Ralph Fiennes knows who should play Voldemort in HBO’s Harry Potter series, and it’s not who many would expect.

Fiennes, of course, played the infamous antagonist in the early 2000s Harry Potter film series starting with 2005’s Harry Potter and the Goblet of Fire. The rest of the cast included Daniel Radcliffe, Rupert Grint, Emma Watson, Robbie Coltrane, Michael Gambon, Alan Rickman, and Maggie Smith, among many others.

Though the films hold an iconic status, especially among millennial audiences, HBO has made a television reboot to more closely adapt the source material. Replacing the original actors are Dominic McLaughlin, Alastair Stout, Arabella Stanton, Nick Frost, John Lithgow, Paapa Essiedu, and Janet McTeer. Notably, one cast member, Warwick Davis, will be reprising his role among otherwise all-new cast members.

Despite being a major character, the casting for Voldemort/Tom Riddle has yet to be announced, likely due to his role in the first book being minimal. Nonetheless, Fiennes has an idea of who HBO should include in their casting call.

When pressed on who he wanted to see take over the iconic villain role, Fiennes pulled from fan ideas. “I’ll tell you, Tilda Swinton was mentioned somewhere as being a contender,” he stated (via The Hollywood Reporter). “And I think she would be amazing.“

Previously, Fiennes offered some humorous advice to whomever takes on the Voldemort role next. “Make sure you can handle the long-flowing robes and don’t trip over them,” the actor quipped. “Practice your long, flowing robe walk.” He then told an anecdote about how an unpleasant costume turned into an inside joke with the crew:

Also, I wore tights. Initially, they were one piece with a gusset, which kept getting lower and lower during the shooting day and became uncomfortable. So then I said I wanted individual tights like a garter belt. I enjoyed teasing the stunt guys by lifting up my robes and showing them my garter belt.

While costuming is a major aspect of playing a fantasy role, Fiennes’ guidance for the next Voldemort actor is unserious. Moreover, if Swinton were chosen, her history of playing chameleonic roles would lend itself to donning wizard robes. Still, casting for Voldemort is reportedly not complete, with HBO CEO Casey Bloys recently stating: “I don’t even know who we’re casting. I really don’t! I would take everything you read with a grain of salt.“

The first season of Harry Potter is slated to premiere on December 25, 2026.