Casting for HBO’s new wizarding world continues to unfold — but one of the most recognizable figures in the Harry Potter mythology still has no confirmed actor.
That hasn’t stopped fans from searching for clues. A recent burst of online speculation suggests viewers believe they may have already identified the performer who could portray a younger version of Lord Voldemort.
The theory centers on Tom Riddle, the Dark Lord’s teenage identity, who first appears in the early years of Harry’s Hogwarts story and later becomes a central part of the saga’s wider mythology.
HBO’s New Wizarding World
First announced in 2023, HBO’s television adaptation of Harry Potter and the Philosopher’s Stone is currently filming its first season. The series retells Harry’s first year at Hogwarts as he discovers the wizarding world and begins his friendship with Ron Weasley and Hermione Granger.
Warner Bros. Discovery has already revealed the show’s three young leads. Dominic McLaughlin will portray Harry Potter, joined by Alastair Stout as Ron Weasley and Arabella Stanton as Hermione Granger.
The trio emerged from an enormous casting search that reportedly drew more than 30,000 applicants.
Several prominent adult roles have also been announced. John Lithgow will play Albus Dumbledore, while Janet McTeer takes on the role of Minerva McGonagall.
Paapa Essiedu will portray Severus Snape, and Nick Frost has been cast as Rubeus Hagrid.
Other confirmed cast members include Paul Whitehouse as Argus Filch, Luke Thallon as Professor Quirrell, Katherine Parkinson as Molly Weasley, and Johnny Flynn as Lucius Malfoy.
One major villain, however, remains uncast publicly. In the original films, Lord Voldemort was portrayed by Ralph Fiennes.
Rumors have connected several actors to the reboot’s version of the character, including Cillian Murphy, Paul Bettany, Tom Hiddleston, and Tilda Swinton (although fans remain divided on the concept of a female Voldemort).
HBO leadership has downplayed those reports. Casey Bloys, chairman and CEO of HBO and Max content, told Variety that fans should “take everything you read with a grain of salt.”
Unsurprisingly, Voldemort did not appear in the initial Harry Potter trailer released by HBO in March.
The Tom Riddle Speculation
Despite that warning, fans believe a clue may have appeared online.
Some eagle-eyed fans have noticed that multiple young members of the Harry Potter cast, including Dominic McLaughlin, have suddenly followed British actor Owen Cooper on Instagram.
Owen Cooper is best known for his role as teenage murder suspect Jamie Miller in the Netflix series Adolescence. He also recently portrayed a younger version of Heathcliff in Wuthering Heights (2026).
In addition to McLaughlin, Arabella Stanton and Lox Pratt — who will play Draco Malfoy — now follow Cooper on Instagram.
At 16, Cooper would fall within the typical age range for Tom Riddle during his Hogwarts years.
The character first appears in Harry Potter and the Chamber of Secrets, where Harry encounters a preserved teenage version of Riddle inside a magical diary.
The memory manipulates Ginny Weasley — played in the reboot by Gracie Cochrane — and ultimately reveals that Riddle is the young Lord Voldemort, reopening the Chamber of Secrets and unleashing the basilisk beneath Hogwarts.
Riddle’s past becomes even more significant later in the story. In Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince, Harry studies memories of the villain’s childhood and early adulthood as he begins to understand how the gifted student transformed into Voldemort.
Fragments of Voldemort’s soul — known as Horcruxes — become the central threat driving the final books.
Several actors portrayed the character in the original film series. Christian Coulson played the teenage version in Harry Potter and the Chamber of Secrets (2002).
Flashbacks in Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince (2009) later introduced younger versions portrayed by Frank Dillane and Hero Fiennes Tiffin.
In the books, Tom Riddle is described as strikingly handsome, charismatic, and exceptionally intelligent. Those qualities allow him to charm teachers and classmates while secretly pursuing dark magic.
Several moments exploring that background were omitted from the films, particularly in Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince (2009).
The movie cut memories of Riddle’s childhood at Wool’s Orphanage, his disturbing ability to control other children, and his later job at Borgin and Burkes.
Another missing storyline involved the murder of Hepzibah Smith, which enabled him to obtain Hufflepuff’s Cup and Slytherin’s locket — objects that later became Horcruxes.
HBO has not commented on the speculation surrounding Cooper.
Do you think Owen Cooper would be a good Tom Riddle?
