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 In a first person article from Newsweek’s interview with Ralph Fiennes, the actor who portrayed “Lord Voldemort” in Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows Part 2 (which will be released tomorrow, July 15) shares his perspective on playing the dark wizard:

How “evil” is Lord Voldemort? He’s a demonic spirit. He’s a satanic force. Young Voldemort was an orphan and denied any kind of parental affection or love, so he’s been an isolated figure from a very young age.

But I always think there has to be the possibility of good in someone, too. It might have been eroded, repressed, suppressed, or somehow distorted with-in him after he was really damaged.

Fiennes went on to say that he wasn’t sure he wanted to play Harry Potter’s enemy, for he had not read the books and therefore did not know Voldemort at all. It wasn’t until he took the role that Fiennes looked through the books for reference of the Dark Lord.  But he was glad that he didn’t have to have the red eyes mentioned in the books:

As it turned out, I very much had a part in the way he looked. I found little physicalities in the role, and something always happened when I put those long, flowing robes on. That’s when I felt Voldemort.

I would come to the set in the morning, usually at around 6 a.m., and the whole process would take about two hours. I’d have my scalp completely shaved; they would put sickly reptilian skin on my hands and cover my eyebrows with prosthetic pieces.

In the book, Rowling described his glowing red eyes. I’m really glad they didn’t do that in the films. I would have these long fingernails glued on, and I couldn’t clench my fists or I’d break them. The designer made a wand with a hook like a bird’s claw at the end, and sometimes I would let it hang from one of my fingers. I don’t have the wand, but I did keep the very convincing dentures they made for me. They’re in a jar in my study.

And though Fiennes was pleased with the effect he has as Lord Voldemort, he remembered what it was like to be spooked by a film character when he was a kid himself:

When I was young, there was this character in Chitty Chitty Bang Bang called the Child Catcher. I remember being terrified by this figure. I think children should be really scared of Lord Voldemort.

Sometimes kids would come to the set, and I could see them looking at me anxiously. I once walked past the young child of a script supervisor, and he burst into tears. I felt very good about myself.

I don’t miss the character. I have a sense of completion. Everyone was wanting it to come to its grand finale.

Some actors enjoy signaling the evil in characters called “bad guys,” but you want to be a human being first of all. Everyone has the potential to be corrupted. Everyone.

Click here to read the complete interview.

Click here to view our red carpet interview with him at the world premiere of Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows Part 2 in London to hear his answer on whether or not Voldemort deserved redemption.  It certainly made me laugh.

Source:  Harry Potter Official Facebook Page

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 According to USA Today’s article , Harry Potter’s enemy “Lord Voldemort” (Ralph Fiennes) is number one in their list of “The 12 Most Wanted Villains of the Summer”:

1. Lord Voldemort (Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows, Part 2, July 15)

Secret weapon: Supremely dark magical powers, disgusting, noseless face

The man so bad you dare not speak his name tries to kill Harry Potter once and for all. “Harry Potter is a pain in the ass,” says Ralph Fiennes, who relishes the Voldemort role. “It’s not hard to be mean to Harry Potter. He’s so nice.” In terms of bad rankings, you can’t go higher. “He’s sort of the devil, really,” says Fiennes. His terrible face adds to his malevolent mojo and is sure to lead to a lot of frightened moviegoers. Adds Fiennes: “I hope I scare a lot of them.”

Also on the list is Gary Oldman’s evil peacock character “Lord Shen” (#11)  from the animated film Kung Fu Panda 2, although Harry Potter fans know the actor better for portraying “Sirius Black”:

…Oldman claims not to know why the public cheers on his menacing side. “I just sort of fell into it,” he says. “I have no idea why people like me as a villain.” Big hint: That treacherously wonderful voice is total awesomeness.In Oldman’s view, effective villainy is all about finding “the redeeming quality” of the characters to make them watchable on-screen. But if there is no tough upbringing to bolster a back story, other films trump up riveting cinematic credentials such as big weapons or Armageddon plans…

Hmm…’tough upbringing’ seems to apply to a certain villian we know and who spooks the #%j* out of us!

Click here to read the complete article and here to see the slideshow of  the villains on the list.

Source:  Harry Potter Official Facebook Page

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Wow, Warner Bros is really spoiling us this week!  This week we’ve received four Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows Part 2 character posters and we now have the fifth – Lord Voldemort!  See He Who Cannot Be Named (Ralph Fiennes) in all his sinisterness in our gallery here.

Make sure to check out Harry’s (Dan Radcliffe) here, Ron Weasley’s (Rupert Grint) here, Hermione Granger’s (Emma Watson) here, and Neville Longbottom’s (Matt Lewis) here!

Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows Part 2 will be in theatres July 15, 2011.  See the world-wide release dates here.

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We reported on Ralph Fiennes talking about his character “Lord Voldemort” in Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows Part 1 for an interview with USA Today.  He also sat down with Reelz Channel and told them why playing the part appealed to him.  A quote from Helena Bonham Carter (Bellatrix Lestrange) about the Dark Lord looking sexy without a nose was mentioned to Fiennes.  He responded by saying she has good taste.  Lol!

Also, Fiennes admitted he had been ambivalent about playing Harry Potter’s enemy until he understood the significance of the dark wizard’s character in the latter part of the series.

 Click here to watch the interview.

 Thanks to Reelz Channel for letting us know. 

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USA Today has done a quick write up on He Who Must Not Be Named – namely Voldemort, and Ralph Fiennes, who portrays the character in the Harry Potter films.  Fiennes, along with Dan Radcliffe (Harry Potter), Tom Felton (Draco Malfoy), and director David Yates, all have a bit to say about the evilest of wizards.

Fiennes says the character is about evil and power. He even goes into character a bit when he speaks of Harry Potter.

“He’s really sort of the devil,” says Fiennes, 47. “He’s completely emotionally detached. He has no empathy. You find that in psychopaths.”

“It’s about power with Voldemort,” he says. “It’s an aphrodisiac for him. Power makes him feel alive.”

“Daniel’s very nice, but Harry Potter’s a pain,” says Fiennes, scowling and hissing.

Dan talks about the differences between his character and Voldemort and how Fiennes freaks him out when in character.

“Jo Rowling has always said that the thing that separates Harry from Voldemort is that Harry is not afraid of death,” Radcliffe says.

“When Ralph’s doing his Voldemort stuff, he just really freaks me out.”

David Yates says that it’s a bit spooky watching Fiennes portray Voldemort.

Director David Yates praises the actor’s ability to nail Voldemort’s mercurial menace. “Where he goes in his eyes is really haunting.”

Felton, who has great respect for the great actor, also gets a little freaked out by the Fiennes-Voldemort character.

“Ralph is mesmerizing,” Felton says. “He never did two takes the same. … I had to keep reminding myself: ‘Stay in character. Don’t just sit there and watch his performance.’ ”

Even when the cameras stop, the aura of Voldemort remains.

“He dominates scenes in the film, and it’s like that off the set as well,” Felton says. “He’s quite a charming guy. And when he opens his mouth, people listen. Let’s put it this way: No one talks over him.”

Read the entire article here.

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An international trailer for Clash of the Titans posted by EW.com has some footage (finally!) of Ralph Fiennes (Lord Voldemort in Goblet of Fire and Order of the Phoenix) as “Hades” along with a voiceover of lines from the god of the Underworld.  Although Fiennes may sound and look different as “Hades” than he does as “Voldemort”, he still appears dark and eerie, for the article comments that his voice is “far creepier than any image of the Kraken”.  Take a look at the trailer and decide for yourself!

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Happy Birthday, Mr. Fiennes!

Ralph Fiennes is known to Harry Potter fans as “the Dark Lord” Voldemort in the film adaptations of Goblet of Fire and Order of the Phoenix.  He will reprise the role in Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows Part I and Part II.

Ralph Fiennes was born in Ipswich, Suffolk, England on December 22, 1962 which makes him 47 years old today. 

Thanks to Snitchseeker for the reminder.

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Today Tom Felton (Draco Malfoy in the Harry Potter films) updated his Twitter saying he was filming Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows with Ralph Fiennes (Voldemort) today and had a great day.

had a great day at work! learning from the best, its an honour to work with Ralph Fiennes, he’s so professional and talented

It is unknown which scene they’re currently filming.

Tom has been getting up early for filming and bleached his hair at home this past weekend to help prepare himself for getting back on the set.

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Entertainment Weekly has posted their list of 17 Characters Who Are Charming — But Deadly.  Lord Voldemort, portrayed by Ralph Fiennes, has made their list.

VOLDEMORT/TOM RIDDLE
Played by Ralph Fiennes
The Harry Potter films (2001-present)

Known as the Dark Lord to those who dare not speak his name, this corrupted wizard represents ultimate evil in the world of J.K. Rowling’s magical books. And as played by the regal Ralph Fiennes — with childhood assists from young actors like Christian Clouson, Frank Dillane, and Fiennes’ own nephew, Hero Fiennes-Tiffin — it’s easy to see how Voldemort could seduce anyone to the dark side.

Source: MN

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