Ralph Fiennes is responsible for one of the most iconic evil laughs in cinema, but he doesn't remember it.
Fiennes portrayed Voldemort in the Harry Potter films, and in one particular scene when he thought he had finally defeated the Boy Who Lived, he threw his head back and guffawed maniacally. The scene launched a viral meme, but the actor behind it admitted during a conversation with philosopher Slavoj Zizek at a School Of Life event in central London that he couldn't recall the inspiration for it.
"I can't actually remember what that scene was or why I did it," Feinnes confessed, per The Irish Examiner. Zizek lauded Fiennes' work in the role, describing the characterization of Voldemort more "melancholy" than villainous.
"It wasn't useful going into it as evil," Fiennes joked. "I just thought, 'I want to destroy Harry Potter, he is really annoying me and the world will be a better place without him in it.'"
That doesn't sound evil at all!
While Fiennes may not recall anything about the scene, fans of the franchise would be more than happy to remind him with a few of the GIFs it inspired.
And one hilarious meme.
What's debatably even more surprising than Fiennes' candid admission was the moment author J.K. Rowling revealed fans had been saying the villain's name wrong for years. Rowling intended for Voldemort to be pronounced with a silent T at the end, so it would sound more like "Voldemore." Rowling admitted the shocking news after a fan innocently posted some HP trivia and mentioned that the "T" in "Voldemort" should be silent, as in "mort," the French word for "death." Not many knew that little fun fact, so Rowling went and confirmed it. "... but I'm pretty sure I'm the only person who pronounces it that way," she tweeted in response.
Hey, at least she knows it didn't take. Then again, her clarification might not have stuck, either. Sorry, Jo! Voldemort (hard T) remains.