As fans look forward to Daniel Radcliffe’s upcoming role in Weird: The Al Yankovic Story, Radcliffe has stepped into the limelight again from his mostly-private life. Always remembered as the titular Harry Potter of the magical series, Daniel Radcliffe has branched out vastly in order not to be typecast.
The Horns actor gained instant fame with his leading role in Harry Potter and his fanbase remains as large as ever. Even so, there are plenty of things about Radcliffe that are not common knowledge. Only Daniel Radcliffe’s most dedicated fans would know these facts about the young star’s life.
Daniel Began Acting In A School Play
The acting gene was active in Radcliffe at a young age — at six-years-old to be exact. His first ‘role’ was in a school play, where he played the prestigious part of a monkey. His next big-ticket role was the title role of David Copperfield in 1999, which led to a string of more work.
A mere two years later, Radcliffe found himself in his first movie The Tailor of Panama, which began his film journey in the industry. Soon after, Potter happened.
He Almost Didn’t Do Harry Potter
It’s safe to say that being cast as Harry was a game-changer for Daniel Radcliffe, but his parents actually turned down the role, at first. The first contract for Radcliffe was for six movies, all of which were to be filmed in Los Angeles.
This didn’t suit his folks, as they thought it would disrupt his childhood too greatly. Once the contract was amended to two films to be shot in England, they relented, and the Boy Who Lived graced the screens of Potterheads worldwide. It’s quite shocking for fans to think that brave and loyal Harry Potter could have been another actor.
Daniel Would Love To Play Spider-Man
In conversation with Metro.co.uk, Radcliffe revealed that he loves the web-slinging Marvel hero, and would have loved to play him in the movies. A self-proclaimed superhero movie fan, he said “I would’ve been a good Spider-Man but the boat has sailed on that and I’m very happy to watch Tom Holland do it. He’s fantastic.”
There are definitely other ways Daniel Radcliffe could be a part of the Marvel Cinematic Universe, and fans would love to see that dream become a reality.
He Often Performs On Broadway
Beyond the silver screen, Daniel Radcliffe has an affinity for Broadway. His first outing as a theatre actor was in Peter Shaffer’s Equus, in 2009, where he played Alan Strang, a conflicted teen with a horse obsession.
In 2011, he acted in the Broadway version of How to Succeed in Business Without Really Trying and The Cripple of Inishmaan in 2014. 2018 saw him in The Lifespan of a Fact, also on Broadway. The actor also does theater work off-Broadway and unconventional roles are Radcliffe’s go-to.
He’s A Published Poet
While acting is something Radcliffe is known for, his poetry is a secret only his biggest fans know about. He said “as an actor, there is room for a certain amount of creativity, but you’re always ultimately going to be saying somebody else’s words.”
He has published his original work under the pen name Jacob Gershon in Rubbish magazine, one of which is called “Away Days,” about a philandering husband who feels no qualms about his secret life. Daniel was about 17 when he published his work. He has also played Alan Ginsberg in a movie about poets, Kill Your Darlings.
He Avoids Tattoos To Help Makeup Artists On Set
In a Wired interview, Radcliffe revealed that getting tattoos was something that he has always wanted and thought about, but imagining the faces of his makeup artist friends makes him stop in his tracks every single time.
Makeup artists always have to work a little harder and come in earlier to set to cover up tattoos for actors. Radcliffe shows consideration to his collaborators and avoids getting tattooed for exactly this reason.
Daniel Saved The $100 Million Dollars He Made From Potter
Daniel made big bucks being the star of the mega-franchise that was Harry Potter, estimated to be $100 million as of January 2021. However, the boy wizard has allegedly spent none of his earnings, and saved them instead.
This financial security gave him the liberty to pick and choose the roles that were important to him, not just for money. He said, “I want to give them something to be interested in, rather than them just watch me make loads of money on crap films for the rest of my life.”
His Favorite Books Are The Fifth And Last Ones
In the same Wired interview, Radcliffe revealed that he indeed had favorite Harry Potter books, namely, the fifth and last ones. Harry Potter and The Order of Phoenix was the longest tome of the whole series and an unconventional choice. Radcliffe loved the relationship that Harry shared with Sirius in it.
The concluding installment of Harry Potter was also one of the better-loved ones for him. He must have had a blast acting out the momentous ending of the saga.
Daniel Hated His Work In The Half-Blood Prince
Like most other actors, the young actor views his own work too critically sometimes. Out of the eight Potter movies, he thinks that his work in Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince was not up to the mark.
Radcliffe mourned, “And that’s why it’s hard to watch a film like Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince. Because I’m just not very good in it. I hate it.” Many Potter fans would disagree with Radcliffe, though, and feel he is far too self-critical and humble.
He Doesn’t Do Social Media
While fans would love to get a peek into the inner life of Daniel Radcliffe, they will have to depend on the actor’s interviews and tidbits alone. He is not on any social media, and he doesn’t intend to be either on Twitter or Instagram.
He feels that he would be the type that would hit back at his haters on Twitter, so it’s only best that he stays away from the websites to keep his peace of mind intact.
