Hero Fiennes-Tiffin

"The fact that he's related to Ralph wasn't the primary reason for choosing him. It was an advantage that he looked very similar to Ralph. Of course that was useful. But primarily I went for Hero because of this wonderful haunted quality that seemed to bring Tom Riddle alive on-screen for us."

- David Yates

Hero Fiennes-Tiffin (born circa 1998) is an English 10-year-old actor best known for his upcoming role as the 11-year-old Tom Marvolo Riddle, the young version of antagonist Lord Voldemort, in the sixth instalment of Harry Potter films, Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince, to be released on July 17, 2009 in the United States and the United Kingdom. Fiennes-Tiffin is the son of film directors George Tiffin and Martha Fiennes; the brother of Mercy and Titan Fiennes-Tiffin ; and the nephew of actors Joseph Fiennes and Ralph Fiennes, who has played the adult Lord Voldemort since the fourth film. Fiennes-Tiffin earned the part even though thousands of young actors auditioned for the role; at least one publication, however, has alleged his family relation alone landed him the part.

Fiennes-Tiffin made his first film appearance as Spartak in the 2008 drama, Bigga Than Ben. David Yates, director of Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince, said Fiennes-Tiffin was cast as Tom Riddle due to his ability to find "the darker space" in his line readings. Yates said he did not get the role due to his relation to Ralph Fiennes, but admitted the family resemblance was "a clincher." Yates described the actor as "very focused and disciplined" and said he "got the corners and dark moods and odd spirit of the character" and had a "wonderful haunted quality that seemed to bring Tom Riddle alive on-screen for us." Jen Bensoussan, who runs the Daniel Radcliffe fansite DanRadcliffe.com, described Fiennes-Tiffin's appearance in a Half-Blood Prince trailer, "perfect evil, eerie child version of Voldemort. Think 'Omen.'"