“It gave me goosebumps then.” Ralph Fiennes' improvised scene from Harry Potter was so creepy that co-star still feels uncomfortable to this day
Ralph Fiennes as Lord Voldemort in Harry Potter caused anxiety not only in the audience, but also in the other actors who played with him.
Lord Voldemort is an iconic villain, recognized not only by Harry Potter fans. The character created by J.K. Rowling and created on screen by Ralph Fiennes sends shivers down the spine almost every time he appears. And not only in readers or viewers – Fiennes as Voldemort was able to frighten and shock other actors who appeared with him in the film series as well.
The actor allowed himself to improvise as Lord Voldemort on the set of Harry Potter. And Tom Felton, in his biography Beyond the Wand: The Magic and Mayhem of Growing Up a Wizard, described how one improvisation by Fiennes surprised him and caused goosebumps on his body (via Business Insider).
For many of the takes I did the same thing: walking past Voldemort, keeping my distance, pacing slowly, head down, slightly terrified. Ralph would look at me differently every time. Sometimes he'd smile. Sometimes he wouldn't. Sometimes he would break off his monologue and tell me to go back.
We are talking about the scene shot for Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows – Part 2, when, after “defeating” Harry, Voldemort talks to his opponents and asks who will come to his side. That's when he also calls out to Draco, who, as he passes Voldemort, is hugged by him. Felton confessed that this shot was improvised by Fiennes and to this day evokes goosebumps on his body.
In the middle of one take, as I was pacing towards him for the umpteenth time, he lifted his arm just a fraction. It was the slightest movement, but enough to stop me in my tracks and think: is he trying to hug me? Uncertain, I shimmied towards him, my arms down by my side. He put his own arms around me and gave me perhaps the most uninviting hug ever captured on film. Even on set it chilled me. A hug from Voldemort was scary for Draco, and it was equally awkward for Tom. It gave me goosebumps then, and the memory gives me goosebumps now.
Felton had no idea that this particular shot would be used in the film. He said that he only learned about it at the London premiere, when he had the opportunity to see the movie for the first time. Certainly, when he watched the scene, all the unpleasant feelings it evoked in him during filming returned. So he was able to relive this uncomfortable experience together with the audience.
That was one take out of 50. I had no idea they were going to use it until I saw the film for the first time at the premiere in London. The audience was completely silent. There was something so very twisted about that moment, something so wrong about watching Voldemort's warped display of affection, that I could sense everybody around me holding their breath uncomfortably.
And betting on this shot was a good decision. It did indeed cause exceptional discomfort. There is something disconcerting about seeing Lord Voldemort lock someone in a hug that should be a gesture of showing affection, but in his case it only caused anxiety. Not only in Draco Malfoy and Tom Felton, who had to experience it, but also in the audience.