TV & Movies
The Young Voldermorts Are All Grown Up & Honestly, I Don't Know What To Feel
The Riddle glow up is real.
It's been nearly two decades since The Philosopher's Stone came out (I know, I feel old too), and since then, various actors have portrayed one of the most iconic villains in fiction: Lord Voldemort. Obviously, Ralph Fiennes is the true MVP when it comes to the Dark Lord, but the three actors who played young Voldemort always seemed to steal the show regardless of their screen time. Their role as Tom Riddle gave fans a chance to see the dramatic transformation between the young wizard and his nightmarish future self first hand. Thankfully, that glow down was fictional (phew), and the guys that brought Riddle to life have actually turned out to be fit AF.
While nothing can beat Neville Longbottom's truly earth-shattering glow up, I think it's fair to say that Hero Fiennes-Tiffin, Frank Dillane, and Christian Coulson totally deserve some of the recognition that Matthew Lewis got, despite the fact that they only appeared in a few scenes throughout the franchise. And yeah, they may have played one of the most disturbing individuals in the Harry Potter universe — and in fiction in general — but they've moved past it, OK? Fiennes-Tiffin is playing another bad boy (sans the Voldy vibe) in After After series, Dillane is set to star in The Essex Serpent, and Coulson recently starred in the TV adaptation of High Fidelity.
If you haven't had the pleasure of seeing these guys in action after their time as Riddle, boy have I got a treat for you below. Prepare to feel like you've taken a swig of Amortentia and meet your new celeb crushes.
1Hero Fiennes-Tiffin
This dreamy 21-year-old actor has made quite the name for himself since playing 11-year-old Riddle in the Half-Blood Prince. Yes, Hero Fiennes-Tiffin is Ralph Fiennes nephew (so fitting), but this actor is recognised for his own talents, including modelling and obviously his role as the Harry Styles-inspired Hardin Scott in the After series, and is currently filming two more sequels.
Aside from After, Fiennes-Tiffin also starred opposite Game of Thrones star Nikolaj Coster-Waldau in the 2020 film The Silencing. Fiennes-Tiffin played Brooks, the brother of a local sheriff who is working on a murder case in a small American town.
2Frank Dillane
Dillane joined Fiennes-Tiffin in the Half-Blood Prince as a 16-year-old Riddle, and also reprised his role in the Deathly Hallows. The actor also has some pretty stellar connections in the acting biz thanks to his dad Stephen (who plays Stannis Baratheon on Game of Thrones), but he's aware that he'll forever be recognised for his role in Harry Potter.
"It's funny. Whatever I do, I'll always be remembered for Tom Riddle!" he told Radio Times in April 2016. "It was great to play such an incredible part, but it was a very short scene. I wasn't in the film for that long."
Since Harry Potter, Dillane has gone on to have a major starring role in Fear the Walking Dead, as well as playing Christophe in Starz anthology drama The Girlfriend Experience and will star opposite Tom Hiddleston and Claire Danes in Apple TV’s adaptation of The Essex Serpent.
3Christian Coulson
Christian Coulson also played the 16-year-old Riddle, but this time in the Chamber of Secrets — a role that could have gone to the equally swoon-worthy Eddie Redmayne according to Marie Claire. Not to discredit Redmayne by any means, but IMO Coulson was the perfect choice for this role.
The now 40-year-old (?!) Coulson portrayed the villainous side of Riddle brilliantly, and I think it's fair to say he made everyone question whether or not having a crush on young Voldemort was morally questionable.
Since his tenure as the Dark Lord, Coulson has appeared in episodes of Blue Bloods, High Fidelity, and The Equalizer. He also had a major role in the ABC musical drama series Nashville during its fifth series as Damien George.
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