To say that Daniel Radcliffe’s life changed forever when he was cast as Harry Potter would be a major understatement. Not only was the production based on the popular novels going to be a massive public spectacle, but it was going to take years to make them all. In the end, we got some of the best movies of the 2000s and some of the best family movies ever made from the franchise, but that wasn't easy for the young cast. We knew from the beginning that Radcliffe and his compatriots would never have normal lives again. However, while the young boy was cast in the role of a lifetime, many assumed that the result would be nothing but bad.
It’s not uncommon for child stars to face difficulties once their time as child stars has come to an end. Many child stars leave Hollywood, though not necessarily of their own choice. However, it seems that the idea that fame can be a curse for young actors is so prevalent that many just assumed Radcliffe would come out of the experience screwed up. The actor now says that he was determined to prove that assumption wrong.
What People Said When Daniel Radcliffe Was Cast As Harry Potter
The role of Harry Potter was one of the most coveted in modern movie history, with hundreds of young actors auditioning to play The Boy Who Lived. Daniel Radcliffe would ultimately lead the Harry Potter cast, but alongside the excited responses, was a chorus of voices who seemed to feel this was the worst thing that could have possibly happened to a kid.
Radcliffe tells The Atlantic that he was especially impacted by the words of director John Boorman, whom he had worked with on The Tailor of Panama. When asked about the actor's major new role Booman called it “a terrible fate or a 10-year-old child.” The Harry Potter star was frustrated by his former director’s comments. He said…
I remember being a little upset about that. Just the phrase terrible fate …There was a constant kind of drumbeat of ‘Are you all going to be screwed up by this?’
The idea that he was going to be “screwed up” was not uncommon. Daniel Radcliffe says there were many that predicted the Harry Potter movies would lead to him having no career when they were over, or him otherwise being “fucked up” by growing up in the limelight.
How Daniel Radcliffe Responded
Daniel Radcliffe certainly wouldn’t have been the first child actor to be “fucked up” by growing up famous, we’ve seen it happen before. At the same time, there are plenty of cases of child actors becoming successful adults, and even becoming more famous stars later in life. Radcliffe says he used the doubters and detractors as a sort of fuel. He made an effort to prove them wrong. He continued…
Looking back. I’m quite impressed with 13-, 14-year-old me’s reaction to those things. To really, actually use them. To internally be going: Fuck you, I’m going to prove that wrong.
At this point, it’s safe to say Daniel Radcliffe has succeeded in proving that wrong. He’s built a solid career as an adult on both stage and screen. While he certainly hasn’t been in a movie as big as the Harry Potter films, he has a career and a family and seems perfectly well-adjusted for a guy who spent his teen years in front of cameras.
With a new Harry Potter TV series on the horizon, there will be a new young actor cast in the iconic role who will likely have a similar experience. Hopefully, he'll be able to use Daniel Radcliffe as an example of how to make it out in good shape.
