• Andy Serkis says he’s ready to play Voldemort in HBO’s upcoming Harry Potter series and is “waiting for the call”
• Serkis made the comments during a Happy Sad Confused interview with Josh Horowitz while promoting his Animal Farm film
• The role of Voldemort has not yet been cast — HBO’s first season is set to debut Christmas 2026
• Serkis acknowledged Ralph Fiennes’ iconic portrayal, calling it “big boots to follow”
• Separate rumors suggest HBO may be eyeing an MCU star for the Dark Lord role

Andy Serkis is not shy about which role he wants next. The Lord of the Rings legend — best known for bringing Gollum to life across six Middle-earth films — has made it clear he’d jump at the chance to play Voldemort in HBO’s highly anticipated Harry Potter reboot series. And after hearing his case, it’s hard to disagree with him.

During a recent sit-down with Josh Horowitz on the Happy Sad Confused podcast, Serkis was asked point-blank whether he’d ever considered stepping into He Who Must Not Be Named’s robes. He seemed briefly caught off guard — then gave exactly the kind of answer you’d hope for.

“Wow. Definitely [in]. I mean, yeah. I’m just waiting for the call, basically. That’s a cool one. Mind you, [Ralph Fiennes] leaves big boots to follow,” Serkis said.

When Horowitz pressed him on one of the role’s more notorious requirements — namely, the nose situation — Serkis didn’t flinch. It’s exactly the kind of commitment you’d want from someone who has spent decades disappearing entirely into characters.

And disappear he has. Between Gollum in The Lord of the Rings, Caesar in the Planet of the Apes reboot trilogy, and Supreme Leader Snoke in the Star Wars sequel films, Serkis has built one of the most unique careers in modern cinema — a body of work defined by transformation, physicality, and the ability to make monstrous characters feel achingly human. Playing a noseless dark wizard who moves like something not quite of this world? That’s practically his home turf.

Why the Timing Actually Works

Here’s the thing about Voldemort in the new series: there’s no rush. The Dark Lord doesn’t fully appear in the flesh until the fourth book — meaning HBO wouldn’t need the role locked down until well into the show’s run. With the first season set to debut Christmas 2026 and a second season already in the scripting phase, the casting team has room to breathe.

That said, the Voldemort question is already one of the buzziest unknowns surrounding the project. Separate reports have suggested HBO may be looking at an MCU name for the role — with Paul Bettany’s name surfacing in speculation — though none of that has been confirmed by the studio. Ralph Fiennes himself has already weighed in with his own unusual suggestion for who should take over the role, which only added more fuel to the conversation.

Serkis, for his part, isn’t sitting around waiting. He’s got a full slate. His animated adaptation of Animal Farm — which he directed — is already out, though critics have largely been cool on it, taking issue with the film softening Orwell’s political edge for a younger audience. And beyond that, he’s heading back to Middle-earth in a big way: The Lord of the Rings: The Hunt for Gollum, currently eyeing a 2027 release, will see Serkis both direct and reprise his role as Gollum. The film reportedly follows Aragorn’s hunt to capture Gollum in the years between The Hobbit and The Fellowship of the Ring, with Lee Pace and Jamie Dornan among the stars and Philippa Boyens co-writing alongside Phoebe Gittins and Arty Papageorgiou. He’s also attached to The Batman Part II.

So yes, the man is busy. But “waiting for the call” from Warner Bros. and HBO? Apparently there’s always room on the schedule for Voldemort.

The first season of Harry Potter arrives on HBO this Christmas. Whoever ends up wearing the Dark Lord’s robes, the bar — set by Fiennes across eight films — is extraordinarily high. But if there’s one actor alive who knows how to make audiences forget they’re watching a performance at all, it’s the guy who made a CGI cave creature one of the most heartbreaking characters in cinema history.

Warner Bros., the number is right there.

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