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I'd argue that a lot of the magic that emanates from the Harry Potter movies is due to the stellar cast. British veteran actors brought J.K. Rowling’s characters to life in stunning fashion for the big screen, which made them all the more memorable to fans. As the years go on, franchise alums share insight into their work on the blockbuster series. Now, I’m laughing at Jason Isaacs’ story about how some of those actual Oscar winners sat around bored while Voldemort delivered those lengthy monologues.
To call the Harry Potter cast talented would be an understatement, as Dame Maggie Smith, Dame Emma Thompson, Julie Walters, Jim Broadbent and more all either won or were nominated for Oscars before joining the fantasy franchise. So, you can imagine what a riot I had when hearing Isaacs speak at Liverpool Comic Con 2024 and share his recollection of seeing Fiennes as Voldemort performing his soliloquies. I would've found it compelling but, apparently, it was a different story, as Isaacs explained:
Me and Helena [Bonham Carter] and Helen, the late great Helen McCrory, stand there going, ‘Oh Christ, how many days are we going to watch Ralph [Fiennes] doing his monologue for? Ralph was being fabulous as Voldemort. We’re like, ‘Oh my God!’ I remember thinking, ‘God, I’ve got like two weeks of this. I got three lines. I can’t believe it.’
The idea of Jason Isaacs wondering how much longer Ralph Fiennes was going to go on with Voldemort’s famed speeches is hilarious. On that same token, I guess this shouldn’t come as too much of a surprise, as the Peter Pan actor previously spoke about the Harry Potter movies being “boring” to make due to how special effects-heavy they were. Still, I never considered how Voldemort’s monologues could contribute to the long hours on set.
Still, it's hard to deny that Voldemort knew how to make an entrance. With the Harry Potter antagonist being the ultimate evil of the series, of course, he was going to boast about “killing” The Boy Who Lived and try to gain new followers. Fiennes -- a Royal National Theatre alum and Tony winner -- also owned the role. Nevertheless, as Isaacs further stressed, Fiennes' Academy Award-winning co-stars were just tired after a while:
And I look over and there’s Maggie [Smith], you know, Oscar, no lines. Julie Walters, Oscar, no lines. Jim Broadbent, Oscar, no lines. Emma Thompson. I thought, ‘At least I’ve got three lines coming up.’ I go, ‘No, they got nothing.’ So, I was standing watching essentially Ralph’s rather brilliant one-man show in the courtyard was challenging also.
I'm suddenly getting mental images of people on set looking at their watches. Just think of the frustration of waiting for your cue, just so you can say your three lines and call it a day. I'd say one big thing to pick up from this story is that even Oscar winners and veteran actors can get impatient while on set. And, honestly, I love how relatable that is.
Make no mistake, though, as the stars didn't take issue with Ralph Fiennes' actual performance, which continues to receive praise to this day. It's because of the high standard set by Fiennes that the next actor to play Voldemort will have some big shoes to fill. And I wonder if his eventual co-stars will have the same level of patience that Jason Isaacs and co. had for Fiennes.
If you want to revisit Voldemort’s famed monologues, the Harry Potter movies are available for streaming with an HBO Max subscription or a Peacock subscription.
