‘I Looked Deranged.’ Harry Potter’s Matthew Macfadyen Thought He’d Just Copy Ralph Fiennes’ Voldemort, But The Director Had Other Ideas

by

While fans eagerly await the upcoming HBO Harry Potter series, a new adaptation has arrived: a full-cast audio version of J.K. Rowling’s books on Audible. Over the next two years, all seven books will be released in this format. The audiobook boasts an impressive cast – Matthew Macfadyen, for example, voices Voldemort – but he recently revealed that bringing the villain to life wasn’t quite what he expected, detailing the unusual direction he received from the director.

Matthew Macfadyen recently appeared on Late Night with Seth Meyers to discuss his future projects. He was asked about voicing a new audiobook and stepping into the role of the famous villain previously played by Ralph Fiennes in the films. Macfadyen shared his excitement about taking on the part, explaining that he was very pleased to be involved.

I was really happy to be asked, as I hadn’t done much audio work before. I knew I’d never be considered for the role of Voldemort myself, so I decided to go into the studio and try to imitate Ralph Fiennes, since his performance was so memorable and iconic. It was just a couple of days of recording, and I figured copying him would be the best approach.

Everyone agrees that Ralph Fiennes’ portrayal of Voldemort is amazing and unique. It appears the Succession actor aimed to draw inspiration from the Harry Potter films, which are available on HBO Max. But the source books and the director of these new audiobooks had a different vision, as Matthew Macfadyen shared:

I hadn’t noticed when reading the books that the character is described as having a very high-pitched voice – the narrator often mentions a ‘cold, high voice.’ So, when I started performing, the director kept asking me to make my voice even higher. It was actually quite silly – he’d have me say things like [in a high voice] ‘Oh, no, Harry!’

It’s true that Voldemort’s voice is already quite soft in the films. But it seems the creators of these new audiobooks asked actor Tom Macfadyen to make his voice even higher pitched for the role.

The actor remembered not only altering his voice for the role, but also the experience of recording the audiobooks in a studio. Considering the props he used and having to wear a microphone, it’s easy to understand why he jokingly said he looked “crazy” while portraying Voldemort.

You know, being on set was wild. They actually handed me this wand – it was kind of a silly, comforting thing, I guess. And they had a microphone rigged up to my head! I probably looked completely crazy, but honestly, it was amazing.

He might have felt a little ridiculous wearing a wand and microphone on his head, but thankfully, the audience didn’t see that. He also avoided the extreme physical transformation Ralph Fiennes underwent for the films – no need for a shaved head or altered nose! Despite any self-consciousness he felt during rehearsals, it all ultimately helped him create a memorable performance.

Macfadyen also seemed to really enjoy his “comfort wand,” playfully telling Meyers he’d used it to scratch his back and pretended to cast spells with it.

He really enjoyed recording these audiobooks, but I’m especially excited to hear Matthew Macfadyen’s portrayal of Voldemort. The cast is fantastic overall – Hugh Laurie is Dumbledore, Riz Ahmed is Snape, and there are many other great actors bringing these characters to life.

Plus, Arabella Stanton, who stars as Hermione in the new HBO series, will also be the voice of Hermione in the audiobooks for the first three books. This means we’ll get a preview of her take on the character!

There’s plenty of exciting potential with this project. Matthew Macfadyen previously thought he wouldn’t be a contender to play Voldemort in any on-screen version, but the role hasn’t been filled yet. This makes me wonder if his strong portrayal of the character in the books could now open the door for him to appear in the upcoming TV series.

That said, it’s not just a fantasy. He truly dedicated himself to voicing Voldemort in an audio format, and the first of these complete, cast-recorded audiobooks is available on Audible right now.

Read More

2025-11-05 19:39