Eddie recently spoke with Empire about how he auditioned to play Tom Riddle in the original Harry Potter series of films.

He will make his debut turn as magizoologist Newt Scamander when Fantastic Beasts And Where to Find Them hits cinemas next month.

But Eddie Redmayne’s involvement in the wizarding world could have been very, very different – after the actor revealed that he once read for the role of young Voldemort.

But Eddie didn’t even get a call back – and it was Christian Coulson who eventually bagged the role of one Tom Marvolo Riddle in Harry Potter and the Chamber of Secrets.
Speaking to Empire, Eddie recalled: ‘I actually auditioned to play Tom Riddle while I was at university.

‘I properly failed and didn’t get a callback.

‘Over the years, I always hoped I might be cast as a member of the Weasley family – I’m colour blind, but I’ve always been told there’s a tinge of red to my hair – but unfortunately not.
‘A lot of my friends, like Domhnall Gleeson and Rob Pattinson, got their Harry Potter moment, but I never got mine.’

In our opinion, it was actually a blessing in disguise – with Eddie delivering an amazing performance as Newt Scamander in the 10 minutes of footage that we were lucky enough to witness last week.

But he’s still feeling the pressure, too.

‘I feel enormous pressure’, he revealed at the global fan event.

‘We were all fans and we grew up watching these films. For me, getting to go and see a Potter film every couple of years was like diving into that warm and cosy place that made you feel happy about the world.’

Fantastic Beasts And Where To Find Them hits cinemas on November 18.