Frank Dillane and Hero Fiennes Tiffin as Tom Riddle

[Annielogic]

Hero Fiennes Tiffin in the role of Tom Riddle was very creepy with a mysterious dark edge. Also, I thought he captured Riddle's eagerness to be special/unique even in the wizarding terms. I thought he was excellent.

Frank Dillane was great. He seemed very creepy and manipulative, as well. He did use a smooth tone with Slughorn, but it didn't really seem the charming, charasmatic image that nearly everyone fell for.

[ProfJS]

Originally Posted by Annielogic

Frank Dillane was great. He seemed very creepy and manipulative, as well. He did use a smooth tone with Slughorn, but it didn't really seem the charming, charasmatic image that nearly everyone fell for.

That was the problem I had with the teenage riddle; he seemed transparently creepy, I don't see how he could manipulate anyone. He indeed doesn't have the charm or charisma to do it. He also seemed rather stiff to me.

To me, the teenage Riddle in COS seemed much smoother and capable of charisma and manipulation.

[CandyCane23049]

I felt Hero did real well and the guy who played the teenage riddle.

[Paperclip]

I think they both did an amazing job. The new teenage Riddle looks much more like the Tom I had in mind when reading the books.
Don't get me wrong, I liked Coulson as Tom Riddle, he's a great actor, but in my opinion he was/looked too old even back in CoS.

I do agree with those who said that teenage Tom seemed to be very transparently evil, eventhough I think he was quite charming (the way he spoke) as well, however, I blame script and directing rather than the actor for this.
They more or less cut the Character from the film, save for these two short memory sequences (arguably three). They did not intend to elaborate on Voldemort's character at all, so there was no room for subtlety about his intentions.

It's a shame really.

[LoonyLovegood77]

the younger tom from the orphange, hero fiennes tiffin, was PERFECT! the exactly way tom should be. everything from the look to the voice was perfect. loved him.
but the one that played the older riddle, frank dillane, was in my opinion horrible he just wasn't like tom, he had none of that charm he was supposed to have. he was just creepy and he didnt really fit the roll for me. he shouldn't be that creepy yet, he's only like 17 or something! its when he starts making more and more horcruxes that he starts to look different and be creepy like that. plus the two tom's didn't match up, his voice could never have changed from the guy in the orphange to the guy who was asking slughorn about horcruxes. i hated his voice for some reason, it just didn't work for me at all.

[jan74]

I liked both these actors' performances in Half-Blood Prince, first because their acting was superb and gave a somewhat unearthly, at times uncanny feel to the character.
Secondly because they showed different aspects of the character Tom Riddle, also compared to what we've seen before, thereby giving a more nuanced picture of Tom Riddle. Third thing they made so much of the little time they were given.

For me Hero showed the brooding side of Tom Riddle (the first shots) and above all the Riddle who is coldly appraising the people around him. I particularly found the blank stare he makes when watching Dumbledore, and the cold voice devoid of emotion when talking about hurting other people convincing. Quite a bit of the conversation with Dumbledore from the book was left out, so I see no point in criticizing what we didn't get.


Dillane showed the part of Tom Riddle which is very cunning and calculating, being well-spoken, controlling carefully his movements and his face and using pauses effectively. He also showed that part of Tom Riddle which is extremely confident and enjoys creating an air of mystery around himself (especially in the first part when the other students are present). I think he did extremely well at creating the effect that the director wanted. The scene from the book is changed in the film to make him more forceful and chilling and make the significance of what happens stand out more clearly - the scene must make sense as a part of telling the story of the film.

[Nyjets4004]

i really couldnt tell the diffrence i guess that means their both really good?

[juicesteen]

I really didn't like Frank Dillane's portrayal of Voldy, tbh. I didn't find a problem with his acting, no, I feel he did the best he could with the direction he got. That being said, I feel that Yates could have done more to make the character less obvious. While Tom's dark side was definitely becoming more and more apparent to those unaware of his past, he was still supposed to be charming. Yates doesn't make Frank Dillane charming, he makes him blatantly evil. I felt that this detracted from Voldemort's skill of manipulation. I maintain that Christian Coulson was the best Tom Riddle, however I blame that entirely on Columbus' direction.

[captain Sparrow]

I didn't like them much, Framk Dillane wasn't such a good Tom Riddle...Hero Finnes Tiffin was a bit better but neither of them were even close as good as Christian Coulson. He definitely is my favourite Tom Riddle...

[NoobTwinz5]

Originally Posted by Voldemorts8thHorcrux

I LOVE Hero as little Tom. I don't really agree with some choices the directors made with portraying characters, but he was spot on for me. In the book I remember he's supposed to be screaming with rage or something when he sees his wardrobe go up in flame, but I like Hero's portrayal better.

Yeah, I can't remember that scene very well, but how I look at it in the book, Riddle, like, jumped out of his chair and went into an ALL CAPS RAGE and started cussing and yelling at Dumbledore and flipping tables and throwing chairs across the room and throwing his rocks out the window and using his mind powers to kill the orphans in the other room. Or is that just me?

No but this Tom Riddle plays it cool. I love the look in his eyes when he sees the wardrobe go up in flames... it's just perfect.

[Gryffinderp]

Originally Posted by NoobTwinz5

Yeah, I can't remember that scene very well, but how I look at it in the book, Riddle, like, jumped out of his chair and went into an ALL CAPS RAGE and started cussing and yelling at Dumbledore and flipping tables and throwing chairs across the room and throwing his rocks out the window and using his mind powers to kill the orphans in the other room. Or is that just me?

No but this Tom Riddle plays it cool. I love the look in his eyes when he sees the wardrobe go up in flames... it's just perfect.

I LOL'd, sounds on par with the book description x) I would have preferred a more enraged portrayal in the film, personally. The kid seemed a bit too soft-spoken, although not in a sweet way, I'll give him that. I just envisioned Riddle as a mean little boy who could lash out when provoked (wardrobe set on fire) but knew how to "act" polite and attentive to get his way (when he wanted more information out of Dumbledore). I didn't see him as the soft-spoken, apathetic kid Tiffin portrayed - but the script-writers are probably at fault, I don't know how much lee-way they give the kid. And he's a pretty good actor for a kid.

[Peakes]

Hero as the 10/11 year old Tom - absolutely 100% perfect. The casual ambivalence towards violence, the look when the wardrobe is set on fire - absolutely spot on. Chilling.

Frank as the teenage Tom - No, sorry. Overplayed the creepy bit way too much, and I just didn't get any sense of him being charming or manipulative at all. This is meant to be a memory from Slughorn's point of view! There's no teacher who wouldn't have seen right through him and run a mile at the first mention of the word "horcrux".

[lucky charms]

Frank Dillane's acting was great, and although they I wish would've shown young Riddle to be more likable and subtle, this seemed (judging by Slughorn's freaked out and obviously not charmed reaction) to be a conscious choice on the part of the director. In a way, though, this decision makes sense to me: in the books, I always wondered why Slughorn was so set against handing over the memory. A lot of people had been charmed and fooled by Voldemort, so who would have blamed him? And even if you accept that he was consumed by guilt for something he had no idea would happen, wouldn't keeping it a secret and while families continue to be killed make you feel even more guilty than handing over such valuable information that could help defeat Voldemort? It never made any sense to me. But in the film, where the scene ends with Slughorn obviously realizing "oh sh**, this guy is quite likely going to murder people and make Horcruxes, but it'll be better to pretend I didn't hear anything", that establishes his culpability much more clearly, IMO creating a much more believable motivation to keep the memory a secret.

In any case, I'm apparently in the minority who preferred Frank Dillane's portrayal over Christian Coulson's. Coulson did the "innocent Riddle" parts well enough, but his "evil Riddle" parts were too jumpy and loud and quickly-spoken ("it was GINNY who OPENED the CHAMBER of SECRETS!") for me to reconcile it with the smooth, mocking, self-assured, dramatic Lord Voldemort.

[StarsAndShadows]

I actually didn't like Frank Dillane as Tom Riddle. I didn't find him good-looking or charming enough. I don't see him hoodwinking the whole Hogwarts staff with the exception of Dumbledore. For me, Christian Coulson was perfect in the role in CoS.

I wonder who they will cast as Tom Riddle when he tricks and robs Hepzibah Smith?

[chinofjim]

Originally Posted by lucky charms

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In any case, I'm apparently in the minority who preferred Frank Dillane's portrayal over Christian Coulson's. Coulson did the "innocent Riddle" parts well enough, but his "evil Riddle" parts were too jumpy and loud and quickly-spoken ("it was GINNY who OPENED the CHAMBER of SECRETS!") for me to reconcile it with the smooth, mocking, self-assured, dramatic Lord Voldemort.

I agree with this. He was really good in the Riddles memory scene (getting Hagrid fingered for releasing Aragog) but in the Chamber he came over as a little bit Bond Villian. I liked Frank Dilliane's portrayal very much. He was totally creepy but you could see how he would have charmed people