of his ages. On a purely practical level, if you can disguise your big star for Voldemort in his final form in The Philosopher's Stone, why not save the higher cost until the final act of Harry Potter & The Goblet of Fire? Richard Bremmer - Harry Potter and the Sorcerer's Stone (2001) In the first Harry Potter movie, Lord Voldemort is merely an enigmatic old threat lingering in the background, but when the history of Harry is explored via flashbacks, the dark wizard makes a brief debut, breaking into the Potters' home and skulking into baby Harry's room. The audience's next glimpse of Lord Voldemort comes during Harry's first year at Hogwarts with the digitized face of veteran British actor Richard Bremmer in Harry Potter and the Sorcerer's Stone's final battle. Not necessarily a familiar name to many, Bremmer has appeared in movies such as Shanghai Nights, To Kill A King, and The 13th Warrior. In a curious twist, he also played a minor role in Onegin — a 1999 romance starring future Voldemort actor Ralph Fiennes. Bremmer's Harry Potter career might've been brief — and his face may have been obscured by early-2000s CGI — but the footage was reused in Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows Part 2, allowing the original Voldemort actor to bookend the entire Harry Potter franchise. Since that appearance in Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows Part 2, Richard Bremmer has continued to work consistently, albeit in smaller roles. He appeared in films like Mr Turner, In the Heart of the Sea, and most notably, Stars Wars: The Rise of Skywalker, though he was credited as First Order Officer #5. Regardless, Bremmer will remain iconic as he's the first true look at Voldemort that audiences got in the films. Ian Hart - Harry Potter & The Sorcerer's Stone (2001) Voldemort's appearance Harry Potter & The Sorcerer's Stone was unique for technically requiring two actors to play the character. The villain survived his brush with Harry Potter and eventually came to graft himself onto the head of an unassuming Professor Quirrell - a naive student he met by chance and successfully corrupted. While Voldemort spends most of his Harry Potter debut beneath a turban, the climactic scene sees Quirrell reveal his true nature, and Voldemort's face is uncovered in all its horror. Professor Quirrell is played by British actor Ian Hart, who pulled double duty, also serving as the voice behind Voldemort's CGI face. As a testament to Hart's performance, this duality is not at all obvious in the finished film. Since his stint in the Wizarding World, Hart has continued to rack up television and film credits, making appearances in Agents of SHIELD, Finding Neverland, and Boardwalk Empire. Christian Coulson - Harry Potter and the Chamber of Secrets (2002) Harry Potter and the Chamber of Secrets delves deeper into Voldemort's life before Harry Potter, specifically his childhood. The movie explores his former identity as Tom Riddle and his days as a Hogwarts student, building towards the moment Harry begins his journey to kill the Dark Lord by unknowingly destroying part of the villain's soul. These scenes required a younger Voldemort actor to replace the middle-aged Bremmer, and British talent Christian Coulson was ultimately cast as Tom Riddle, receiving the honor of being the first non-digitized face to portray Lord Voldemort in the Harry Potter franchise. Playing the ethereal apparition of a 16-year-old Tom Riddle, Coulson made a considerable impression as the mysterious brooding teenager — despite already being in his mid-20s while filming Harry Potter. Coulson brought a good blend of arrogance and charisma to the role, which makes sense given Riddle's noted charm as a teen and who he became when he got older. The actor hasn't had a major career since but he continues to act, appearing in Gossip Girl, Nashville, and Blue Bloods. Ralph Fiennes (The Final 4 Harry Potter Movies) Of all the Voldemort actors, British actor Ralph Fiennes is the Thespian most widely associated with the role. First appearing in 2005's The Goblet of Fire, Fiennes would go on to make the villainous role iconic, appearing in each of the remaining Harry Potter films in varying capacities. Older transformations and youthful incarnations aside, Fiennes' face is the Voldemort actor fans remember — the definitive image of the Harry Potter villain. The critically-acclaimed actor was a resounding success as He Who Shall Not Be Named, managing to eke every last drop of venomous, sinister personality from Harry Potter's original book series. For a lot of book fans, Fiennes expertly captured the character from the pages in the same way that Alan Rickman did with Snape or that Maggie Smith did with McGonnagall. This was also the Voldemort that faced Harry Potter in real battles, making him the most exciting iteration. Harry Potter fans needn't look far to see what else Fiennes has been up to. The actor starred as M in the James Bond franchise, worked with Wes Anderson in The Grand Budapest Hotel, and lent his voice to The Lego Batman Movie and Doolittle. For anyone wanting another look at Fiennes playing a villain, he received high praise for his role in The Menu as a deadly chef. Hero Fiennes-Tiffin - Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince (2009) Playing Lord Voldemort became a family affair in The Half-Blood Prince when Ralph Fiennes' nephew was cast to play the 11-year-old version of Voldemort. Hero Fiennes-Tiffin can be seen when Dumbledore and Harry begin diving into memories, seeking a way to end the growing threat of Voldemort once and for all. David Yates (Harry Potter & The Half-Blood Prince director) has admitted Hero Fiennes-Tiffin's resemblance to Ralph was an important factor, but also insisted Fiennes-Tiffin excelled during auditions, managing to exude Voldemort's darkness better than the other young candidates. Despite an outwardly innocent appearance, Fiennes-Tiffin was able to communicate the potential for evil in his brief role. An 18-year-old version of Voldemort came close to appearing in The Half Blood Prince, with Michael Berendt cast as the adolescent evildoer and ready to film, but these scenes were cut from the final script. An older Hero Fiennes-Tiffin recently starred as the lead in Prime Video's Young Sherlock series. Frank Dillane - Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince (2009) For the multitude of flashbacks in Harry Potter & The Half-Blood Prince onward, Warner Bros needed to cast a mid-teens actor for the pre-Voldemort Tom Riddle. Christian Coulson was considered for a reprisal, but, having already been much older than Hogwarts-era Voldemort the first time around, the 30-year-old was ruled out of contention by David Yates. Several names were put forward for the part, but British actor and drama student Frank Dillane was eventually cast, having only appeared as an extra in previous projects. The son of Game of Thrones actor Stephen Dillane, Frank Dillane offered a more unhinged performance as Tom Riddle/Voldemort — a youngster beginning to embrace his dastardly instincts and forge a path towards wrongdoing. Outside of Harry Potter, Frank Dillane will be most familiar as Nick Clark from Fear The Walking Dead. One of the spinoff's original cast members, Nick met an untimely death in the AMC zombie show's fourth season. Eddie Izzard - The LEGO Batman Movie (2017) Not a name usually associated with Harry Potter's list of Voldemort actors, British comedian Eddie Izzard lent her voice to the wicked wizard in 2017's The LEGO Batman Movie. Despite having precious little to do with DC's Dark Knight, Voldemort makes an appearance in the LEGO spinoff venture alongside a host of familiar figures from pop culture, and it's Izzard providing his familiar tones to the plastic version of Harry Potter's big bad. Despite landing nowhere near the canon of Harry Potter's universe, Eddie Izzard as Voldemort certainly piqued fan interest, with the comedian's unique performance style and unmistakable vocals making her an ideal alternative to Ralph Fiennes. Perhaps when the Harry Potter reboot comes to pass, Izzard will be put forth as the next actor to play Lord Voldemort in live-action. Mystery Actor - HBO's Harry Potter & The Philosopher's Stone (Season 1) Warner Bros. This December, a new Harry Potter TV series is coming to Max and will tell all seven books' worth of stories. That means expanding on the movies and restoring some of the key scenes that they missed, including the key flashback telling the story of the Gaunts, which means more Voldemort for our money. That, of course, means we'll be getting a new actor playing the Dark Lord, but the reboot's version of Voldemort is one of the biggest missing pieces for the upcoming series. So far, whoever is playing the version of Voldemort seared into the back of Professor Quirrell's head. It could be the same actor who is brought in for Season 4's take on The Goblet of Fire, but there's also a chance we get to see another CGI stand-in. Billy Barratt - HBO's Harry Potter & The Chamber Of Secrets (Season 2) Though the Season 1 Voldemort mystery remains unanswered, HBO has already officially cast its first young Voldemort for Season 2, which will adapt The Chamber of Secrets. In that book, of course, the first horcrux in Tom Riddle's diary manipulates Ginny Weasley into resurrecting him. That is ultimately thwarted, but we will get to see Riddle both in the flashback he shows Harry and the partial resurrection at the end as Ginny fades. According to The Hollywood Reporter, he will be played by young, award-winning actor Billy Barratt who became the youngest-ever recipient of an International Emmy Award at age 13 for Responsible Child back in 2019. Since then, he's appeared in Kraven the Hunter, Bring Her Back, Apple TV's Invasion, and has Prime's Life Is Strange adaptation coming up. He steps into the shoes of Christian Coulson, and will play Riddle at age 16. HBO's Harry Potter & The Philosopher's Stone arrives on HBO Max on December 25, 2026. Created by J.K. Rowling Cast Daniel Radcliffe, Emma Watson, Rupert Grint, Tom Felton, Alan Rickman, Matthew Lewis, Bonnie Wright, Evanna Lynch, Maggie Smith, Michael Gambon, Richard Harris, Ralph Fiennes, Helena Bonham Carter, Alfred Enoch, Harry Melling, Gary Oldman, Robert Pattinson, Warwick Davis, Oliver Phelps, James Phelps, David Bradley, David Thewlis, Katie Leung, Jason Isaacs, Imelda Staunton, David Tennant, Jamie Campbell Bower, Timothy Spall, Robbie Coltrane, Eddie Redmayne, Jude Law, Katherine Waterston, Ezra Miller, Dan Fogler, Alison Sudol, Johnny Depp, Mads Mikkelsen Harry Potter is a multimedia franchise about an orphaned boy who enrolls at Hogwarts School of Wizardry, where he learns the truth about himself, his family, and the terrible evil that haunts the magical world. Adapted from the novels, Harry Potter is an eight-episode film saga that follows the journey of Harry Potter and his friends, Hermoine Granger and Ron Weasley, as they navigate the tricky world of growing up, school life, and magic. Starting from year one and moving to their seventh year, the films chronicle the students' time at Hogwarts while unfurling a sinister plot that centers around the unsuspecting Harry. With the return of the dark wizard, Voldemort, the students and professors at Hogwarts will fight to carry on as the world around them may change forever. Harry Potter has expanded beyond the world of its films and novels with several video games, a spin-off film series titled Fantastic Beasts, and even attractions at Universal Studios.