Actors are sometimes called upon to act in certain ways that would never in a million years fit their own personal lifestyle. In the case of Daniel Radcliffe's performance in Imperium, the former Harry Potter actor had to play an FBI agent who goes undercover with a white supremacist group, in order to prevent a terrorist attack. Which, of course, meant that Radcliffe would have to say and do some pretty racist things. Things that, according to the actor himself, he apologized profusely for after every take.
The Daily Show with Trevor Noah recently had Daniel Radcliffe on the show, and naturally Noah was curious about how an actor we've all come to know as the embodiment of one of literature's greatest heroes coped with engaging in spewing racial epithets. Radcliffe, the consummate nice guy that he is, performed admirably, but with the following caveats:
I would have to go up to the actors afterwards and say, 'I'm so sorry.' I have to say it, it's like 'I know you know I don't mean this,' but I still feel like I have to say it. [...] We were the most apologetic group of skinheads.
Obviously, Daniel Radcliffe, or any other talented actor in his position, would carry on with the scene at hand with as realistic a performance as possible. Nowhere is that more apparent than in the trailer for the film, which is included below. However, that also means that the apologies for such behavior would be just as intense as the performance itself, if not a little more so, in order to make up for the behavior. While he may not have meant what he said, Daniel Radcliffe still treats racial slurs with their obvious gravity, so as not to cheapen his performance in Imperium.
Daniel Radcliffe has come a long way since his Harry Potter debut in 2001, and his career certainly doesn't look to be slowing any time soon. It's because of performances like Radcliffe's work in Imperium that he'll continue to remain an actor who not only entertains his fans, but also keeps his career fresh. But just like any of us, he's a human being that empathizes with his fellow performer, and even if he doesn't mean to insult someone in real life, he'll do it for the scene, and remember to apologize afterwards.
Imperium hits limited theaters, and VOD platforms, this Friday.
