Daniel Jacob Radcliffe (b. 23 July 1989, Fulham, London) is a British actor who rose to prominence for playing Harry Potter, the main character in the film adaptations of the Harry Potter series.
He made his acting debut at 10 years of age in BBC One's 1999 television film David Copperfield, followed by his cinematic debut in 2001's The Tailor of Panama. At age 11, he was cast as Harry Potter in the first Harry Potter film, and starred in the series for 10 years until the release of the eighth and final film in 2011.
Radcliffe began to branch out to stage acting in 2007, starring in the London and New York productions of Equus, and in the 2011 Broadway revival of the musical How to Succeed in Business Without Really Trying. He starred in the 2012 horror film The Woman in Black, and played beat poet Allen Ginsberg in the 2013 independent film Kill Your Darlings.
Career[]
Daniel Radcliffe as Harry Potter
Daniel Jacob Radcliffe was born on 23 July 1989 in West London, England, the only child of Alan George Radcliffe, a literary agent, and Marcia Jeannine Gresham (née Marcia Gresham Jacobson), a casting agent who was involved in several films for the BBC, including The Inspector Lynley Mysteries and Walk Away And I Stumble.[1] Alan Radcliffe and Marcia Gresham, discouraged their only child from show business when, at age five, he said that he wanted to perform.
However, his parents decided to let him audition for the role of young David Copperfield to boost his confidence after he told them that he 'wasn't good at anything', as in December 1999, he made his first on-screen appearance as the young David Copperfield in David Copperfield, the BBC's televised version of the Charles Dickens' novel David Copperfield. This was followed in 2001 by his first film appearance, as Mark Pendel in The Tailor of Panama. In 2001 he starred in his most remembered role; that of Harry Potter in Harry Potter and the Philosopher's Stone and Harry Potter and the Chamber of Secrets. In 2002 he had a role in the play The Play What I Wrote directed by Kenneth Branagh; a production well known for their "surprise guest".
In 2004 and 2005 he returned to the Potter franchise in Harry Potter and the Prisoner of Azkaban and Harry Potter and the Goblet of Fire. Radcliffe starred in the independent Australian film December Boys directed by Rod Hardy within the next year and in 2007 he once again put on the famous lightning-bolt shaped scar and round glasses in the fifth Harry Potter film, Harry Potter and the Order of the Phoenix. In 2009, he was in its sequel, Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince. He appeared in the final two Harry Potter films, Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows: Part 1 and Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows: Part 2, in 2010 and 2011 respectively. In 2012 he portrayed Arthur Kipps in the horror film The Woman in Black alongside his Harry Potter co-star Ciarán Hinds. His on-screen son is played by his real-life godson.[2]
Radcliffe also stars in the romantic comedy What If which has gained attention, ultimately getting on the iTunes top 25 films. In 2013, he portrayed American poet Allen Ginsberg in the thriller drama Kill Your Darlings, directed by John Krokidas. He also starred in The F Word and Alexandre Aja's Horns. Radcliffe's starred as a revised character of Igor in Victor Frankenstein and will be starring as American reporter Jake Adelstein in Tokyo Vice.
In 2000, producer David Heyman asked Radcliffe to audition for the role of Harry Potter for the film adaptation of Harry Potter and the Philosopher's Stone, the best-selling book by British author J. K. Rowling. Rowling had been searching for an unknown British actor to personify the character; however, Radcliffe's parents did not want him to audition for the role, as the contract required shooting all seven films in Los Angeles, California, and so they did not tell him. The film's director Chris Columbus recalled thinking, "This is what I want. This is Harry Potter", after he saw a video of the young actor in David Copperfield. Eight months later, and after several auditions, Radcliffe was selected to play the part. Rowling also endorsed the selection saying, "I don't think Chris Columbus could have found a better Harry." Radcliffe's parents originally turned down the offer, as they had been told that it would involve six films shot in Los Angeles. Warner Bros. instead offered Radcliffe a two-film contract with shooting in the UK though, when signing up, Radcliffe was unsure if he would do any more pictures.
In his GCSE examinations he got seven B's, a couple of A's and an A*and in his AS-level exams and he got A grades in 2006 but decided to take a break from education and did not go to college or university. Part of his reasoning was that he already knew he wanted to act and write, and that it would be difficult to have a normal college experience. "The paparazzi, they'd love it," he told Details magazine in 2007, "If there were any parties going on, they'd be tipped off as to where they were."
Radcliffe prefers being called Dan. He plays the bass guitar and once had a bass lesson from Prisoner of Azkaban co-star Gary Oldman. A passionate guitar rock music fan, some of his favourite bands include The Sex Pistols, The Clash, The Libertines, The Strokes, and The Red Hot Chili Peppers. His personal favourite band is The Hold Steady, Out of Brooklyn.[3]
Radcliffe has also been a supporter of various charities. Fans have, on his request, repeatedly donated to various organisations, including the Demelza House charity.
In 2006, Radcliffe spoofed his Harry Potter image in an episode of the comedy series Extras starring Ricky Gervais. In the episode, Radcliffe plays himself, but a warped version who womanises and keeps coming on to Dame Diana Rigg, also appearing as herself. In the film, Radcliffe appears in several scenes spoofing Harry Potter, only with Radcliffe playing a Boy Scout (with Potter glasses) who comes upon an elf in the forest (played by his Potter co-star Warwick Davis). The DVD release of the episode included outtakes in which Radcliffe couldn't keep a straight face whenever Davis uttered a line of dialogue about his flute.
In 2007, Radcliffe starred, along with his Harry Potter co-star Richard Griffiths, in the London West End stage production, Equus. Leading up to his performance, the 17 year old star received much criticism about the adult content in the production. Radcliffe appears nude in the production and publicity materials portrayed a much grown-up and nude Radcliffe. Radcliffe also smokes in the play, upsetting some Harry Potter fans and anti-smoking advocates.[citation needed] He reprised his role in the US production in September 2008. It ended on February 8, 2009.
In August 2008 Radcliffe revealed that he has dyspraxia, which is a developmental issue that make it hard for him to do certain things.
In an interview in Entertainment Weekly, he said that he could not wait to film the seventh Harry Potter film. After rereading the chapter in which Harry encounters Dumbledore in King's Cross, he was surprised to find out Harry is completely naked during the scene, to which he replied, "It's old hat for me now," referring to his role in Equus, in which he is naked on stage for a period of time. However that scene was changed for Part 2, so that Harry and Dumbledore have the conversation from the book, but Harry isn't naked.
Radcliffe has also revealed that he is Jewish, on his mother's side, and "is very proud to be Jewish". However, he also claims that he is an atheist.[4]
In 2009, Radcliffe was nominated and voted in eighteenth place in Portrait Magazine, Top 30 Under 30 2009 List.[5] Some of Radcliffe's fellow Harry Potter costars were also nominated. Bonnie Wright who plays Ginny Weasley was second place, Evanna Lynch who plays Luna Lovegood was third place, Rupert Grint who plays Ron Weasley was fifth place, Emma Watson who plays Hermione Granger was eighth place, and Tom Felton who plays Draco Malfoy was fourteenth place.
When Equus first hit the stage many parents were concerned due to Radcliffe smoking in the production, and the effect this behaviour may have on their children. Radcliffe assured his fans that the cigarettes he smokes in the play are fake, and that he does not smoke in real life. However, Radcliffe was photographed with a cigarette in hand, and has since confessed that he does indeed smoke. Speculation continues as to what the cigarette actually contained; as the picture was snapped at a celebrity party - in London - it was unlikely to consist solely of tobacco.[citation needed]
In March 2011 Radcliffe enraged executives of Warner Bros. when he decided to appear in a showing of his play How to Succeed in Business Without Really Trying on the same night as the London premiere of Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows: Part 2. Warner Bros. was forced to pay the play's production company $300,000 to cancel the performance and ensure Radcliffe's attendance at the premiere.[6]
Radcliffe's first post-Harry Potter project was the 2012 horror film The Woman in Black, adapted from the 1983 novel by Susan Hill. The film was released on 3 February 2012 in the United States and Canada, and was released on 10 February in the UK. Radcliffe portrays a man sent to deal with the legal matters of a mysterious woman who has just died, and soon after he begins to experience strange events and hauntings from the ghost of a woman dressed in black. He has said he was "incredibly excited" to be part of the film and described the script as "beautifully written".
In 2013, Radcliffe portrayed American poet Allen Ginsberg in the thriller drama Kill Your Darlings, directed by John Krokidas. He also starred in The F Word and Alexandre Aja's Horns. Radcliffe played the character Igor in Victor Frankenstein and American reporter Jake Adelstein in Tokyo Vice. Radcliffe also performed at the Noël Coward Theatre in the stage play revival of Martin McDonagh's dark comedy The Cripple of Inishmaan as the lead, Billy Claven, for which he won the WhatsOnStage Award for Best Actor in a Play.
Radcliffe starred as the main antagonist, Walter Tressler Mabry in Now You See Me: The Second Act. In November 2014, the film was officially titled Now You See Me: 2 and was released on June 10, 2016.
In November 2015, he joined the ensemble cast of Shane Carruth's third film, The Modern Ocean alongside Anne Hathaway, Keanu Reeves, Tom Holland, Chloe Grace Moretz, Asa Butterfield, Jeff Goldblum and Abraham Attah. Around the same year he also starred as Rockstar Games co-founder Sam Houser in the BBC docudrama The Gamechangers, which was a dramatised account of the controversies faced by Rockstar Games and their Grand Theft Auto video game franchise.
In November 2023, Radcliffe released a documentary film about his former stunt double David Holmes which he produced, titled David Holmes: The Boy Who Lived on Max.[7][8]
Behind the scenes[]
- Before the Harry Potter films, Radcliffe starred in David Copperfield as young David Copperfield with Maggie Smith as Betsey Trotwood. It was, after seeing this film that Chris Columbus discovered the young boy and knew that he would be the perfect Harry.
- Radcliffe's on-screen first kiss was not Harry's kiss with Cho Chang, played by Katie Leung in Order of the Phoenix, but was with Teresa Palmer in the Australian film December Boys, which had been filmed earlier.
- In the "Seven Potters" scene of Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows: Part 1, Radcliffe also played Ronald Weasley, Hermione Granger, Fred Weasley, George Weasley, Fleur Delacour and Mundungus Fletcher. According to Radcliffe, the scene took 96 takes to shoot.
- Radcliffe's character, Harry, has green eyes when in fact Radcliffe has blue eyes. This is due to the fact that Radcliffe cannot stand wearing contact lenses. Ironically, Rupert Grint has green eyes while his character, Ron, has blue eyes.
- Radcliffe can rotate his arm in a 360 degree angle.
- Radcliffe's favourite colour is yellow.
- Radcliffe said the third book was his favourite.
- Radcliffe's character in the 2011 film The Woman in Black was played by Adrian Rawlins in the 1989 film The Woman in Black. Rawlins plays his father in the Harry Potter films.
- Radcliffe starred alongside Ciaran Hinds in The Woman in Black, who portrayed Aberforth Dumbledore in Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows: Part 2.
- During the days when they were shooting the early films, both Radcliffe and Rupert Grint had a crush on Emma Watson.
- Radcliffe knows all of the elements in the periodic table and has the ability to sing Tom Lehrer's song, "The Elements".[9]
- Radcliffe can count to three with his tongue, which he once demonstrated in Ellen DeGeneres' talk show.
- Radcliffe did an impressive 'Blackalicious' rap on the Jimmy Fallon Show, as of April 2020, the video garnered over 102 million views.[10]
- Heyman spotted Radcliffe in a theatre audience at a West End production of Stones In His Pockets. Radcliffe, already an actor, had been on the casting director's wish list from the start but his parents had turned down the audition. "I didn't pay any attention to the play, I was just looking at this boy," Heyman recalled. "He had big round eyes and an air of an old soul in a young body."
- On the wall of Heyman's Soho office is a poster for Harry Potter and the Philosopher's Stone, signed by its three young stars. If proof were needed that the actors and their characters are not dissimilar:
"You're a WICKED producer!" writes Grint. "To David, thank you is not a strong enough word for my gratitude," is Watson's neatly written message. And from Daniel Radcliffe? "Thank goodness I went to the theatre. Love, Dan."[11]
- In 2008, Radcliffe announced that he had a mild form of the neurological disorder developmental coordination disorder. The motor skill disorder sometimes prevented him from doing simple activities, such as writing or tying his own shoelaces. "I was having a hard time at school, in terms of being crap at everything, with no discernible talent," Radcliffe commented.
- In August 2010, Radcliffe stopped drinking alcohol after finding himself becoming too reliant on it.
- In 2012, Radcliffe disclosed he was undergoing cluster headaches at a press conference in France. The A-list actor stated in 2014 that he was prescribed the high-blood pressure medication in a bid to control the longrunning issue and also underwent regular electrocardiograms to monitor his heart.[12]
- In April 2023, Radcliffe became a father for the first time when his partner, actress Erin Darke, gave birth to a baby boy.[13]
- Both Radcliffe (Harry Potter) and Emma Watson (Hermione Granger) speak in Modernised Received Pronunciation, an accent associated with prestige and wealth, but in the story, most characters that speak in RP are pure-bloods.
- Radcliffe said in an interview that Daphne de Beistegui, who plays his on-screen daughter Lily L. Potter, kind of "adopted him as her father" when they were on set.[14]
- The actor has expressed his excitement over the upcoming Harry Potter TV series, however when asked in a quick interview with E! News at the Drama League Awards if he would appear in it, he replied with "I don't think so" and added "I think they very wisely want to [have] a clean break. And I don't know if it would work to have us do anything in it."[15] [16]
Awards and honours[]
- Saturn Awards - Best Performance by a Younger Actor (Philosopher's Stone) - Nominated
- Critics Choice Awards - Best Young Actor/Actress (Philosopher's Stone) - Nominated
- Empire Awards - Best Début (Philosopher's Stone) - Shared with Emma Watson, Rupert Grint - Nominated
- Golden Apple Awards - Youth Male Discovery of the Year (2001) - Won
- MTV Movie Awards - Breakthrough Male Performance (Philosopher's Stone) - Nominated
- Phoenix Film Critics Society Awards - Best Newcomer (Philosopher's Stone) - Nominated
- Saturn Awards - Best Performance by a Younger Actor (Chamber of Secrets) - Nominated
- Phoenix Film Critics Society Awards - Best Acting Ensemble (Chamber of Secrets) - Shared with Kenneth Branagh, John Cleese, Robbie Coltrane, Warwick Davis, Richard Griffiths, Rupert Grint, Richard Harris, Jason Isaacs, Alan Rickman, Fiona Shaw, Maggie Smith, Julie Walters, Emma Watson - Nominated
- Saturn Awards - Best Performance by a Younger Actor (Prisoner of Azkaban) - Nominated
- Critics Choice Awards - Best Young Actor (Prisoner of Azkaban) - Nominated
- Saturn Awards - Best Performance by a Younger Actor (Goblet of Fire) - Nominated
- Critics Choice Awards - Best Young Actor (Goblet of Fire) - Nominated
- MTV Movie Awards - Best Hero (Goblet of Fire) - Nominated
- MTV Movie Awards - Best On-Screen Team (Goblet of Fire) - Shared with Emma Watson, Rupert Grint - Nominated
- Saturn Awards - Best Performance by a Younger Actor (Order of the Phoenix) - Nominated
- Empire Awards - Best Actor (Order of the Phoenix) - Nominated
- MTV Movie Awards - Best Kiss (Order of the Phoenix) - Shared with Katie Leung - Nominated
- National Movie Awards - Best Performance by a Male (Order of the Phoenix) - Won
- MTV Movie Awards - Best Male Performance (Half-Blood Prince) - Nominated
- People's Choice Awards - Favourite On-Screen Team (Half-Blood Prince) - Shared with Rupert Grint, Emma Watson - Nominated
- MTV Movie Awards - Best Male Performance (Deathly Hallows Part 1) - Nominated
- MTV Movie Awards - Best Kiss (Deathly Hallows Part 1) - Shared with Emma Watson - Nominated
- MTV Movie Awards - Best Fight (Deathly Hallows Part 1) - Shared with Rod Hunt, Rupert Grint, Emma Watson, Arben Bajraktaraj - Nominated
- Teen Choice Awards - Choice Movie Actor: Sci-Fi/Fantasy (Deathly Hallows Part 1) - Nominated
- Teen Choice Awards - Choice Movie Liplock (Deathly Hallows Part 1) - Won
- Teen Choice Awards - Choice Summer Movie Star: Male (Deathly Hallows Part 2) - Won
- MTV Movie Awards - Best Cast (Deathly Hallows Part 2) (shared with Rupert Grint, Emma Watson, and Tom Felton)
- MTV Movie Awards - Best Hero (Deathly Hallows Part 2) - Won
- Glamour Awards - Man of The Year - Won
- Jameson Empire Awards - Empire Hero Award - Won
- WhatsOnStage Awards - Best Actor (The Cripple of Inishmaan) - Won
- 77th Annual Tony Awards- Best Performance by a Featured Actor in a Musical (Merrily We Roll Along)- Won
Filmography[]
| Year | Title | Role | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2001 | The Tailor of Panama | Mark Pendel | |
| 2001 | Harry Potter and the Philosopher's Stone | Harry Potter | Released as Harry Potter and the Sorcerer's Stone in the United States and India |
| 2002 | Harry Potter and the Chamber of Secrets | ||
| 2004 | Harry Potter and the Prisoner of Azkaban | ||
| 2005 | Harry Potter and the Goblet of Fire | ||
| 2007 | Harry Potter and the Order of the Phoenix | ||
| 2007 | December Boys | Maps | |
| 2009 | Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince | Harry Potter | |
| 2010 | Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows: Part 1 | ||
| 2011 | Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows: Part 2 | ||
| 2012 | The Woman in Black | Arthur Kipps | |
| 2013 | Kill Your Darlings | Allen Ginsberg | |
| 2014 | Horns | Ig Perrish | |
| 2014 | The F Word | Wallace | Released in some countries as What If |
| 2015 | Trainwreck | The Dog Walker | |
| 2015 | Victor Frankenstein | Igor | |
| 2016 | Now You See Me 2 | Walter Tressler | |
| 2016 | Swiss Army Man | Cliff | Post-production |
| 2016 | Imperium | Nate Foster | Filming |
Television[]
| Year | Title | Role | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1999 | David Copperfield | Young David Copperfield | Television film |
| 2005 | Foley and McColl: This Way Up | Traffic Warden / Himself | |
| 2006 | Extras | Himself | Episode: "Daniel Radcliffe" |
| 2007 | My Boy Jack | John Kipling | TV film |
| 2010, 2014 | The Simpsons | Edmund, Diggs | Episode: "Treehouse of Horror XXI" and "Diggs", respectively (voice) |
| 2010 | QI | Himself | Episode: "Hocus-Pocus" (guest) |
| 2012 | Saturday Night Live | Himself / Various | Episode: "Daniel Radcliffe/Lana Del Rey" (host) |
| 2012 | Robot Chicken | Mullet Kid / Thomas the Tank Engine | Episode: "Hemlock Gin and Juice" (voice) |
| 2012–13 | A Young Doctor's Notebook | Dr Vladimir Bomgard (Young) | Lead role; miniseries |
| 2012, 2015 | Have I Got News for You | Himself | Episode: "44x10" and "49x01" (host) |
| 2015 | BoJack Horseman | Himself | Episode: "Let's Find Out" (voice) |
| 2015 | Only Connect | Himself | Credited as additional question writer |
| 2015 | The Gamechangers | Sam Houser | Television movie; first screened BBC2 15 September 2015 |
Theatre[]
| Year | Title | Role | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2002 | The Play What I Wrote | Guest | Wyndham's Theatre |
| 2007 | Equus | Alan Strang | Gielgud Theatre |
| 2008–09 | Equus | Alan Strang | Broadhurst Theatre |
| 2011–12 | How to Succeed in Business Without Really Trying | J. Pierrepont Finch | Al Hirschfeld Theatre |
| 2013 | The Cripple of Inishmaan | Billy Claven | Noël Coward Theatre |
| 2014 | The Cripple of Inishmaan | Billy Claven | Cort Theatre |
| 2016 | Privacy | The Writer | The Public Theatre |
| 2017 | Rosencrantz and Guildenstern Are Dead | Rosencrants | The Old Vic |
| 2018 | The Lifespan of a Fact | Fingal | Studio 54 |
| 2022-2023 | Merrily We Roll Along | Charley Kringas | New York Theatre Workshop |
| 2023-2024 | Merrily We Roll Along | Charley Kringas | Hudson Tehatre |
Music video[]
| Year | Title | Role | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2012 | Beginners | Main character | Music video for the single by Slow Club |
Notes and references[]
- ↑ Daniel Radcliffe#cite note-Radcliffe2-1
- ↑ http://www.snitchseeker.com/harry-potter-news/video-dan-radcliffe-talks-the-woman-in-black-on-screen-son-film-finishes-production-77941/
- ↑ "Harry Potter reveals his favourite band" at NME.com
- ↑ Dan the man
- ↑ http://www.portraitmagazine.net/archives/top302009.html
- ↑ http://www.marieclaire.co.uk/news/celebrity/518069/daniel-radcliffe-in-hot-water-over-final-harry-potter-film.html
- ↑ Daniel Radcliffe produces film about his paralysed Harry Potter stunt double
- ↑ David Holmes: The Boy Who Lived –– Trailer For The Documentary About Daniel Radcliffe’s Injured Potter Stunt Double
- ↑ http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rSAaiYKF0cs
- ↑ https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=aKdV5FvXLuI
- ↑ http://www.telegraph.co.uk/culture/film/baftas/8317256/David-Heyman-I-cant-imagine-Harry-Potter-being-a-stockbroker-at-35.html
- ↑ http://www.dailymail.co.uk/tvshowbiz/article-2729143/Don-t-worry-I-m-perfectly-fine-Daniel-Radcliffe-reveals-blood-pressure-medication-ease-excruciating-cluster-headaches.html
- ↑ Daniel Radcliffe confirms birth of first child - BBC News
- ↑ Harry Potter & The Deathly Hallows Part Two Special Coverage: TF Interview: Daniel Radcliffe. Total Film Indonesia. 9 July 2011. Retrieved 13 August 2014.
- ↑ Radcliffe “Excited To Watch” Max’s Harry Potter TV Series & Reveals If He Would Guest Star
- ↑ Daniel Radcliffe doesn't expect to return for Harry Potter TV series: 'I don't know if it would work'