Voldemort From Harry Potter Is Actually Handsome In Real Life

Cedric Diggory, Viktor Krum, even a post-glow-up Neville Longbottom. When it comes to the "Harry Potter" franchise's roster of handsome hunks, these names are likely among the top of the list. But, true to his character, lurking in the shadows of these heartthrobs is an unexpected contender: Voldemort. In the movies, he was a vision of living death — an eerie amalgam of serpentine features and spectral pallor. Gone was the nose, replaced instead by narrow slits that flared with predatory disdain, and thin, bloodless lips moved only to deliver venomous proclamations. His pale, lurid eyes pierced through anyone daring enough to meet them, and above these sat a smooth, hairless dome of a skull that added to the nightmare.

But unlike his character, the man behind the makeup is blue-ribbon British actor and filmmaker Ralph Fiennes. In real life, he has a sensitive, cerebral charm and telegenic good looks — a wizarding world away from the Dark Lord's haunting visage. His breakout role as the terrifying SS officer Amon Göth in the 1993 masterpiece "Schindler's List" put him on the map. He later won hearts for his vulnerability in "The English Patient," took on the romantic lead in "The Constant Gardener" opposite the radiant Rachel Weisz, and played M in "James Bond." With his refined demeanour and knack for thoughtful, complex roles, Fiennes has become the poster boy of the sophisticate. It's no wonder, then, fans created a Facebook page in his honor called "Ralph Fiennes is Hot."

Speaking about his portrayal of the seminal villain, Ralph Fiennes shared on "The Jonathan Ross Show" that he was aiming to make Voldemort's role "really as scary as it could be." Part of achieving this, of course, meant spending hours in the makeup chair — but surprisingly, the process was more minimal than expected. In a behind-the-scenes interview, he said he was keen to avoid heavy makeup, explaining, "It's curious how you feel it blocking expression when you wear all that stuff." His transformation involved prosthetics to remove his eyebrows, but his mouth and neck remained untouched. As for the infamous ophidian nose, this was digitally remastered in post-production. Fans were stunned to learn how much of the character's creepiness came down to Fiennes' acting alone, with one YouTube commenter summing it up perfectly: "The moment when you realise that the actor who plays Voldemort is actually really good looking..."

And it seems the menacing magnetism runs in the family. Fiennes' nephew, Hero Fiennes Tiffin, played a younger version of He Who Must Not Be Named, portraying an 11-year-old Tom Marvolo Riddle in "Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince." According to Forbes, director David Yates cast him not because of his relative, but because he captured "the corners and the dark moods and odd spirit of the character." Clearly, Fiennes folk have mastered the real magic: drawing audiences under their magical spell.