After starring in the first Harry Potter film at just 12 years old, Daniel Radcliffe’s acting journey has been nothing short of fascinating since he graduated from the magical world of Hogwarts and the beloved role of the young wizard. “You want to be known as an actor who is in lots of different stuff rather than just a character, a specific character,” Radcliffe tells GQ. “I think I knew at the time that was never going to be achieved by just one film. It was going to take just building up a body of work that had a variety in it was going to be the thing that made that separation.”
Although he has been on countless film sets since his time as Harry Potter, Radcliffe still recalls the uniqueness of those iconic movies. “There was so much on Potter that was so intense and so crazy that you don’t even think about at the time,” Radcliffe says. From filming underwater for hours during Harry Potter and the Goblet of Fire to emerging through a ring of fire in Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince, Radcliffe experienced things at a young age most actors could only dream off. “It’s phenomenal that they allowed me to do that myself. I’ll never probably be on a job again where they let me do that stuff again,” remarks Radcliffe.
After his time on the Potter set came to an end, Radcliffe went from playing a wizard to playing dead in the 2016 film Swiss Army Man. Although it was a change of pace for the former child actor, Radcliffe only has positive memories from the movie and acting alongside his co-star Paul Dano. “Paul is one of the most incredible actors I have ever worked with,” says Radcliffe. “He carries both the film, and literally me, throughout the movie.”
Radcliffe’s most recent work is another first for the actor as he plays Yankovic in the new film, Weird: The Al Yankovic Story. “He [Yankovic] kind of just gave me free reign to create my own version of him,” explains Radcliffe. “I think he’s happy with it so I’m delighted.”
Read more about Radcliffe’s new role in the latest installment of GQ Hype.
