Ralph Fiennes has a wardrobe warning for the next Voldemort: ‘Watch the robes!’

Ralph Fiennes has some wickedly funny words of wisdom for the next actor stepping into the (very dramatic) robes of Lord Voldemort. With HBO’s upcoming Harry Potter TV reboot officially underway, the original Dark Lord actor is passing the torch — and some crucial costume tips.

Ralph Fiennes’ robe-wrangling tips for Voldemort’s TV successor

Ralph, who played Voldemort across five films between 2005 and 2011, was recently asked if he had any advice for his successor. The Oscar-nominated actor didn’t miss a beat. “Make sure you can handle the long, flowing robes, and don’t trip over them,” he said, before adding, “Practice your long, flowing robe walk.” It’s clear that playing He Who Must Not Be Named comes with more than just wand-waving and snake-whispering — there’s also robe management to consider.

Ralph also shared a delightfully odd bit of costume trivia from his Voldemort days. In the early films, he wore a one-piece pair of tights with a gusset. “The gusset kept getting lower and lower throughout the day — it became uncomfortable,” he revealed. Eventually, he requested a wardrobe change: individual tights “like a garter belt.” Ever the mischief-maker, Ralph joked, “I enjoyed teasing the stunt guys by lifting up my robes and showing them my garter belt.”

While he’s given his blessing to a new Voldemort, Ralph has previously said he’d be open to returning to the role ‘of course’ — though he recently called Oppenheimer star Cillian Murphy ‘a wonderful suggestion’ to take over.

Though HBO has yet to announce the actor who will play the Dark Lord in its TV adaptation of J.K. Rowling’s books, the core Hogwarts trio has been cast. Dominic McLaughlin will play Harry Potter, with Alastair Stout and Arabella Stanton as Ron and Hermione, respectively. Joining them are a string of heavyweight names: John Lithgow as Albus Dumbledore, Janet McTeer as Professor McGonagall, Paapa Essiedu as Severus Snape, and Nick Frost as Hagrid. As for who’ll bring Voldemort’s chilling presence back to screen — flowing robes and all — that reveal remains under wraps. But whoever it is, they’ve got a tough act (and some serious tights) to follow.

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