Harry Potter’s Daniel Radcliffe Reveals Why He Didn’t Always Feel ‘The Coolest’ Playing The Boy Who Lived

Daniel Radcliffe in Harry Potter and the Sorcerer's Stone.
(Image credit: Warner Bros.)

Actor Daniel Radcliffe has had a long and celebrated career as an adult, but his name will always be synonymous with his time leading the Harry Potter movies. He and the rest of the cast grew up before our eyes, and each have their own relationship to those massively popular eight movies. And Radcliffe recently explained why he didn’t always feel cool while playing the Boy Who Lived.

Daniel Radcliffe played Harry Potter for a whopping ten years, going from boy to man on the big screen in front of us. He’s been doing a ton of reflection lately about that magical journey (including his crush on Helena Bonham Carter), thanks to the Return to Hogwarts reunion special and press for his new movie The Lost City. And it turns out that being the lead character of such a massive film franchise didn’t always feel cool. As Radcliffe recently explained during an interview with TooFab.

I think, honestly when I was on Harry Potter and dressed as a schoolboy, it didn't feel like the coolest thing in the world at the time. It’s been, honestly, later that I've looked back and gone, 'That was incredibly cool,' and I do feel that now, for sure.

Well, there you have it. While playing a magical protagonist in the Wizarding World is a dream for many, that wasn’t always the case for Daniel Radcliffe. And it seems that part of the issue might have to do with those Hogwarts uniforms that he and the rest of the cast rocked throughout the Harry Potter franchise. 

These honest comments about Harry Potter come to us from Daniel Radcliffe’s recent interview with TooFab while promoting The Lost City. Eventually the conversation turned to his time in the Harry Potter franchise, as most of his press appearances are wont to do. That’s where the 32 year-old actor got honest about how it was really like playing the Boy Who Lived. 

It’s always interesting to hear the perspective of Harry Potter stars like Daniel Radcliffe, Rupert Grint, and Emma Watson. While fans re-watch the entire franchise every year, it’s not easy for the cast to see themselves as kids when scrolling through the channels. And it sounds like Radcliffe and company’s relationship to that franchise is ever-changing, especially as more years pass.

The generations of Wizarding World fans were thrilled to see the cast reunited for Harry Potter 20th Anniversary: Return to Hogwarts, with the special doing great numbers on HBO Max. Of course, some of those same fans have been hoping that the cast has another thrilling reunion by returning to reprise their roles in a film adaptation of Harry Potter and the Cursed Child. It’s unclear if this’ll ever happen, but it would no doubt be thrilling to see the ensemble playing adult versions of their signature characters.

The Wizarding World will return to theaters when Fantastic Beasts: The Secrets of Dumbledore is released on April 15th. In the meantime, check out the 2022 movie release dates to plan your next movie experience. 

Corey Chichizola
Movies Editor

Corey was born and raised in New Jersey. Graduated with degrees theater and literature from Ramapo College of New Jersey. After working in administrative theater for a year in New York, he started as the Weekend Editor at CinemaBlend. He's since been able to work himself up to reviews, phoners, and press junkets-- and is now able to appear on camera with some of his favorite actors... just not as he would have predicted as a kid. He's particularly proud of covering horror franchises like Scream and Halloween, as well as movie musicals like West Side Story. Favorite interviews include Steven Spielberg, Spike Lee, Jamie Lee Curtis, and more.