“I was a little snobby about it.” Ralph Fiennes became most famous for his $7.8 billion franchise, which he almost turned down for a silly reason
Ralph Fiennes, for a silly reason, almost failed to appear in a famous film series that guaranteed him greater recognition.
Harry Potter film series has earned as much as $7.8 billion in box office (via Box Office Mojo), becoming one of the most profitable. It has promoted many actors, both young and old, who, despite their well-established position in the industry, have become known to the widest audience precisely because of the adventures of the young wizard, loved by children and adults.
And while it seemed that the offer of a role in Harry Potter would be treated by actors as a big opportunity, there were some who were skeptical of the idea. This included Ralph Fiennes, who played Lord Voldemort in Harry Potter.
The actor initially wanted to turn down offers from the filmmakers responsible for the adventures of the young wizard. He was not familiar with either the books or the films and was not particularly interested in the option of playing the iconic villain, he said during an interview with Watch What Happens Live.
In my stupid ignorance I hadn't read the books, I hadn't seen the first movies, and I was, I have to say, a little snobby about it. Until the casting director, great lady, English Lady, Mary Selway sat me down – I mean, I've known Mary for many years. She could be tough, and very insistent, and she just said, “You have to do this movie. Just do it Ralph.” And she said it with such emphasis. And then my sister, who has children who were then around 11 and 12, and I said, “Martha, I don't know about this Voldemort.” Her response? “What? You're being asked to play Voldemort? You've got to do it!”
When Fiennes was offered the role of Voldemort, Harry Potter already had a track record of cinematic success. The first films were hugely popular, and as a result it is surprising that the actor was reluctant to star in a successful series, especially since he was to be given one of the more interesting and important roles.
Fortunately, the actor let himself be persuaded to star in the Harry Potter films, resulting in a perfect Voldemort on the screens. Fiennes handled the role brilliantly, and surely the next actor to play Lord Voldemort in the TV series will face a tough challenge, as his performance is sure to be compared to his predecessor.